Digital Literacy, Employability and Placements

in the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Sciences

|Lloyd-Evans, S. | Mitchell, D. | Musson, S. |

BackgroundDigital literacy: defined as the ability to use and understand

information that is communicated through digital technology.

To understand whether students are readily prepared to deal with the evolving technological world of work and how the University might further support students in becoming digital

To start with, we conducted a review of current University practice and interviewed 12 staff in SAGES and the University

What do staff say?Newer forms of Digital Literacy are important and should be

used

We need to maximise the potential of Social Media across campus

Improve online training and capture experiences of the UoR Alumni

Focus Groups“The University has not covered online safety at all”

“Social media is becoming a personal professional platform and where the line is drawn between the two is constantly fluctuating”

Students felt a need for more training on LinkedIn

Shocked that employers search social media and have the right to request login details

Where students look for jobs:

University JobshopPrint Newspapers

University Careers CentreRecruitment/Job Agencies

Search EnginesGraduate/Student Job websites

Online recruitment sitesCompany websties

TwitterOnline Newspapers

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

No. of students No. of students

Results - Geography84% would like to be taught how to use LinkedIn for professional

purposes

89% would not be comfortable with an employer checking their social media profiles

94% would like to see more interaction with social media in lectures, seminars and in and around departments

96% say they have never received training on how to use Digital Literacy, including Social Media, for a professional purpose

Results - Environmental Sciences100% say they have never received training on how to use

Digital Literacy, including Social Media, for a professional purpose

92% would not be very confident if their social media profiles were checked and would like to know what companies are looking for

100% would like to see more interaction with social media in lectures, seminars and in and around departments

Results - Archaeology94% say they have never received training on how to use digital

literacy, including social media, for a professional purpose

68% want more departmental interaction with social media

61% say digital skills are as important as literacy and numeracy skills

Results - Overall100% of participants use Facebook

96% say they have never received training on how to use digital literacy, including social media, for a professional purpose

75% would like to be taught how to use LinkedIn for professional purposes, 59% for Twitter and 50% for blog

74% believe that digital skills are as important literacy and numeracy skills

What’s next? Immediately

Before the next academic year

Next year & onwards