Spark new ideas with Ayoa! 🌟

Shân Saunders Digital communication, collaboration and participation, Digital proficiency and productivity Leave a comment

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

As a visual learner, I work best when I can lay all my ideas out in one place. I used to do this through pen and paper but now, with Ayoa I can do this online! Available both online and as a phone app, Ayoa allows you to create mind maps for free. It is a multilingual service, available in both English and Welsh where you can create as many mind maps as you want to help with multiple different projects or even if there is one plan that you want to split up further.  

Features provided within the app include the ability to begin a mind map from scratch or select from one of the pre-created templates. Within this you have full power over customisable features for example, you can add unlimited branches from your centre title and colour code these according to your project and what makes sense to you! You can also fully edit font and text size as well as the sizes and shapes of each box and change the colour of each branch. If you even decide that a series of ideas and branches need to be a different colour you can change these through the “children” function which will subsequently change all formatting along this branch.  

There are also additional features such as being able to insert emoji reactions to each branch and being able to insert or upload images that may help spark further ideas or reinforce points. You can add notes to certain points to add more information. If you want to share your mind map with others, you can export it as a JPEG and PNG and each mind map that you create will be saved to your Ayoa homepage.

These functions are all available on the free version of Ayoa which is permanently free. There is also a paid version of Ayoa (Ayoa unlimited) which has additional features such as the ability to collaborate live on a mind map as well as share mind maps with others in the app itself. You also gain access to different types of boards including whiteboards and task boards.  

For more information view Ayoa now at: Ayoa – Mind Mapping, Whiteboards & Tasks. Powered by AI.

AU Graduates Digital Skills Profile Series – Week 8 (Manon Rosser)

WordPress User [sil12] Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series, Student Digital Champions Leave a comment

Today we’re publishing our last digital skill profile with a recent AU graduate! Today we’ll hear from Manon who studied History and Politics at Aberystwyth, and now works as a translator. She shares how useful it had been for her to learn how to use Cysill and Cysgeir whilst at University, but how she wishes she had learnt how to use Excel, as it’s a software she uses regularly for her work.

If you would like to learn more about using Cysill and Cysgeir, and about working in Welsh on your computer more generally, read our recent blogpost. If you also interested in developing your proficiency with Excel, you can view this Excel Tips and Tricks collection from LinkedIn Learning.

Keep your eyes peeled in October 2024 as we’ll be publishing a new Employer Digital Skills Profile Series!

Read More

In just a minute: Set a screen time limit! ⏳

Shân Saunders Digital Identity and Wellbeing Leave a comment

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

Whether you’re trying to work and keep getting distracted or sat on your phone before bed and can’t seem to put it down, using the screen time function available on iPhones may be beneficial to you. Accessed through settings and then screen time, there are multiple features to help manage your usage of apps as well as limit communications.  

  1. Downtime 

When activated, if your phone is in downtime this means that only apps that you have chosen to allow and phone calls will be available. You can turn on downtime at any time or you can schedule it to automatically occur on certain days at certain times.  

  1. App Limits 

You can limit usage of not only specific apps but app categories. For example, you can enable that all social apps – including Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat etc – have a specific limit of usage on specific days. This is a customisable feature, and you can remove some apps from the category if you don’t want a limit on that specific app, such as if you want to limit social media apps but not WhatsApp.   

  1. Always Allowed 

Through this feature you can customise which apps are always allowed usage even if your phone is in downtime. This includes having the ability to personalise which contacts can communicate with you through phone, facetime and messages.  

  1. Screen Distance 

A feature that you can choose to enable, screen distance helps measure the distance your phone is away from your face and will send you an alert if your phone is too close. This is to help reduce eye strain.

If you’re looking for more tips and tricks in reducing your digital usage, view our student digital champions digital detox results! Please note, these instructions are for Apple only and unfortunately, this function is not available for Android users. If you are an Android user, view our Student Digital Champion’s recommendation of ScreenZen.  

AU Graduates Digital Skills Profile Series – Week 7 (Jay Cowen)

Laurie Stevenson [las60] Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series, Student Digital Champions Leave a comment

This week’s profile is from Jay, who has been involved in practical conservation work with the RSPB since graduating from Aberystwyth. They wish they’d invested more time in improving their proficiency with statistical analysis software, and in learning how to use GIS software during their time at Aberystwyth. There are many courses available from LinkedIn Learning if you are interested in also developing these specific skills:

Statistical analysis:

Geographical Information Systems:

Text only:

When did you graduate from AU?

What did you study? – Zoology

What are you doing now professionally since graduating? “The last 6-months I have had a volunteer position at a Scottish RSPB reserve but I’ve just got a 3-month paid seabird surveying position on the Isles of Scilly with the National Trust”.

What digital skills do you use in your job? –

Data and information literacy- “I have done a lot of data entry and work with Excel and also typing up from written notes into spreadsheets. Also report writing with some statistical analysis but this has mainly been done with Excel as well”.

Digital learning – “Working at the RSPB I have had to use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and I hadn’t used it until I was at the RSPB as it wasn’t part of my course”.

Are there any digital skills you wish you had learnt before you graduated?

“It would have been helpful to have learnt GIS and also maybe some introductory level map making skills and maybe to have different level courses so for beginners, intermediate and advanced for example. I would have also been interested in using image analysis software as this would have been good for my dissertation but also work so for example I could upload an image of a starling cloud and it would automatically count how many birds there are”.

