Since joining the University in April 2024, I\u2019ve been fortunate to witness and contribute to growing developments in our Digital Skills provision. While I\u2019m proud of the progress we\u2019ve made, it\u2019s important to acknowledge the strong foundation laid by my predecessor, Dr. Michelle Miller, and the contributions of the Technology-Enhanced Learning team. Their hard work has created a robust infrastructure, which I\u2019ve been able to build upon by adapting and updating existing resources, as well as exploring new opportunities to expand and enhance our offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently, I, along with my team of demonstrators, continue to deliver in-person workshops to undergraduate and postgraduate students across the Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Science, Agriculture, and Engineering faculty. I\u2019ve also maintained close collaboration with module leaders and key stakeholders to address the growing demand for digital skills resources among our students. This has led to the creation of new courses, tailored support for specific modules, guidance for postgraduate public talks, and the expansion of our team of postgraduate demonstrators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our website, www.digitalskills.ncl.ac.uk, the central hub for our courses and resources, has recently undergone a visual and functional overhaul. My goal was to make it more accessible, device-friendly, and easier to navigate, ensuring that both internal and external users can access our materials. The website hosts a wealth of resources, including workshop materials and tools to help students and staff enhance their digital literacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key content areas remain, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve also introduced new dedicated sections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, the website continues to host online induction content for multiple university areas. These inductions have been refined to incorporate guidance from governing bodies and share best practices, including Canvas guidance on AI and cybersecurity, software package downloads, and EndNote support. These materials have been sourced with thanks to the Learning and Teaching Development Service, Library Services, and NUIT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To further showcase the expertise of our team, I\u2019ve also added links to our current postgraduate demonstrators\u2019 current studies and LinkedIn profiles. This not only highlights their contributions but also provides students and staff with opportunities to connect with and learn from their diverse experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through collaboration with various faculty areas, I\u2019ve developed three new courses to meet the evolving needs of our students:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These courses reflect our commitment to equipping students with the digital skills they need to succeed in their academic and professional journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This academic year, I\u2019ve been fortunate to work with an exceptional group of postgraduate student demonstrators. Their expertise and diverse knowledge have been invaluable in supporting workshop attendees, offering context-specific assistance that resonates with students\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our returning demonstrators include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve also welcomed new additions to the team:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their contributions have greatly enriched our provision. Additionally, I\u2019ve supported departing demonstrators with fellowship claims, references, and other professional development opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While my team\u2019s primary focus remains within FMS, we\u2019ve continued to deliver digital skills sessions to postgraduate students in SAgE and are exploring opportunities to extend our support across the institution. Looking ahead, we\u2019re excited to expand our offerings, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re eager to continue supporting students and staff in developing essential digital skills and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. We encourage students and staff to explore our updated resources, attend workshops, and reach out with suggestions on how we can further support digital skills development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019d like to discuss how our team can assist you, please email me at: Elliot.cruikshanks@ncl.ac.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Since joining the University in April 2024, I\u2019ve been fortunate to witness and contribute to growing developments in our Digital Skills provision. While I\u2019m proud of the progress we\u2019ve made, it\u2019s important to acknowledge the strong foundation laid by my predecessor, Dr. Michelle Miller, and the contributions of the Technology-Enhanced Learning team. Their hard work … Continue reading “An Update from Digital Skills”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12080,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-announcement"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12080"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3339"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3349,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3339\/revisions\/3349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/fmstel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}