Summer is flying by already and we’re counting down the days to the start of the new term. Many of us have been enjoying the summer sun, but spare a thought for your fellow students who have upcoming assessments!
Assessments will be taking place at our Ormskirk and Manchester St James’ campus, and we’ll have lots of support in place to help you prepare and perform your best.
As always we have 1-2-1 appointments available at both our campuses which you can book here.
From the 19th – 23rd August we will have free fruit and revision booklets available on the ground floor of Catalyst and in the Library at our Manchester St James’ campus.
In the lead up to your exam take some time to read the advice
on our UniSkills
webpages. You’ll be able to find checklists, tools and techniques to support
your studies.
We’d like to wish anyone who has a summer assessment the
best of luck!
Are you looking to boost your digital skills? If so, then
there are a range of Digital Workplace Technologies sessions taking place
throughout August and September.
These sessions aim to boost staff’s digital capabilities, developing staff into digitally proficient learners and thinkers.
Take a look below at the upcoming sessions, including a brief summary of the session and dates/times. All sessions can be booked on MyView.
Digital Mindfulness
The modern world is a hyper-connected digital place where everything is just a click away and is available 24/7. Digital mindfulness promotes the presence of mind and is defined as the conscious awareness and acceptance of present experience. This session will provide staff with the opportunity to apply this approach to our use of digital tools and technology, evaluating why it is important to be digitally mindful.
Tuesday 13th August
Word: Formatting
Long Documents
This session will focus on using the features of Microsoft Word to put together long documents or formal reports, including using styles, creating tables of contents and applying section footers and working collaboratively with master documents.
Tuesday 13th August
Excel: Advanced
This
practical session will show staff how to perform complex sorting, filtering and
sub-totalling lists of data, along with creating and manipulating pivot tables.
Wednesday 14th August
Making Documents
Accessible
It is important that when producing documents using Microsoft Word that you follow a few simple steps to make sure that your document is accessible by all users. This session will consider how to reach all of your audience, how to make effective use of accessible communication formats (also known as alternative formats), how to add Headings and Subheadings, add alternate text (Alt Text) for images and use tables wisely.
Monday 2nd September
Project Management
This
session will be a key starting point for staff wishing to gain more knowledge
about how to collaborate with colleagues using project management software.
This session will cover project management software such as Trello and
Microsoft Project.
Friday 6th September and Thursday 26th September
Using Kahoot
This
session will introduce staff to using Kahoot, a game-based platform that can be
used for quizzes and games. Popular in educational institutions, Kahoot can
also be utilised with staff members as a way to encourage group participation,
gather feedback and conduct surveys.
Thursday 19th September
Getting The Most
Out Of Outlook
This
session will introduce staff to useful features in Outlook email and calendar
that can enhance productivity and organisation. By the end of the session staff
will be able to categorize their emails and calendar events, set up follow up
messages on emails, create and schedule appointments and meetings and add
meeting notes using OneNote.
Friday 20th September
Eventbrite
This
session aims to introduce staff to Eventbrite, an online event management and
ticketing website. By the end of the session staff will be able to create
events, manage and track attendees and promote the event using the custom
design features.
Friday 20th September
Sway
This
session will cover the basics of using Sway, a presentation software available
as part of Office 365. Staff will learn how to navigate the application, how to
add, edit and embed material, and how to publish their finished presentations.
Monday 23rd September
Instagram Hacks,
Photography Skills and Camera Apps
Instagram
is a popular and simple way to capture, edit and share videos, photos and
messages. A photo and video sharing social networking platform, Instagram is a
great way to share eye-catching and stunning photographs with your followers.
This session will introduce staff to some simple tips and tricks that will
allow you to take stunning photographs and introduce you to some beneficial
camera apps to further improve your photography skills.
Hi, my name is Dylan and I’m a
Student Advisor for Learning Services.
I work alongside the team to
support students in utilising the library’s resources and aiding with academic
support such as referencing. As I have just graduated I thought I would pass on
some advice to other students, irrespective of their year of study, to talk
about lessons I’ve learned from studying at Edge Hill.
What would you tell your
first-year self?
I’d tell my first-year self many
things, but one of the main pieces of advice would be to join a society. I
didn’t join any during my time at Edge Hill, but some people have met life-long
friends through them. They’re also great for teamwork and communication skills,
which is essential for employment as a student and a graduate! In your first
week on campus you’ll be invited to the Welcome Fair where you can sign up to
as many as you like.
What do you wish you’d known when
starting at Edge Hill?
I wish I had known about the
extensive UniSkills
workshops that Learning Services host. After attending these as part
of my role as a Student Advisor I can see how the workshops are valuable to all
students with writing essays, dissertations, locating resources and
referencing. If I had known how beneficial they were I would’ve definitely
attended them earlier.
What has been the most rewarding
part of your degree?
