Author Archives: Laura Riella

Case Study: Microsoft Sway

Posted on by
Reply

What is Microsoft Sway?

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

Book your session on MyView here.

Stay up-to-date with our latest developments on our blog and WIKI.

Photograph of Laura

 

Written by: Laura Riella

Digital Capabilities Coordinator

Achieve a digital badge

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Photograph of Laura

 

Written by: Laura Riella

Digital Capabilities Coordinator

 

Academic Staff Development Fortnight

Posted on by

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.

Timetable of events

All sessions can be booked using MyView. For further information, including a description of all the sessions, please see the Learning Services Wiki.

If you have any questions or encounter any problems, please contact your Academic Engagement Specialist.

We look forward to seeing you in Catalyst in June.

Stay up-to-date with our latest developments on our blog and WIKI.

Photograph of Laura

 

Written by: Laura Riella

Digital Capabilities Coordinator

Digital Communication

Posted on by

The internet, social media and the media have now become an essential part of our everyday lives. Digital Communication is forever changing and evolving, with the sector becoming more dynamic and diverse in the way it creates and publishes digital content.

The Digital Communication pathway aims to provide staff with an understanding of how to communicate across various platforms, such as social media platforms and internet technologies, using new and exciting technologies to stay connected with others. It is important that staff are able to deliver quality content and information to a range of digital audiences in a way that is accessible and easy to navigate.

Upcoming Sessions

Presenting Yourself Online: Digital Footprint

It is important to be aware of your presence online, and to create a positive image of yourself for current and future employers to see. This session will help you to consider how to communicate effectively through a variety of digital tools to achieve this, as well as looking at the importance of online etiquette and online security.

Thursday 23rd May – 11am-12pm

Book your session on MyView here.

Twitter: Promotional Marketing

This session will introduce staff to online tools and strategies for creating engaging promotional material for Twitter. Social media is a key way to communicate with different audiences and it is important to know how to successfully create engaging promotional marketing material that will impact visual communications.

Wednesday 10th April – 3pm-4pm

Book your session on MyView here.

Digital Newsletters: Adobe Spark

This practical session will enable staff to create an eye-catching digital newsletter which can be shared online using Adobe Spark. Adobe Spark allows you to create your own unique and custom newsletter for your department or team in minutes, with a variety of templates, images, text and interactive features.

Tuesday 4th June – 2pm-3pm

Book your session on MyView here.

Digital Newsletters: MailChimp

This session aims to introduce staff to email marketing and how to make it exciting and eye-catching using MailChimp. By the end of the session staff will be able to create an email campaign using a variety of features (including text, images, links to websites and social media), send an email campaign to subscribers and track the success of the campaign.

Monday 3rd June – 3pm-4pm

Book your session on MyView here.

Whether you are an academic member of staff and want to use social media to connect with other academics and professionals in your field or you are a support member of staff looking to inform colleagues about new developments, then these sessions will give you an advantageous starting point to further improve your digital communication skills.

Digital Communication Badge

 

Don’t forget that you can now achieve a digital badge – so why not attend these sessions as part of this pathway?

 

 

Stay up-to-date with our latest developments on our blog and WIKI.

Photograph of Laura

 

Written by: Laura Riella

Digital Capabilities Coordinator

Session Focus – Word: Formatting Long Documents

Posted on by

This blog post will focus on a recently delivered session – Word: Formatting Long Documents, which is part of the new Digital Workplace Technologies offer.

What were the objectives of the session?

This session focused on using the features of Microsoft Word to put together long documents or formal reports, including using styles, creating tables of contents, applying section footers and working collaboratively with master documents.

Formatting long documents can be tricky, particularly when working with multiple pages  of text, figures and tables. This session aimed to navigate staff through the features of Microsoft Word that will successfully enable them to create a professional document that is clearly organised, structured and accessible. Page numbering can also make many people apprehensive, especially when you need the first few pages to be in Roman numerals and the rest of your document in Arabic numbers. Again, this session aimed to guide staff through this process, with lots of opportunities to practice and ask questions.

The session

This type of session lasts 60 minutes and enables staff to cover many areas of Microsoft Word and put their new knowledge into practice.

At the end of the session staff should be able to do the following in Microsoft Word:

  • Use styles to apply headings to a document
  • Create a table of contents for a document
  • Add captions and create a table of figures
  • Use section breaks and apply section formatting
  • Add custom headers and footers
  • Work collaboratively on a document
  • Work with master documents and subdocuments

The session took place in Oak room, Catalyst and provided staff with the opportunity to use computers to have a go themselves at formatting long documents. Modelling examples on the board, staff could then follow steps to format several long documents.

Personal Reflection Activity

At the start of the session I asked staff to write down on a post-it note how they currently felt about formatting long documents.

How do you feel before the session?

