Digital Fluency Diagnostic for Staff

• The purpose of this diagnostic tool is to support individual staff efforts to improve their digital fluency. It can be used individually or as part of the appraisal process.

• Currently there are only five areas of digital fluency you can investigate inside the tool, but we hope to add more soon. These areas were chosen based upon identifying the digital fluency needs of academic staff, and selecting a sample to investigate in this prototype.

• The diagnostic tool will ask you to select an area then evaluate your current level to direct you to appropriate resources

• To begin, press F5 to start the slideshow, then click Start below.

START

What is Digital Fluency?

• Digital fluency is having the attitudes and skills that are important to live, learn and work in the digital age. Digital fluency has four component parts:

– IT capabilities – being able to choose and use the technologies and tools available that best fit the task 

– Information literacy – “knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner” (CILIP)

– Critical thinking – reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe and do

– Online presence – selecting and using appropriate communication techniques relevant to different situations; creating and presenting an online identity that reflects who you want to be

• In addition to these four elements, digital fluency requires an acknowledgement that change is constant and skills need continuous development, that it isn’t solely about knowing how to do something but knowing how to learn to do something new. It’s a blend of both capabilities and confidence when approaching future learning activities.

• Next you will be asked to consider which element of your digital fluency you want to investigate

CONTINUE

Improve my ability to make electronic presentations, including effectively using digital media

I'd like to…

Enhance my ability to find information published in my subject area.

Be more confident with digital technologies.

Develop my critical evaluation skills with online information

Better understand the way I present myself through email.

Keep up to date and manage new information published in my subject area

Improve my ability to make electronic presentations, including effectively using digital media

I have given electronic presentations and want to

learn to do more with them.

I have only dabbled a bit in electronic presentations or

don't use them at all.

I am comfortable incorporating advanced

techniques such as digital media into presentations.

Back to menu

Improve my ability to find information published in my subject area

I can usually find what I need but I often either find too

much or not enough information

I am not always certain where to find information published in my subject

discipline

I am confident I can find a wide range of focused

information suitable for my needs

Back to menu

Be more confident with digital technologies I can use new technologies

but I am not confident with them

I am fearful of new technologies and rarely use

them if I can avoid it

I feel confident using new technologies and will start using them before many of

my colleagues

Back to menu

Develop my critical evaluation skills with

online information

I know not all online information is accurate but I am not always certain of the

best methods to judge reliability

When I find information online I tend to assume it is

true

I use trusted sources to get online information then test the reliability as I would with

any type of information

Back to menu

Better understand the way I present myself through email

I normally communicate well with email but find that during stressed or busy

periods my communication suffers

I do not think about how others might perceive my emails when writing them

I am conscious of how others may perceive my

communication through email and adjust my style of writing and tone accordingly

Back to menu

Back to menu

Keep up to date and manage new information published in my subject area

I have strategies for keeping up to date and managing information but feel there

may be more efficient approaches

I am unsure of the best strategies to keep up to date

and manage information

I am confident I am able to keep up to date and manage

new information but would like to try a few new

techniques

I have only dabbled a bit in electronic presentations or don't use them at all

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Advanced Techniques

Improving PowerPoint Use

Incorporating Media

Starting using PowerPoint

Back

I have given electronic presentations and want to learn to do more with them

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Advanced Techniques

Improving PowerPoint Use

Incorporating Media

Starting using PowerPoint

Back

I am comfortable incorporating advanced techniques such as digital media into presentations

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

Improving PowerPoint Use

Incorporating Media

Starting using PowerPoint

Advanced Techniques

Back

Starting Using PowerPointElectronic presentations are effective for making your presentations more dynamic and easier for the audience to understand. They can also be stored, shared and reused much easily, which can facilitate both scholarship and teaching.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Watch this video in which an academic describes his use of PowerPoint to make presentations And later…•Attend ‘Introduction to PowerPoint’ (free staff course)•Browse http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/ for ideas about what you can do with digital media With colleagues:•Find out what your colleagues are doing. What sort of presentations do they normally do?

Back

Improving PowerPoint UseMany people have some experience using PowerPoint but want to learn how to improve their presentation skills using it.

It is easy to create 'death by PowerPoint' through the over use of text. Similarly, having lots of bells and whistles without a purpose will be frustrating for your audience. It's important to learn about good design when using PowerPoint to be able to strike an appropriate balance.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Browse Garr Reynolds' Presentation Tips And later…•Attend ‘Effective PowerPoint Design’ (free staff course) With colleagues:•Ask for access to colleagues' PowerPoint presentations to see a variety of presentation styles and formats

Back

Incorporating MediaAdding digital media such as images, sound and video into your presentations can help with making them more interesting and dynamic, as well as breaking them up.

Digital media can also help bring authentic voices such as experts or students into a presentation.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Look at this short video describing how to ‘embed’ a YouTube video into a PowerPoint presentation And later…•Attend ‘PowerPoint at the Movies’ (free staff course)•Check out the support available at SHU for work with digital media With colleagues:•Ask colleagues what sorts of digital media they use in their presentations. Where do they find digital media that they use?

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Advanced TechniquesWhen you feel comfortable with incorporating digital media in presentations you may want to try more advanced presentation techniques, such as interactive presentations, or learning to create your own digital media.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Watch some inspirational presentations at TED And later…•Talk to the Library's Media team about creating new digitized media from materials that you already have•Watch Garr Reynolds talk to Google about presentation design.•Contact an LTI expert to discuss how to create video materials you could use in presentations With colleagues:•Share your expertise in presenting with your colleagues.

Back

I am not always certain where to find information published in my subject discipline

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Alerting servicesEffective search

strategies

Find out what SHU has to offer

Back

Explore freely available resources

I can usually find what I need but I often either find too much or not enough information

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Alerting services

Effective search strategies

Find out what SHU has to offer

Back

Explore freely available resources

I am confident I can find a wide range of focused information suitable for my needs

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

Explore freely available resources

Find out about what SHU has to

offer

Alerting services

Back

Effective search strategies

Find out what SHU has to offer

OverviewSheffield Hallam has subscriptions to an extensive range of high quality resources likely to offer excellent sources of information pertinent to your professional area.

Information sources include books, journals, subject gateways, newspaper articles , media resources and much more.

Accessing resourcesAll information resources are drawn together via the Library Gateway for your convenience. Resources are available either in print, or electronically, meaning you can access content on or off campus. Unless indicated otherwise, use the same username and password you use to login to your work PC.

To borrow print resources, like books, you will need to first register with the learning centre.

SupportThe learning centre will have a dedicated Information Adviser supporting your subject area and able to offer you guidance on finding, using and managing information.

A quick thing you could do right now: • Explore the Library Gateway - always accessible via a link in the top right hand corner of shuspace. Try accessing a range of information resources and see how you get along. • Browse the subject guides, also available via the Library Gateway, which highlight key information resources by subject area. …and later:• The learning centres offer a range of short online tutorials focusing around making the most of the Library Catalogue and finding electronic resources via LitSearch.• Come into the learning centres and have a browse and a chat to us, we are really nice people•Organise a one-to-one with an Information Adviser from the learning centre to ensure you are getting the most out of the information resources for your subject area. With colleagues:•Ask them how they've worked with an Information Adviser before and find out how their support could benefit you.• Discuss the range of resources colleagues are using for their own research.

Back

Explore freely available information resources

OverviewIn addition to the many subscription only information resources Sheffield Hallam pays for you to access; there are also a diverse range of high quality freely available information resources which you may wish to explore.

Accessing freely available resourcesGoogle, blog posts

SupportThe learning centre will have a dedicated Information Adviser supporting your subject area and able to offer you guidance on finding, using and managing information.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Try searching Google Scholar.•Instead of using Google, try using a metacrawler which searches a range of search engines, including Google all in one go. Try www.metacrawler.com•Try Intute which indexes key web resources for study and research by subject …and later…•Try the Advanced Scholar Search in Google Scholar. Work through the Advanced Search Tips guidance.•Try searching for blog posts using www.technorati.com•Organise a one-to-one with an Information Adviser from the learning centre With colleagues:• Ask them how they've worked with an Information Adviser before and find out how their support could benefit you.• Discuss the range of resources colleagues are using for their own research.

Back

Effective search strategies

OverviewAn effective search strategy means exploring a wide range of resources typically including books, journal articles and more.

Accessing resourcesAccess SHU information resource via shuspace and the Library Gateway, then select LitSearch. LitSearch enables you to browse information resources via subject headings; for example, Nursing, or by title; for example, Web of Knowledge.

Ideas to include - Exploratory research - thinking broadly about your topic - try brainstorming, mind mappingAnalytical research - thinking systematically about a queryFormulating a search strategy-Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT, truncation, synonyms, acronyms., phrase searching, thesaurus terms

A quick thing you could do right now: • Use LitSearch to explore a range of subject databases pertinent to your subject area.  •Try a few of the 2-10 minute LitSearch tutorials • Find Your Reference

…and later• Most of the databases; for example, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, also offer online tutorials which cover the specifics of their resource.• Explore a wider range of databases; for example try a business database to research the commercial sector associated with your research.• Ulrichs periodicals - check if a journal is peer reviewed•Organise a one-to-one with an Information Adviser from the learning centre

With colleagues:• Share with colleagues the glossary of terminology relating to information resources (possibly adapt guide produced by Angela Davies for students)Back

Alerting servicesIn addition to searching for information, alerting services (usually via email) let you know when new content is made available.  Nearly all journals, databases, book publishers, blogs, conferences, events and more, now offer alerting services. Information is provided in a variety of formats, including, full text, hyperlinks, search alerts, citation alerts and Table of Contents (ToCs).

LitSearch is an online tool that provides access to databases, library catalogues, e-journals, subject gateways and search engines. LitSearch is available via shuspace and you can browse resources by subject discipline.

A quick thing you could do right now: My Library Record RSS feeds - alerts you before your books are due back•Read a short article which tells you what RSS feeds are and how they are being used in an educational context•View RSS in Plain English from the Commoncraft webpage  And later…•Before you can set up feeds, you must first register for a feed reader (these are free). Currently the most popular are:- Google Reader- Bloglines•Organise a one-to-one with an information adviser from the learning centre•For background reading on learners expectations and experience of using new technologies try; Higher education in a Web 2.0 World With colleagues:•XXX?

Back

I am fearful of new technologies and rarely use them if I can avoid it

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Innovating with technology

Gaining experience

Understanding your fears

Back

I can use new technologies but I am not confident with them

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Innovating with technology

Gaining experience

Understanding your fears

Back

I feel confident using new technologies and will start using them before many of my colleaguesRecommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

Gaining experience

Understanding your fears

Innovating with technology

Back

Understanding your fearsTechnology has become essential in how we work and communicate. Not using technology will put you at a disadvantage in the workplace and mean you miss opportunities. Some staff members are afraid of new technologies because they are afraid they will break something. Thankfully with new online technologies it is impossible for you to break the system in the same way you could break a gadget by dropping it.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Take a moment to experiment with something you are interested in. Don't worry – you won't break it! It's ok if you don't manage to accomplish anything – just have a play and get used to it. And later…•Try to reflect on why you are fearful of technology. Better understanding where the fear comes from will help you to master it.•Think about the way you learn in general. Learning technology is not different than learning anything else, and you should apply the same learning techniques to it that have worked for you in other things you learnt.•Set aside some time to try to learn something that's not too complicated. You may want to arrange a booking on a training session or schedule time with a colleague who is more familiar with it. With colleagues:•Ask someone you know that is more comfortable with technology to show you something simple you could try.

Back

Gaining experienceBeing digitally fluent isn't just about acquiring a set of existing skills – technology is changing so fast that you could find your skill set quickly outdated. Feeling confident in using a variety of technologies and becoming comfortable trying new things is a core part of digital fluency that will let you adapt and adjust to any new technologies that arrive. Many academics say that they are not confident with technology or are a self-proclaimed 'luddite', despite using a variety of digital technologies in their daily lives without giving themselves credit for them. You are probably more comfortable using technology than you give yourself credit for. Remember that it takes everyone some time to learn new technologies – be patient with yourself.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Make a list of things you can do with technology (at work and home). Focus on what you have learned to do and you may be surprised. And later…•Because it takes time to learn new skills, find time to set aside to develop your skills in a new technology. •At your next appraisal make a case for time set aside to develop your skills with new technologies that will help you do your job more successfully. With colleagues:•Ask your colleagues what technologies they regularly use that they find save time or help them do their job better.

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Innovating with technologyReaching a state where you are confident with trying new technologies and experimenting with your practice is essential for digital fluency and learning to cope with an ever-changing world. This is the level that staff members will need to reach to be able to take advantage of future opportunities.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Pat yourself on the back?•Look at X resource where new technologies are being discussed that you may be interested in. And later…•Consider joining a pilot project about using new technology in teaching. This gives you the opportunity to try something that interests you and could also affect the entire university.•Think about how you can transfer that confidence with technology to your students and colleagues. With colleagues:•One of the most common things we hear from staff members is that much of their learning and use of technology is influenced by colleagues sharing their practice. If you're doing something innovative with technology to assist your job, sharing that practice could have benefits for the whole department.

Back

When I find information online I assume it is true

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Sharing trusted sources

Judging reliability online

Thinking about information

Back

I know not all online information is accurate but I am not always certain of the best methods to judge reliability

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Sharing trusted sources

Judging reliability online

Thinking about information

Back

I use trusted sources to get information online and then test the reliability of that information as I would

with other informationRecommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

Judging reliability online

Thinking about information

Sharing trusted sources

Back

Thinking about informationInformation online is no more reliable than information anywhere else. Due to the open nature of the online world, it is easy for anyone to publish anything they want. While this has had some benefits such as the increased democratisation and collectivisation of knowledge, it has also led to false information and opinions being passed off as facts.

The 3WWWs always think, who, why and where.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Read XXX article? And later…•Have a search for information in Google. How can you verify the accuracy of this information? •Can you write down some sources of information you can trust – what makes them more reliable? With colleagues:•Ask colleagues how they evaluate information they find and where they go to look for information

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Judging reliability onlineIt can be difficult to judge the reliability of information on the Internet. To further complicate matters, some sources, such as Wikipedia, tend towards accuracy but at any given point might be unreliable. One method for judging reliability is cross-checking with other sources, both online and offline. Many online sources of information, including Wikipedia, will reference the source of their information. By checking on the sources, you can help determine the reliability of the information and the way it was gathered.

To include : impact factors - Web of Knowledge, Scopus h-index. One method measuring impact, but not always the best - expand.

A quick thing you could do right now: Read XXX article about how to judge if information is true or false. And later…•Read XXX article about the way Wikipedia works - it's a common source of information that is not well understood. With colleagues:•Discuss with colleagues how they judge the quality of information they find.

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Sharing trusted sourcesThe Internet has enabled access to a huge amount of information, far more than has ever been seen before. This has created additional problems in terms of identifying the accuracy of information, but has also led to wider access to and a sharing of knowledge. As a 'power user' of online information you should also be aware of benefits such as searchability. Categorising and making sense of such a large amount of information is impossible for any one individual. As a result, collective efforts to help categorise and evaluate information have developed. One such example is what has been deemed folksonomy (a people-driven taxonomy), where anyone can link a keyword (called a 'tag') to a particular resource, with conventions that become driven by the community rather than a set of standards.

Impact factors

A quick thing you could do right now: •Read XXX article about tagging systems And later…•Experiment with a tagging system online such as del.icio.us to better understand how they work.•Many students are less critical of information than staff, and may have become used to quickly looking for information online and accepting it as true during their school years. Can you think of activities you could do with your students to highlight the importance of critical evaluation of information? With colleagues:•Discuss ways to encourage a critical approach towards online information• Locating academic communities• Collaborative writing - Google Docs.

Back

I do not think about how others might perceive my emails when writing them

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Conveying your personality

Communication strategies

Online etiquette

Keeping in control

Back

I normally communicate well with email but during stressed or busy periods my

communication suffersRecommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Conveying your personality

Keeping in control

Communication strategies

Back

Online etiquette

I am conscious of how others may perceive my communication through email and adjust my style

of writing and tone accordinglyRecommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

Online etiquetteKeeping in

controlCommunication

strategies

Conveying your personality

Back

Communication strategiesMany people don't apply the same basic principles of communication to email that they do to face-to-face communication or written letters. However, many of the principles and strategies for communication are actually the same.

For instance, have you considered who your audience is? That can determine what type of tone is appropriate - formal, informal, requesting, demanding, offering.

What do you want your readers to do with the communication you are sending them? Is it ok for them to send it on to others? How quickly should they respond (if at all)?

Answering these questions could help with clarifying the type of communication you want in your email.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Read this article on how to communicate effectively with email

And later…•Next time you are writing an email of some importance, try to re-read your email as a recipient would. Is your message clear and concise? Do you understand the purpose of the email? Do you know what to do with it?

With colleagues:•Ask a colleague you trust to give you an honest answer about how they perceive your email style. It may help to get an outside perspective.

