Next in the Series: New updates to our favourite reading apps 📚

Shân Saunders Digital Identity and Wellbeing Leave a comment

Blogpost by Shân Saunders (Digital Capabilities and Skills Development Coordinator)

In February we wrote a blogpost about apps to help with your reading habits. As it’s National Book Lover’s Day, there are new updates to one of the apps mentioned – Fable. Fable is a combination of a reading app and social media where you can see updates from other readers including opinions that they have on your previously read and want to read books.  

Recent updates include having your reading streak and progress update bar on the homepage for easy access. Additionally, Fable is now branching out from books with the option to mark your progress and join clubs for TV shows meaning you can watch episodes and discuss your favourite shows with other fans. Fable is also currently testing a new AI chatbot called Scout where you input prompts for suggestions and recommendations for your next reads based on tropes and genres or if you’re looking for something similar to another read.  

The main new feature is the stats page. Under your user profile, there is now a reader summary, a little AI summary which automatically updates after every read. Within this there is also a graph of the books you have read this year with a reader insight into when you’re due to reach your reading goal. Along with the reading streak widget on the homepage, you can view how much you read in previous months including your longest reading streak. You can also view a graph with your most read genres and underneath this you can see your average rating of books you have read.  

  • Screenshot

Delve into Development: Learn more about AI through LinkedIn Learning 🧠

Shân Saunders Artificial Intelligence, LinkedIn Learning Leave a comment

Blogpost by Shân Saunders (Digital Capabilities and Skills Development Coordinator)

AI and generative AI have become increasingly more ingrained into our lives whether through personal or professional use. LinkedIn Learning has a variety of information to help you learn more about AI including how to use AI responsibly. See below for the top 10 courses available on AI and generative AI on LinkedIn Learning. Please note that currently LinkedIn Learning does not support courses in Welsh.  

  1. Understanding the Impact of Deepfake videos (48m) 
  2. What is Generative AI? (1h 3m) 
  3. Introduction to Prompt Engineering for Generative AI (44m) 
  4. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (1h 34m) 
  5. Get Ready for Generative AI (5m 26s) 
  6. Digital Marketing Trends (2h 30m) 
  7. Ethics in the Age of Generative AI (39m) 
  8. Generative AI: The Evolution of Thoughtful Online Search (26m) 
  9. Artificial Intelligence Foundations: Thinking Machines (1h 36m) 
  10. Generative AI for Business Leaders (57m) 

LinkedIn Learning is a free resource available to all Aberystwyth University students and staff. If you need help accessing your LinkedIn Learning account, please view our FAQ’s or you can email us at digi@aber.ac.uk.   

                    Remember to download your Digital Discovery Tool reports 📲

                    WordPress User [sil12] Digital Discovery Tool Leave a comment

                    There is still just over a week until our subscription to the Jisc Digital Discovery Tool ends on 31 July 2024.

                    If you would like to keep any copies of your individual reports, please ensure you download them before this date, as you won’t be able to access your reports after 31 July 2024. This FAQ provides step-by-step guidance on how to do this.

                    If you haven’t used the Digital Discovery Tool before, there’s still time for you to log in and make use of this resource to self-assess and develop your confidence with technology! Please visit our webpage for further guidance.

                    Contact us with any questions 📧

                    We’re halfway through our Summer Learning Challenge! ☀

                    WordPress User [sil12] LinkedIn Learning, LinkedIn Learning Challenge Leave a comment

                    We’re halfway through our Summer Learning Challenge, but don’t worry it’s not too late to join us!

                    For our Summer Learning Challenge, we’ve put together 14 short courses and videos from LinkedIn Learning for you to watch over 5 weeks. This content ranges from 3-8 minutes and will help you to develop a range of skills – from writing effective prompts for AI, landscape photography on your phone, to developing better sleep habits.

                    How do I join the challenge?

                    1. If you haven’t done so yet, activate your LinkedIn Learning account (please login with your AU email and password).
                    2. Take a look at the list of short courses and videos from the PDF below
                    3. Choose one short course or video to watch each week (there are 5 weeks in total) and click on the links in the PDF below to start
                    Calendar-Her-Dysgur-Haf_Summer-Learning-Challenge-CalendarDownload

                    How can I get support?

                    If you have any questions about the challenge, or about LinkedIn Learning in general, please email the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk), and we hope you enjoy your summer of learning!

                    Join our Summer Learning Challenge! ☀

                    WordPress User [sil12] LinkedIn Learning, LinkedIn Learning Challenge Leave a comment

                    Blogpost by Sioned Llywelyn (Digital Skills Lead)

                    Our Summer Learning Challenge begins this week! We have put together 14 short courses and videos from LinkedIn Learning for you to watch and learn from over the next 5 weeks. This content ranges from 3-8 minutes and will help you to develop a range of skills – from writing effective prompts for AI, landscape photography on your phone, to developing better sleep habits.

                    How do I join the challenge?

                    1. If you haven’t done so yet, activate your LinkedIn Learning account (please login with your AU email and password).
                    2. Take a look at the list of short courses and videos from the PDF below
                    3. Choose one short course or video to watch each week (there are 5 weeks in total) and click on the links in the PDF below to start
                    Calendar-Her-Dysgur-Haf_Summer-Learning-Challenge-CalendarDownload

                    How can I get support?

                    If you have any questions about the challenge, or about LinkedIn Learning in general, please email the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk), and we hope you enjoy your summer of learning!

                    Remember to download your Digital Discovery Tool reports 📲

                    WordPress User [sil12] Digital Discovery Tool Leave a comment

                    There is still just over a month until our subscription to the Jisc Digital Discovery Tool ends on 31 July 2024.