Staff responded with a variety of feelings towards the prospect of formatting long documents, with many using this session as an opportunity to develop their skills and refresh their current knowledge. How do you feel after the session?

After the session I asked staff to complete the same activity, instead now writing down how they feel after the session about the prospect of formatting long documents. The responses were dramatically different, with many staff feeling more confident, happier and sorted!

Members of staff said:

“A very clear and informative delivery while maintaining a friendly approachable setting.”

“It was brill and really informative! I found it really helpful.”

Upcoming Sessions

If you are a member of staff and are interested in improving your knowledge of formatting long documents on Microsoft Word, then take a look below at the upcoming sessions.

Tuesday 9th April 2019 2pm-3pm

Tuesday 16th April 2019 11am-12pm

Book your session on MyView here.

Stay up-to-date with our latest developments on our blog and WIKI.

Photograph of Laura

 

Written by: Laura Riella

Digital Capabilities Coordinator

Get on your digital pathway – Digital Creation

Posted on by

As part of the Digital Workplace Technologies offer, we have created 8 pathways for staff to explore. These pathways have been specifically designed to allow staff to enhance their knowledge in that area in more depth.

What's new? Get on your digital pathway.The pathways include:

  • Digital Productivity
  • Digital Communication
  • Digital Collaboration
  • Digital Creation
  • Digital Wellbeing
  • Digital Proficiency
  • Digital Participation
  • Digital Learning and Teaching Technologies

 

Focus on … Digital Creation.

Digital images, infographics, videos, presentations and photographs are just some of the ways digital creativity can be expressed. Digital creation is the ability to create, use and evaluate digital technologies, designing digital materials to present and communicate information.

These sessions aim to provide staff with the opportunity to design and create digital materials, to communicate information, to learn about new pieces of creative software and to develop new digital talents.

Upcoming Digital Creation Sessions

Picktochart

Infographics are visually engaging ways to present information quickly and clearly, allowing people to learn about a topic without too much heavy reading. They often contain images and charts and do not use lengthy amounts of text. Piktochart is an online program which allows the free creation of infographics. This session will look at using Piktochart to create infographics which contain text, charts, images and videos and look at how these can be shared via print and online methods.

Thursday 28th March 2019 – 10am-11am

Friday 24th May 2019 – 11am-12pm

Book your session on MyView here.

PowToon

This session will introduce staff to the animated presentation software PowToon and explore the different features available for adding text, images, audio files and applying animations.

Tuesday 16th April 2019 – 2pm-3pm

Monday 3rd June 2019 – 11am-12pm

Book your session on MyView here.

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 25th March 2019 – 1pm-2pm

Wednesday 3rd April 2019 – 3pm-4pm

Book your session on MyView here.

Prezi

This session will look at using Prezi as an alternative way to create engaging and interactive presentations. This session will allow staff to create, design and share online presentations.

Friday 5th April 2019 – 11am-12pm

Book your session on MyView here.

Stay up-to-date with our latest developments on our blog and WIKI.

Photograph of Laura

 

Written by: Laura Riella

Digital Capabilities Coordinator

Digital Workplace Technologies

Posted on by

The new Digital Workplace Technologies offer has officially launched! This is an exciting new programme that aims to provide all staff with a clear pathway to increase and enhance their digital knowledge and capabilities.

Learning Services aims to provide staff at Edge Hill University with a high-quality learning and development experience, enhancing staff digital capabilities through a variety of staff development sessions, online guides and resources. It is central to our vision that staff are challenged, engaged and supported throughout their digital learning journey.  

The new structure will allow staff to follow digital pathways based on their training needs. Within each pathway staff will have the opportunity to be actively engaged in face-to-face sessions, access online guides/resources and suggested courses on LinkedIn Learning.

These pathways include:

  • Digital Productivity
  • Digital Communication
  • Digital Collaboration
  • Digital Creation
  • Digital Wellbeing
  • Digital Proficiency
  • Digital Participation
  • Digital Learning and Teaching Technologies

For staff who are new to Edge Hill University we have designed a specific pathway that we would recommend following that will allow staff to gain confidence with the digital technologies being used in the workplace and provide them with the skills to work effectively in their job role. ‘New to EHU: Digital Newcomer’ is categorised according to your job role (Academic and Support). These pathways consist of recommended core digital workplace technology sessions that will support you as you progress at Edge Hill University.

Additionally, to recognise staff achievements we are introducing a personalised digital badge initiative, which aims to celebrate staff members personal accomplishments and successes.

As we continue to evolve and develop throughout 2019, our approach will be to continually assess and evaluate our offer, ensuring that we are providing staff with the best opportunities to develop.

Stay up-to-date with our latest developments on our blog and WIKI.