Watching myself progress, both
academically and personally, has been the most rewarding part of studying.
Meeting new people, taking part in extra-curricular events and studying with
like-minded students has raised my confidence immensely. If it wasn’t for the
help of my peers, my tutors and my colleagues, I don’t think I would’ve
progressed into the person I am today. I look forward to seeing how much more I
can develop when faced with new challenges in my postgraduate studies.
What has been the most challenging
part of your degree?
Sticking to a schedule has always
been the most challenging part for me. Having deadline after deadline
approaching (especially during my third year) can make managing time difficult.
When I do stay on track (sometimes even just for a day), I feel as though I’ve
achieved more. It reduces my stress levels in the run up to my assignment submission
dates too. Finding your own schedule that works for you could be your answer to
reducing stress! The UniSkills
webpages have useful resources for time management if you struggle
with this too.
What has been the most rewarding
part of being a Student Advisor?
Being a Student Advisor has meant
that I can work closely with other students and share my knowledge. I found it
really rewarding to help students, whether that be regarding their assignment
planning, referencing, or more generally such as sharing my own student
experience with them. I have enjoyed meeting and chatting with prospective and
current students at Edge Hill who all share the same passion for the University
and for their subject area. I’m excited to use the skills I have gained whilst
working for Learning Services in further employment.
What advice would you give to anyone
starting their degree at Edge Hill University?
I have three pieces of advice!
I would advise
people to make use of the facilities and services around them, whether that be
Learning Services, Student Services, Wellbeing or Careers. These services are
here to support all students, and have been created with you in mind, so take
advantage of them!
Don’t be
worried! Starting university can be a daunting time but everyone at university is
in the same boat. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to people and initiate
new friendships, the other person will be glad that you started up a
conversation.
It is
important to remember to enjoy this part of your life as it will be over in a
flash! But, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t neglect your studies.
Finding an even balance between studies and social life will benefit you in many
ways.
Good luck to everyone who will be starting their University journey in September and to those continuing their studies!
Throughout July we have a trial to Scopus, the World’s largest curated abstract and citation database.
Scopus is excellent for literature reviews or seeing what has been published in your area as it can locate high quality journal articles, books chapters and more for any subject. It has advanced tools to visualise your search results, showing how trends have changed over time. There are many other ways researchers use it too, such as assessing the research performance of a person, journal or university.
Access Access Scopus on-campus at Scopus.com. The trial runs throughout July 2019 and is scheduled to stop at the end of the month.
Tutorials
These videos show what you can do with Scopus
What do you think? Please let us know what you think about Scopus (good or bad) here. Your views will inform our decision making beyond the Summer.
Sway is part of the Microsoft Office 365 package and can be used to create presentations, newsletters, portfolios and many more. A story-telling app that allows you to combine text and media, Sway is a powerful and versatile product that can be used in many different ways.
The below case study, will look at how a member of staff at Edge Hill University used Microsoft Sway to create a Faculty Newsletter.
Name:
Louise Habberfield
Department:
Education
Role:
Faculty Partnership Officer
Why did you decide to use Microsoft Sway?:
We wanted to introduce a faculty newsletter as a way of improving communication across the Faculty. I was looking for a way in which I could present key information in an appealing way but as well monitor readership and engagement rates.
What have you created as a result?:
The end result was a faculty newsletter distributed to all staff. Since it was distributed I have had other colleagues from across the institution approach me to ask what software I used, would I recommend it etc and that it was impressive.
What have you liked about Microsoft Sway?:
I really value the analytics I find that helpful to report on to the management team. I also like the way the text is displayed and appears interactive.
Would you receive further training on Digital Workplace Technologies?:
Yes, absolutely. There are always new things to learn, I consider myself quite computer literate and thought I was ok, but there is always new software and little tips to make working life easier!
Upcoming Sessions
If you are interested in using Sway to create a presentation or newsletter, then please take a look at the upcoming sessions. The session aims to guide staff through how to navigate the application, how to add, edit and embed material, and how to publish their finished presentations.
The next session takes place:Thursday 25th July – 11am-12pm
As part of the Digital Workplace Technologies offer, staff have the opportunity to achieve a digital badge for each pathway that they complete. These pathways have been specifically designed to allow staff to enhance their knowledge in that area in more depth. Alongside face-to-face sessions, there will also be online guides, videos and links to useful LinkedIn Learning courses that will allow staff to be independent learners.
After attending the sessions as part of the pathway and engaging in discussion, you will receive a digital badge and personalised certificate that recognises that you have completed this pathway.
Case Studies
Please see below some case studies from members of staff who have successfully completed one of the pathways and achieved a digital badge.
Kate Munday
Student Journey Project Officer, Student Experience Team
Laura has been a passionate advocate of the digital workplace technologies and is able to tailor sessions to individuals needs. You are given the basic tools to explore the software, in a practical, hands on manner.
