Student learning resources for developing digital and study skills
Comprehensive guide to resources, including training, LinkedIn Learning playlists and toolkits, that students can use to develop their digital and study skills.
Student Focus Fortnight
The Digital Skills Programme includes the Student Focus Fortnight from Mon 25 Sept - Fri 6 Oct 2023. This fortnight features extra workshops and live webinars that are particularly intended to help students develop their digital skills.
For details and bookings, see the Event Booking system (University login needed).
Getting started: assessing your digital skills
Digital Skills Framework
Begin with the University's Digital Skills Framework, a tool to help you evaluate your current levels of digital capability, reflect on your development needs, plan your development path and find resources to help you develop your skills.
Planning your learning
Digital tools for learning and studying
The Digital tools for learning and studying web page highlights and signposts guidance to the core digital tools that you are likely to use specifically for learning. These include virtual learning environments and classrooms, lecture recordings and video sharing.
It also gives information and guidance on digital tools for more general activities including online meetings and collaboration, managing and storing your files and notes, email and calendar, creating documents and presentations and working with data.
Digital skills specifically for each undergraduate year
The Digital skills development journey for undergraduates toolkits are curated collections of resources and information for developing digital skills throughout your degree and beyond. They were designed by students for students. The toolkits provide an overview of the activities you can expect to perform at different stages of your studies, and highlight resources to develop the skills to successfully complete these activities. There are also two LinkedIn Learning video collections to supplement the toolkits.
There are five toolkits in total, one for each year of undergraduate study and a final one focussing on employability skills. You can follow the journeys chronologically, or pick and choose the resources most relevant to you.
Role profile detailing digital skills for students
The digital role profile for learners is similar to the student journey toolkits above, but outlines at a higher level the digital skills that students should develop.
Developing your digital skills
Stay safe online
In an increasingly digital world it’s essential that you know how to stay safe and treat others with respect online. Learn more about digital safety and citizenship and how these issues impact you as a member of the student community, and find curated resources to help keep you safe and secure while engaging online.
Develop the foundations
Covering digital skills basics, the Digital Skills Awareness course is for students that are about to start university and provides guidance on the foundation-level digital skills you will need for a successful learning experience. The online course outlines the key digital skills you will need for your studies, and helps you identify the skills you have and the ones you need to acquire or improve.
Develop a broad range of digital skills
The Digital Skills Programme offers around 70 different webinars and on-campus courses throughout the year covering a broad range of topics. View this semester’s programme and book onto events on the courses and webinars page.
LinkedIn Learning is an online skills development service offering an extensive library of high-quality video courses in business, creative and technical skills. We have a campus-wide licence offering students free, unlimited access to the service via the web and mobile apps. If you are new to LinkedIn Learning, find out how to set up your student account.
Digital skills toolkits contain curated resources for each of the six digital capabilities in the Digital Skills Framework, offering the flexibility to help you start developing your digital skills or take a deep dive into a particular topic. Each toolkit provides links to around 10 resources – videos, activities, articles – that you can read, watch, listen to and participate in. There are two sets of toolkits – Beginner and Advanced – and you will be awarded a digital badge on completion to evidence your learning.
Focus on student skills
Student study skills video collection
The Student study skills learning path in LinkedIn Learning is a student-led compilation of digital courses and videos to help you develop study skills that you will use throughout your degree. It contains 21 online courses that you can take over the duration of your studies. If you are new to LinkedIn Learning, find out how to set up your student account.
Thesis hub
The Thesis Hub uses LinkedIn Learning videos and recorded training sessions to show you Word's features that are helpful when producing a long document such as a lengthy assignment, dissertation or thesis.
Using library and university collections
The Using Library and University Collections video collection contains many resources including recordings of half hour Library Bitesize sessions that introduce a range of library-related topics such as where to find key legal databases, using the online library and finding theses. You can also attend live webinars for which details and bookings are on the Event Booking system (search for ‘Library Bitesize’).
Developing your study skills
The Institute for Academic Development (IAD) offers a range of services including academic writing resources, career management resources, feedback advice, projects and learning and teaching support.
Some Schools also offer local study skills development opportunities including: