Developing a holistic institutional approach to digital capabilities

developmentKaren Barton , Director of Learning and Teaching

OCIO Review

Recommendation 9: Develop digital capability profiles based on the JISC framework

for different types of student and staff to assess skill levels and identify requirements

Wider Discussion C: Future strategic reviews should consider the responsibility for

developing and delivering digital capability training and development for staff and

students. This should include assessing the feasibility of developing a standardised,

centrally delivered digital capability course for students, with variations for each

School based on their student digital capability profile.

Working in partnership

Digital Capabilities Scoping Group

Academic Staff

Students

Staff Development

Areas

Professional Staff

Held workshop to review Framework and Profiles

Participated in pilot of JISC’s Digital Capabilities Discovery Tool and delivered institutional case study

Engaged community through established communications channels (StaffNet, StudyNet, Yammer; emails; voxpop)

Obtained ethical approval for sharing outputs as appropriate

Promotional campaign

Drop-in sessions

Video bites

Academic: 46

Professional: 71

Manager: 39

Digital Productivity

Digital Identity Management

Digital Wellbeing

Digital Collaboration

Digital Creation

Digital Teaching

Working in partnership

Outcome of the Pilot

Working in partnership

Modelling CPD at different stages of Academic life

What will we do?

1. Development of integrated programme for Academic Staff

Map JISC DC Framework/Elements to existing CPD Academic Framework to promote existing development opportunities and identify gaps

2. Extend digital capabilities opportunities to all staff:

Explore extension of CPD Framework for Academics as ‘blueprint’ for other roles/business services e.g. Academic Registry, Careers, Library and Computing Services and pilot programmes

3. Review expectations and digital capabilities opportunities for students

Investigate expectations via JISC Digital Student Tracker project and launch opportunity to engage in JISC Discovery Tool pilot as ‘Learner’

Working in partnership

Governance

• Joint Senior Sponsorship agreed so lessemphasis on ‘infrastructure/technical’ project - more focused on ‘practice’

• Collective stakeholder engagement -‘Digital Capabilities Scoping Group’ worked well

• Work extended to partnership activity with the Education Research Network (Technology Enhanced Learning Group)

What are we planning in Phase Two?

Working in partnership (Phase Two Strand 1)

Enhancing current practice by mapping to digital capabilities

Continuing Professional Development

Support model for Academic staffTriggers:

• Induction/probation

• Appraisal/Review

• Programme Team

Annual Reviews

• Action planning e.g. NSS

• Succession planning

• Career goals

Working in partnership Phase Two Strand 1

Sample mapping to JISC Roles based on ‘Teacher’ Profile

Working in partnership Phase Two Strand 2

Exploring potential for using Academic CPD Framework as a ‘blueprint’

Units engaging in Phase Two pilots:

Academic Schools:

Physics, Maths and Astronomy

Health and Social Work

Professional Support Units:

Academic Registry (Administrators)

Careers

Library and Computing Services

Being supported by:

Learning and Teaching Innovation Centre

People Development and Change

Human Resources

Working in partnership Phase Two Strand 2

Review expectations and digital capabilities opportunities for students

• Identify pilot student cohorts to pilot ‘Student

Tracker’ Tool to identify expectations and needs

• Analyse Student Feedback returns and align to in-

house analytics returns to indicate gaps in

expectation and experience

• Work with module and programme leaders to

prototype changes in design and delivery which

could be implemented (‘quick wins’; longer term

fixes- feed into Programme Review and School

Action Plans)

• Implement changes and evaluate impact in

programme/module feedback

Working in partnership

• The specific recommendation to investigate the digital capabilities framework provided a strategic driver and gave ‘permission’ and authority to get the dialogue around digital capabilities going.

• Partnership working is key, particularly for such a large and complex organisation as the University of Hertfordshire. The scoping group and senior support this has secured has been instrumental in bringing stakeholders together, establishing the importance of the digital capabilities agenda, extending the reach across the university and providing a forward momentum.

• Encouraging teams to discuss and develop contextualised understandings of digital capabilities is important in persuading and influencing people to engage and ‘win hearts and minds’.

• Working well with those who are interested is allowing us to develop a robust approach and carry forward positive messages and a good story to share with colleagues across the organisation.

Key Lessons Learned

Slide 1: Group Of People Connection Digital Device Concept Photo © Rawpixelimages. Dreamstime.com

Slide 2,5,6,7,8: Education objectives. (2017) Enhancing Educational Practice. CPD embedded in your professional life at the University of Hertfordshire. Guide for staff. University of Hertfordshire. GA16978/DS/09_17

Slide 7: Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework Roles based Profile for ‘Academic’. Available from http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6620/1/JiscProfile_HEteacher.pdf

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