The digital collaboration pathway explores functionality of different programmes that have a focus on project management. As part of the Students Systems workstream I support internal teams through management and implementation of change projects. This pathway has given me a broader range of knowledge on software which encourages collaborative, project work. In completing the training sessions I have been able to approach projects from a different angle using new, digital workplace technologies.
Emma Walker
HR MI & Systems Development Advisor, Human Resources
I attended both the Microsoft Teams and Project Management courses hosted by Laura Riella w/c 20th May 2019. This was my first week at my new job, and these sessions were recommended by my manager.
HR uses Microsoft Teams for the majority of communication methods and project work, so it was vital I learnt how to use this quickly and effectively. The session was laid out really well, with a clear explanation of how/ why this is used, handy hints and tips provided, and a chance to ‘have a go’ yourselves at the end. I found it tailored well to both new users (like myself) and several colleagues who were there to learn how to get the most out of this technology.
The Project Management session was particularly useful for me, as part of my role requires the organisation and ongoing maintenance of various HR System projects. Understanding how to use both Microsoft Project and Trello gave delegates the option to choose which one suited their working style best. Advantages (and potential disadvantages) to both were highlighted – and Laura was really helpful in discussing how this could relate to our specific departments/ goals throughout the session.
Personally, I found that MyTeams and Trello compliment each other really well – and have already created several project groups and assigned tasks via this technology. I’ve found that this has helped me organise my work efficiently, encouraged collaboration across the HR team and inspired other team members to do the same! The Digital Collaboration Pathway was an invaluable part of my introduction – though I’d highly recommend to all staff members.
Stay up-to-date with our latest developments on our blog and WIKI.
Library & Learning Services are hosting an Academic Staff Development Fortnight in Catalyst from 17th to 28th June. Come and join us to learn more about the support we can offer and update your skills!
The schedule for the fortnight can be found here and the full timetable is available below.
All sessions can be booked using MyView. For further information, including a description of all the sessions, please see the Learning Services Wiki.
Pure is the University’s new research information repository, replacing our previous system EHRA (Edge Hill Research Archive).
The new repository looks great and showcases the excellent research being done at Edge Hill, and you can now add your research outputs to Pure. There are a wide range of options, and some of you might not be very familiar with terminology like ‘author accepted manuscript’ and ‘ISSN’!
To help, we’ve created a range of initial guides to help you through the process of depositing your research, including complying with the REF requirements:
Edge Hill’s St. James’ campus is situated on bustling Oxford Road, the hub of student-life in vibrant central Manchester – and (allegedly!) one of the busiest bus routes in Europe.
It’s home to students on Paramedic, Operating Department Practitioner and Surgical First Assistant courses. It also houses specialist resources and innovative equipment tailored to their becoming professionals, including a clinical skills lab (complete with its own ambulance), and an immersive simulation suite.
At busy and challenging times, it can be easy to get distracted, even if it’s by the world going by outside the windows of the cosy library, so if you would like some further support with getting your work back on track UniSkills is here to help! From academic skills queries, to writing an assignment, putting presentations together, literature-searching, or learning how to use citation tools and get your referencing spot on.
You can check out our UniSkills toolkits on our webpages (or your My Library tab) any time but we also offer lots of friendly help and advice in person. Manchester St. James’ students can self-bookone-to-one appointments with our Academic Skills Advisor based on campus. These 45-minute appointments are tailored to you and cover a wide range of academic and information skills: just pick a time and come along with your questions, assignment information, and any work you want to discuss. Don’t worry about what stage your work is at – something is always better than nothing as a starting point.
If you have a quick question, you are more than welcome to call into the Manchester UniSkills Drop-In every Wednesday afternoon between 2-4pm for a chat. If you’re working off campus, don’t forget about Ask Us: an online knowledge base for finding answers to your questions, getting in touch, and accessing the support you need.
We’re also designing some new UniSkills workshops especially for St. James’ students – so if there is anything you’d like to see academic skills-wise please get in touch – we are here to support you in your learning, so you can achieve your goals!
If so, Learning Services would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best in your future accomplishments, be that further study or starting out on your chosen career path.
We would also like to remind you that all library stock needs to be returned to us by 5pm on Friday 31st May
*exceptions apply to Faculty of Education students out on placement!
Did you know that you can still access library resources after graduation? Apply for an Alumni membership of the University Library after graduation to access our learning spaces, selected electronic resources and to borrow library stock from any of our sites.
If you have any books of your own taking up space on your bedroom floor don’t forget we are collecting for another #PassTheBook textbook giveaway in October 2019! Drop in any unwanted books at Ormskirk, Aintree or Manchester and we will ensure they go to a good home come the new term!
You can also find important information about your network account after graduation here
If you have any queries please contact us via Ask Us.
Congratulations to you all and enjoy your graduation! 🎓