                    If you would like to keep any copies of your individual reports, please ensure you download them before this date, as you won’t be able to access your reports after 31 July 2024. This FAQ provides step-by-step guidance on how to do this.

                    If you haven’t used the Digital Discovery Tool before, there’s still time for you to log in and make use of this resource to self-assess and develop your confidence with technology! Please visit our webpage for further guidance.

                    Contact us with any questions 📧

                    Master your tech skills with LinkedIn Learning’s new Complete Guide Courses 👨‍💻

                    WordPress User [sil12] Digital learning and development, LinkedIn Learning, Training Leave a comment

                    Blogpost by Sioned Llywelyn (Digital Skills Lead)

                    Complete Guide Courses are now available in LinkedIn Learning to all at Aberystwyth University. These courses are fantastic for those that want to delve into developing specific tech skills with expert instructors. Whether you’re a beginner aiming to learn a new programme from scratch, or someone with more experience looking to progress further, these courses could be for you.

                    Here’s an example of some of the available Complete Guide courses with new ones being released each month:

                    Screenshot from the Complete Guide to Power BI course

                    What are the advantages of Complete Guide Courses?

                    1. They are 5 or more hours in length, ensuring that you’ll gain a depth of knowledge in that chosen topic
                    2. They are organised into manageable short videos and chapters meaning that you can look at only a specific piece of the course if needed
                    3. Many of these courses include hands-on practice features, providing you with the opportunity to practice what you’ve learnt

                    If you have any questions about LinkedIn Learning, please contact the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk).

                    Rewind: A Reminder of the Digital Skills Festival Resources ⏪

                    Shân Saunders Digital Skills Festival Leave a comment

                    Blogpost by Shân Saunders (Digital Capabilities and Skills Development Coordinator)

                    In November 2023, we held Aberystwyth University’s first ever Digital Skills Festival. We held 28 different events over 5 days that spanned a variety of digital skills areas including sessions conducted on AI, cybersecurity, LinkedIn Learning, digital wellbeing, Excel and much more!  

                    You’re able to review all the workshops and presentations that took place on our Digital Skills Festival website under the 2023 recordings and resources tab where you can watch the sessions back and for practical sessions you can work along on the provided worksheets.  

                    If you have any issues accessing the recordings, please contact the Digital Skills Team at digi@aber.ac.uk and keep an eye out for upcoming information on Digital Skills Festival 2024 due to return later this year! 

                    Thank you to our ’23-24 Student Digital Champions

                    WordPress User [sil12] Student Digital Champions Leave a comment
                    Banner with Student Digital Champion

                    As we bid farewell to our ’23-24 Student Digital Champions, Laurie, Joel, and Noel, we want to thank them for their wonderful contributions over the past year. They have worked tirelessly to encourage students across the university to develop their digital skills and have provided us with valuable insights into what support students need.

                    Laurie Stevenson
                    Noel Czempik
                    Joel Williams

                    If you haven’t taken a look at their work yet, we’ve a listed a few key highlights below:

                    • Digital Skills Profile Series
                      • Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series – 8 profiles of recent AU graduates about their use of digital skills in their lives since graduating, and the skills they wish they had developed further before they left Aberystwyth.
                      • Employer Digital Skills Profile Series – The champions have also been working on a series of profiles with 8 employers. Keep your eyes peeled on the blog as these will be released next academic year!

                    • Guidance on mastering your schedule
                    • Blogpost about creating the best workspace
                    • 8 Graduate Digital Skills Profiles
                    • Guidance on Reducing Computer Eyestrain
                    • LinkedIn Learning collection on Digital Ergonomics
                    • One of the Graduate Digital Skills profiles
                    • A review of the ScreenZen App
                    • Blogpost about undertaking a digital declutter
                    • Winter break challenge
                    • Blogpost about undertaking a digital detox

                    Explore your Digital Wellbeing on Global Wellness Day 🧘🏻‍♀️

                    Shân Saunders Digital Identity and Wellbeing, Digital Wellbeing Series Leave a comment

                    Blogpost by Shân Saunders (Digital Capabilities and Skills Development Coordinator)

                    8th June 2024 is Global Wellness Day, a day to reflect on your wellbeing and mental health. This year our Student Digital Champions introduced a Digital Wellbeing Series that covered a wide range of digital life to help improve others digital wellbeing with tips and tricks.  

                    They explored digital ergonomics including creating a LinkedIn Learning collection about the best set up for your desk and advice on how to reduce eyestrain through the 20-20-20 rule and enabling dark mode. One of our student digital champions embarked on a digital detox which included deleting all social media apps, disabling notifications, replacing Face ID with a deliberate password and being more mindful of their purpose of being on their phone. They recounted their pros, cons, and advice for anyone else looking to indulge in a digital detox.  

                    As well, our digital champion found that the app ScreenZen was a blessing during their digital detox to help enforce better boundaries while interacting with apps and becoming more mindful of your digital consumption. The Digital Wellbeing series also looked at the importance of digital decluttering and organizing your digital spaces, including creating better folders, customising your home screens, and clearing out your downloads folder.  

                    Other digital wellbeing resources include a blogpost for any iPhone user about the inbuilt features in settings to help with your screen time limit and a feature to help distance your phone to reduce eyestrain.

                    If you would like to look at further resources, feel free to explore the digital wellbeing section on the Digital Skills Library or in the LinkedIn Learning collection. You can also view the digital wellbeing session that we held in the Digital Skills Festival 2023.