Are there any common weaknesses in digital skills you notice amongst your colleagues?

“Yes statistics, it seemed that for some people it just didn’t click and no more support could be given– just seemed that you need to repeat the procedure. The resources were all there for you to learn which is good”.

AU Graduates Digital Skills Profile Series – Week 6 (Gabriela Arciszewsk)

Laurie Stevenson [las60] Graduate Digital Skills Profile Series, Student Digital Champions Leave a comment

This week we have the profile of Gabriela who has been studying for a Masters in Biochemistry since her time here at Aberystwyth University. Read how she’s made use of her free access to LinkedIn Learning to develop her skills in R (a programming language) and to develop her photography skills, one of her hobbies.

Visit this webpage to learn more about LinkedIn Learning and how you too can activate your free account.

Read More

Learn in your preferred language with LinkedIn Learning 🔊

WordPress User [sil12] LinkedIn Learning Leave a comment

Blogpost by Sioned Llywelyn (Digital Skills Lead)

LinkedIn Learning offers an extensive library of online courses and videos that all students and staff at AU have free access to (learn how to get started). But, did you know that you can watch LinkedIn Learning courses in more languages than just English?

Unfortunately, Welsh hasn’t made the list yet (we’ll keep our fingers crossed! 🤞), but most courses are currently available in the following 13 languages, which may make the content easier to engage with for non-native English speakers.

  1. English
  2. Simplified Chinese
  3. French
  4. German
  5. Japanese
  6. Portuguese
  7. Spanish
  8. Dutch
  9. Italian
  10. Turkish
  11. Polish
  12. Korean
  13. Bahasa Indonesia

How do I search for content in my preferred language?

Watch the video below or follow these simple steps to learn how to search for LinkedIn Learning content in your preferred language:

  1. Start by searching for a course – you can either browse from the different categories or type into the search bar
  2. Choose your language from the language filter
  3. If the language filter doesn’t appear, select All Filters

Further LinkedIn Learning support

If you need any support with LinkedIn Learning, please email the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk), or please feel free to visit one of our weekly drop-in sessions in the Skills Hub, Level D of the Hugh Owen Library.

DigiTip 26: Quick and Easy Screenshot Shortcut 📸

Shân Saunders DigiTips Leave a comment

Do you find yourself needing to take a screenshot of your computer screen? Maybe you need to add a page to your revision notes. There are multiple tools available but with DigiTip 26 we’re showing you a shortcut to quickly take a screenshot.  

You can take a screenshot of your screen by using the shortcut “Windows key + Shift + S”. Then you can either open the screenshot in an editor or copy the image into a document, PowerPoint, OneNote and more! 

Watch the video below for a quick demonstration.  

To follow our DigiTips, subscribe to our Digital Skills Blog. Or alternatively, you can bookmark this webpage, where a new DigiTip will be added each week!  

Prioritise your digital wellbeing on University Mental Health Day

WordPress User [sil12] Digital Identity and Wellbeing Leave a comment

Blogpost by Sioned Llywelyn (Digital Skills Lead)

In today’s age, most of us rely heavily on technology. While the digital world offers endless possibilities and conveniences, it’s crucial to remain mindful of its potential impacts on our digital wellbeing. As today is University Mental Health Day, it’s a perfect day to share with you a selection of tips and resources to help you achieve a healthier relationship with technology.

Digital-Wellbeing_24Download

We’d love to hear from you! What strategies or resources do you find most helpful in maintaining a healthy relationship with technology?

Read More

DigiTip 25 – Utilising Task Manager 🖥️

WordPress User [jpl11] DigiTips Leave a comment

What is Task Manager for computers? And why is it important?

Task Manager (alternatively known as Activity Monitor for macOS systems) can show you what programs and applications are currently running on your computer right now, as of this moment.

If your computer is lagging in speed or overall performance, or maybe a program is needing some troubleshooting, you can use the Task Manager to review what’s happening in the background and even stop an app that has not been responding, without having to restart your computer!

For Windows operating systems, you can follow this shortcut to access the Windows Task Manager:

  • Ctrl + Shift + Esc

For macOS operating systems, you can follow this shortcut to access the Activity Monitor application:

  • CMD + ALT + ESC

To follow our DigiTips, subscribe to our Digital Skills Blog. Or alternatively, you can bookmark this webpage, where a new DigiTip will be added each week! 

International Women’s Day 2024 #InspireInclusion

WordPress User [sil12] Other Leave a comment

Today we are celebrating International Women’s Day! The theme this year is #InspireInclusion and it provides an important moment to celebrate the cultural, political and socio-economic achievements of women, and a day to urge us all to work together towards a more inclusive and equitable future.

Here is a selection of LinkedIn Learning videos and courses, inspired by International Women’s Day. You can access these videos with your free Aberystwyth University LinkedIn Learning account.

  1. What is inclusion? (2m)
  2. Gender equity for women (6m)
  3. Women transforming tech: Breaking bias (22m)
  4. Becoming a male ally at work (39m)
  5. Nano Tips for Identifying and Overcoming Unconscious Bias in the Workplace (6m)
  6. Men as allies (3m)
  7. Fighting gender bias at work (14m)
  8. Inclusive female leadership (40m)

If you need any support with accessing or navigating LinkedIn Learning, please contact the Digital Skills Team (digi@aber.ac.uk).