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Online etiquetteSome staff run into difficulty with email communication because they don't understand the conventions of politeness in the online world (aka 'netiquette'). For instance, writing in capital letters is considered shouting in email.

Generally it is polite to keep emails concise, as longer emails are harder to read and follow. Humour is also often misunderstood as it is difficult to perceive the tone of the sender.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Read the University's guidance on netiquette.

And later…•Look back through some of your old sent emails. Can you identify places where you may have accidentally violated netiquette?

With colleagues:•Discuss any additional conventions you want to use (or avoid) in your subject group when writing emails to each other.

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Keeping in controlMany people's online communication skills suffer when they are busy or stressed. Email makes it easy to forward on information from other people quickly and provides a sense of anonymity or distance that may mean you say things you would not otherwise say to their face.

When you are busiest, you may fire off a lot of emails quickly without taking the time to properly evaluate their contents. These times are the most important ones to take an extra moment to re-read your emails and ensure they meet your normal standards of politeness and that they are appropriate and clear for your audience.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Decide to resist sending emails unless you have the capacity to properly review their effect first.

And later…•Be sure to re-read your emails before sending them out to check they are conveying the message you want them to.•Make a checklist for yourself to refer to about your normal good communication practices. Then when you are stressed, you will have something to double-check your emails against.

With colleagues:•Discuss any strategies your colleagues may use to deal with communication while stressed.

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Conveying your personalityWhen you have mastered the basics of communicating online and avoiding inadvertent offense, you can think about how to convey your personality through your communication.

Your readers will make judgements about your personality and mood based upon your email style. For instance, if you are chatty in real life but write emails in a formal style, then that juxtaposition may confuse your readers, possibly leading to a sense that you are upset with them.

You can use this to your advantage to show others your personality through your emails.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Write down some adjectives which describe your personality. Now re-read some emails you have sent recently. Are the emails in keeping with your personality?

And later…•Read this article about conveying your personality through email. Though there is a different audience for the article, a lot of the advice applies for us too.•When you are reading emails from other people - stop and ask yourself what judgements you are making about their personality and mood when reading them. Try to identify why that is the case.

With colleagues:•Ask a colleague how they would describe your personality. How does that fit with how you think of yourself?

Back

I am unsure of the best strategies to keep up to date and manage information

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Creating start pages

Alerting services

Text

Back

I have strategies for keeping up to date and managing information but feel there may be more efficient approaches

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

These ideas might be above where you feel you are:

Creating start pages

Alerting services

Text

Back

I am confident I am able to keep up to date and manage new information but would like to try a few new techniques

Recommended ideas for your level:

These ideas might be below where you feel you are:

Alerting servicesText

Creating start pages

Back

TextText A quick thing you could do right now:

 And later… With colleagues:

Back

Alerting servicesIn addition to searching for information, alerting services (usually via email) let you know when new content is made available.  Nearly all journals, databases, book publishers, blogs, conferences, events and more, now offer alerting services. Information is provided in a variety of formats, including, full text, hyperlinks, search alerts, citation alerts and Table of Contents (ToCs).

LitSearch is an online tool that provides access to databases, library catalogues, e-journals, subject gateways and search engines. LitSearch is available via shuspace and you can browse resources by subject discipline.

Use my library record.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Read a short article which tells you what RSS feeds are and how they are being used in an educational context•View RSS in Plain English from the Commoncraft webpage  And later…•Before you can set up feeds, you must first register for a feed reader (these are free). Currently the most popular are:- Google Reader- Bloglines•Organise a one-to-one with an information adviser from the learning centre•For background reading on learners expectations and experience of using new technologies try; Higher education in a Web 2.0 World With colleagues:•XXX?

Back

Creating start pagesStart pages are web pages that can consolidate your various alerts and feeds into a single view. Start pages use feeds but enable you to customise the layout of your page as each feed goes into a separate block. Most also allow you to create bookmarks, make calendar entries, view photos, notify you of new emails and much more. Start pages can be kept private or made public, which can facilitate teaching and building research communities.

A quick thing you could do right now: •Create a start page, this does take a bit of time and is something which grows gradually. Currently the most popular are:- netvibes- pageflakes- igoogle And later…•Organise a one-to-one with an information adviser from the learning centre•For background reading on learners expectations and experience of using new technologies try; Higher education in a Web 2.0 World With colleagues:•XXX?

Back