Student Digital Experience
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BITS MAGAZINE Issue 17, Spring 2017 Sharing news and stories across Information Services Group and the University Learn VLE The student digital experience EDIT WIKIPEDIA WATCH MyEd RECORDED LECTURES EUCLID Student Systems Library Access SHARE DATASETS Exam Timetable CHECK Digital Maker Space DIGITAL GRADUATION FOOTPRINT Skills Student digital New Festival of 60 second Research Creative interview experience Cloud service Learning – page 2 – page 4 – page 7 – page 13 BITS Sharing news and stories across Information Services Group and the University MAGAZINE ISG news Editor: Main Library open 24/7 Melissa Highton New EDINA Director Editorial team: The Main Library is now open 24/7. Eva Barrett, Andrew Bevan, Alex Delipalta, Janet Roberts has joined the ISG Senior Management Sarah Gormley, Nicky Greenhorn, Angela Laurins, team as Director of EDINA. The team has developed a Three levels of the Library remain open to users all night Helen Murphie, Marco Polvara, Julie Robinson, number of creative, signature products and services, Garry Scobie, Lauren Tormey, Susan Watson – the lower ground, ground and first floors. At midnight, including Digimap, which supports university researchers Design and production: users working on the other floors are invited to move to Graphic Design Service, LTW, ISG, The University with their work, through to primary school pupils getting lower levels. The upper floors re-open each day at 7.30am. of Edinburgh www.ed.ac.uk/is/graphic-design their first experience of data science. These extended opening hours will enhance the student Published by: Editorial Information Services Group, The University of “It is a very exciting time to join experience, providing users with a staffed, secure and Edinburgh accessible environment for study. The quality of the student experience is a high priority for everyone who EDINA. As well as expanding Contributions, contact and distribution queries: works in the University. This issue of BITS magazine aims to highlight just Email: [email protected] its established products, the some of the many projects and activities colleagues in ISG contribute to BITS on the Web: www.ed.ac.uk/is/bits team continues to identify and improving our on-campus and online services. Printed by: J Thomson Colour Printers produce new innovative projects to grow The newly launched University of Edinburgh Teaching and Learning and develop into services. The work ahead Strategy commits us all to the creative use of technology and to will be very stimulating and challenging, supporting the aspiration that every educator is a digital educator. Our and it is fantastic to be surrounded by a students increasingly study and work in blended environments as they talented team, full of ideas and energy to juggle busy lives while interacting with our systems. Our front cover image is designed to show the sometimes random progress students make on grow the business.” their journeys through our digital estate. Our double-page spread explains Janet previously worked in finance for eight years, the thinking behind the investments we are making, and our many featured including running a start-up business, before moving to stories showcase enhancements, updates and service developments. If you require this publication in an roles in the not-for-profit sector. These included working alternative format, please contact This issue includes more news from our student interns and innovation for Oxfam in Bangladesh and Zambia, fundraising for the Viki Galt, Disability Information Officer projects, more books and MOOCs published by our teams and more University of Oxford and Zoological Society of London on 0131 650 6645 or email updates from our new facilities in Argyle House. As well as welcoming our and as Director of Global Engagement for Glasgow [email protected] new Director of EDINA, Janet Roberts, our 60 second interview introduces Caledonian University. Gary Jebb (Director of Estates), Alec Edgecliffe-Johnson (EUSA President) our new Deputy Head of Library & University Collections, Kirsty Lingstadt, and Jeremy Upton (Director of Library & University Collections) and the work she does in her role finding digital solutions and platforms for our collections now and in the future. We are very proud of both our digital library and our physical libraries. In the Main Library this year, we Principal's Teaching SUBMISSION DETAILS have opened a new maker space and made three floors of the building available 24/7. Award Scheme funding If you would like to submit an article, or tell us about some news, please email: ISG colleagues engage with staff and students at all levels across the Anne-Marie Scott [email protected] University on a regular basis via our many user groups, consultations and committee memberships. As you wait for the next issue of BITS, please The deadline for submissions for the next The Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme (PTAS) aims to encourage keep up to date with all the news and updates from ISG throughout the issue of BITS is 26 May 2017. and support activities that will make a significant contribution to year via our websites and social media. the enhancement of learning and teaching and to encourage To keep up to date with IS news: colleagues to explore new practice and innovations in teaching. www.ed.ac.uk/is/news This year colleagues from ISG and Informatics are collaborating to investigate the student experience of flexible modes of online education and explore their application to undergraduate and postgraduate online learning. Melissa Highton If you have ideas for a project to explore the impact of digital FSC LOGO Director of Learning, Teaching and Web initiatives, such as online distance learning or lecture recording, please apply via the PTAS scheme this year. http://edin.ac/ptas ISG news 1 BITS Sharing news and stories across Information Services Group and the University MAGAZINE Cloud COLLABORATE Infographics Enhancing the student Computing Cite digital experience sources Gavin McLachlan The digital experience at university is a critical part of each Our student digital experience projects are part of a Chief Information Officer and Librarian to the University student’s life. We see students’ experience with our physical The results were compelling and illuminating. Headscape not only wider strategy and programme to digitally transform estate first-hand, but students also spend a lot of time pointed out issues of complexity (too many systems with confusing the University. This digital transformation sets interacting with our digital estate online. For our thousands names) and inconsistency (different parts of the university using down a number of key challenges reflected in of distance learning students, the only experience they may different systems and in different ways) – they also offered a view our University strategy to ensure access to learning ever have of us is via our digital estate: the range of websites of the future, where we could leverage the latest technology to experiences that will equip students for whatever path they and online services which support learning and study. The significantly transform the student digital experience. follow once they graduate, including quantitative methods and University’s Strategic Vision 2025 highlights a future in which The full presentation of results by Headscape is available on digital skills. Internet many more students benefit from the Edinburgh experience MediaHopper: http://edin.ac/student-digital-experience (largely or entirely) in their own country – supported by deep 1 Is every student service available digitally? of Things international partnerships and world-leading online distance In a 24/7 world this has increasingly become an expectation. COMPLETE learning. THESIS Is every educator a digital educator? Many universities are now investing in projects to understand 2 and develop digital environments which meet students’ Do colleagues have the confidence, skills and support expectations and help them to succeed. At the University to leverage the full set of digital tools available to them; of Edinburgh, our students experience a range of services to create digital material for their students and courses; online and navigate their work, study, learning and research and contribute to our overall digital presence in a tasks via our many digital services, including virtual learning number of ways? environments, student systems, websites, timetabling systems, Reading maps, data sets, libraries, journal collections, software tools 3 Is every student a digital student? and mobile apps. They also use a range of social media to Are all students able to access and use material to study, Lists communicate with each other, tutors and colleagues, and learn, revise and research digitally? Are they able to develop online profiles and digital footprints, which reflect their enhance and augment their own education and skills? activities and interests. In a recent national survey by JISC, 72.2% of HE students and 70.1% of FE and skills students 4 Does every student and colleague have a digital agreed that when technology is used by teaching staff, skills plan? it helps their learning experience. In a super-accelerated world, where skills and whole Last year ISG commissioned an external company, Headscape, job categories can become obsolete in a matter of GAIN years, digital skills training has become increasingly NEW to look at the student digital experience. They conducted research and followed a number of student volunteers as they important