Photograph of Laura

 

Written by: Laura Riella

Digital Capabilities Coordinator

UniSkills Spring Workshops

Posted on by

We have lots of exciting UniSkills workshops coming to Catalyst this term.

This term we have workshops to help you develop your academic writing skills, sessions focused on searching for academic information, techniques on how to give powerful presentations and support with Harvard Referencing. We have also introduced 7 new workshops for 2019! These workshops range from creating a bullet journal to conducting a Literature Review.

Find out more about the workshops below and how to book your place.

Create a Bullet Journal *NEW for 2019*

Staying organised is one of the biggest challenges of university life. Bullet journaling is a great way to stay organised and can help you with planning your assignments and keeping track of your deadlines. Providing all the supplies and #BulletJournal inspiration aplenty, we’ll show you how to set up a fun and creative system that means no essay deadline can ever go amiss.

  • Monday 4th February 1pm-2pm
  • Tuesday 2nd April 12pm-1pm

Book your place here. 

Finding Academic Information

Help improve your search strategy, find resources for your assignment (including books, eBooks and journal articles) using the Library Catalogue and Discover More and learn how to evaluate your sources.

  • Tuesday 5th February 12pm-1pm
  • Monday 25th February 1pm-2pm
  • Thursday 28th March 12pm-1pm

Book your place here. 

Maximise Your Reading List *NEW for 2019* 

Your Reading List is an essential gateway to a wide range of resources recommended by your tutor. This workshop will explore using some of the additional features of our reading list software such as changing the referencing style, writing a personal note on a reading list item and what steps to take if all items are out on loan – all of which will help you maximise your academic research.

  • Tuesday 5th February 1pm-2pm
  • Friday 15th March 1pm-2pm

Book your place here. 

Conducting a Literature Review  *NEW for 2019*

You may be asked to write a literature review as part of your assignment or dissertation to demonstrate that you have an in-depth grasp of both your subject and where your own research fits into or adds to an existing body of knowledge. Find out more about how to survey the literature in your chosen area of study, synthesise the information in that literature into a summary, critically analyse the information, and present the literature in an organised way.

  • Wednesday 6th February 12pm-1pm
  • Tuesday 26th February 12pm-1pm

Book your place here. 

Reading Academic Texts  *NEW for 2019*

Are you daunted by the amount of reading you are expected to do? Do you feel overwhelmed by the thought of reading difficult texts? This session will give you some great tips for active reading and to learn about strategies to help you develop intensive and effective reading skills.

  • Thursday 14th February 12pm-1pm
  • Thursday 28th February 1pm-2pm

Book your place here. 

Introduction to Academic Writing

An introduction to the style of academic writing used at University; discover how to plan, structure, use feedback and Harvard referencing.

  • Monday 28th January 1pm – 2pm
  • Friday 22nd February 1pm – 2pm
  • Thursday 14th March 12pm-1pm

Book your place here. 

Developing Academic Writing

Building on previous experience learn to recognise and understand assessment criteria, apply critical reading and show critical analysis in your writing and the importance of integrating referencing.

  • Tuesday 29th January 12pm -1pm
  • Wednesday 20th February 12pm -1pm
  • Thursday 7th March 1pm -2pm

Book your place here. 

Become a Paraphrasing Pro *NEW for 2019*

Putting complex topics into your own words can be a confusing task. This workshop teaches you handy techniques to avoid plagiarism, as well as how to strike that all-important balance between paraphrased sentences and direct quotes.

  • Friday 1st February 1pm-2pm
  • Wednesday 27th February 12pm-1pm

Book your place here. 

EXPRESS Harvard Referencing

Introduction to the Harvard referencing guide including in-text citations, bibliography/reference lists and the importance of referencing to avoid plagiarism.

  • Friday 8th February 12pm-12:45pm
  • Tuesday 12th March 12pm-12:45pm

Book your place here. 

Effective Exam Preparation  *NEW for 2019*

Banish pre-exam dread with a procrastination-busting workshop. With handy revision strategies and memory techniques aplenty, leave inspired to thoroughly prepare and ultimately, perform your best!

  • Monday 18th March 1pm-2pm
  • Monday 1st April 12pm-1pm

Book your place here. 

Powerful Presentations

This workshop will cover the different stages of putting together a powerful presentation. Recognise the importance of planning and structuring your presentation, how to create an accessible yet visually appealing presentation and tips for presenting with confidence.

  • Wednesday 13th February 12pm-1pm
  • Tuesday 5th March 1pm-2pm
  • Thursday 21st March 12pm-1pm

Book your place here. 

UniSpeaks  *NEW for 2019*

Do presentations make you feel nervous? Wish you were more relaxed and confident? Need a safe space to practice your presentation skills? Then UniSpeaks is for you. UniSpeaks offers a safe space to come together with other students in the same boat to practice presenting in front of an audience. These sessions will take place once a month – you can come along and listen to others present, have a go yourself and learn strategies to present with more confidence.

  • Wednesday 30th January 2pm-4pm
  • Wednesday 27th February 2pm-4pm
  • Wednesday 27th March 2pm-4pm

Book your place here. 

Turnitin: Winter Guide

Posted on by

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But right now, it might not feel that way as all those deadlines and exams loom over your head. However, don’t fear the Student Advisors are here to help and support you through this busy time. Today, I’m going to guide you through submitting your assignments on the Turnitin tool. Before you know it, you’ll be back to all those festive favourites you enjoy most!

If you didn’t already know, we ran several handy workshops during Keep Calm and Submit week, all about submitting assignments via Turnitin. We understand that everyone’s got different schedules, so we wanted to make sure wherever you’ve been this week, you still know how to tackle Turnitin with confidence.

Our very first slide answers the big question: “What is Turnitin?”

Turnitin is an online tool that allows students to submit their assignments. The assignments can then be viewed, marked and graded by course tutors. Once they have been marked, students can view the feedback that their tutors have given, with lots of helpful tips on how to improve.

Next up is the question I know you’ve all been waiting for, “Where do I submit?”

Sometimes it’s easy to forget the simple things. You can submit your assignment via the ‘Submission Dropbox’ tab circled above. This will be located under the ‘Module Assessment’ tab of your course module. You can then upload your file by clicking the blue ‘Submit’ button highlighted.

After uploading your file, be sure to click on the arrows to check each page of your document. This will make sure that you’ve included everything you should have (e.g. not missing your whole reference list off). It also allows you to view the way your document is displayed. If you are happy with your work, click on the ‘Confirm’ button highlighted at the bottom left.

“My report is HOW similar?! Surely some of what I said must have been me?!” Ever felt like that? Don’t panic, that’s not what it’s all about.

As mentioned in the slide, the similarity/originality report matches your text with journals, book articles and past student work. It’s useful for tutors to recognise similar themes and content within papers, and also for students to see how original their paper is.

As mentioned earlier, did you know that Turnitin isn’t actually a plagiarism detection tool? I know, hard to believe, right? So, next time you get a scary number on your screen, just remember it’s not all that it seems. Your similarity percentage doesn’t necessarily link to plagiarism, as highlighted by this slide.

In the workshop, we included a handy video that walks you through submitting, follow the link from the slide here.

These top tips are crucial to your success with Turnitin. But the most important tip is to give yourself enough time before submitting your assignment.

There is advice on the UniSkills Online Submission page dedicated to helping you submit, take a look here.

Finally, if you’d like support with submitting or have any burning questions, you can find us based in Catalyst. Alternatively, just pop along to the Catalyst help desk. We’d be happy to help!

Written by: RACHEL ARLAND

3rd Year Early Year Childhood Studies Student

Student Advisor for Library & Learning Services

 

Written by: DYLAN BOOTH

3rd Year Creative Writing Student

Student Advisor for Library & Learning Services

Specialist Catalyst Software – New Computer Workstations

Posted on by

TechSkills is a brand-new package of workshops, online resources, activities and face to face support to help you develop and enhance your technology skills. We have recently installed several high-performance computer workstations in Catalyst to facilitate student access to specialised professional applications 24 hours a day during term times.

The specialist workstations are adjacent to the Catalyst Helpdesk and can be booked in 1-3 hour periods.

The available professional applications include:

Creative Media:

Adobe Creative Cloud, Maxon Cinema 4D, Autodesk Maya, Toon Boom Harmony; StoryBoard Pro.

Toon Boom StoryBoard Pro is used by some of the best animation studios in the world. It can be used to bring storyboard art, graphic design and game design to life.

Geography:

ArcGIS Pro, ESA SNAP, Google Earth Pro, Leica Geosystems XPro, Trimble Coordinate System Manager, UASMaster.

Google Earth Pro is used by Scientists to share geographic locations in real time. It is also used to import Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data in Google Earth.

Computing:

NetBeans IDE, Python, Unity, Blender, BlueJ, GlassFish Server, HoloLens Emulator, Visual Studio Community, Microsoft Web Deploy, Weka, Windows Software Development Kit.

Python is a programming piece of software which is used globally by analysts, software engineers, developers and data scientists.

Come and use these new work stations which will save you time, with faster downloading speeds and enjoy the lovely views looking out on to the lake, at the same time!

Check out the new TechSkills webpages here.

Upcoming Event

On Thursday 13th December come along to @CatalystEHU 12pm-2:30pm and get involved in our 3D printing technology event. Learn more about 3D printing technology and print your very own 3D snowflake just in time for Christmas ❄️

Written by: JADE KAUR

3rd Year Nutrition and Health Student

Student Advisor for Library & Learning Services