Transcript

DR BECKI VICKERSTAFF

Thinking in terms of how some of our higher education institutions have used both our digital capability framework, the discovery tool, et cetera, we've seen some excellent uses of how that's impacted and empowered the University as well. And if I can draw on the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, they're a really good example of where you've got a really clear digital strategy and how that can have that really great impact across that institution.

So, what they did is they initially took again our digital capability framework, and they created a dedicated hub area, so very much thinking about, they've aligned it across their own initiatives and resources as well. But they've created a way that their staff and students can really evaluate their digital capabilities. So again, using the discovery tool as well as a way for that the individual, in a really safe space, to be able to reflect on their digital capability.

But also, then reflect on their needs and again, identifying their strengths. And then plan their way forward in terms of how they improve that. And what they've done is, again, they created this great online space for their staff and students where they can build on those digital capabilities. And because it's broken down and it's adapted, it's being brought more in line with their own institution as well. So, thinking about the different resources they have there, they've embedded, it is part of their induction process as well.

So again, really important with staff and students, understanding that digital capability right at the start of that University journey is really important, but also embedding it as well. So, they've embedded it in appraisals as well and they've run sessions with the leaders. So those responsible for those high-level institution initiatives, they've been brought in as part of this as well. So, having that really holistic approach to it is really important.

But again, one of the things that they've done is taken our role profiles for example, and they've adapted them, they've created some bespoke subject level ones as well. So again, really making that more customised for their institution but still aligning it to that nationally recognised framework as well. And then they've run workshops. And because you can pull on that data from the discovery tool, you can identify where there may be some requirements for development in different digital capabilities.

But one of the other things they've done is they've used the LinkedIn Learning mapping exercise. So, LinkedIn Learning did a wonderful mapping exercise against our framework. So, all of the resources that obviously form part of LinkedIn Learning, they've aligned them to our digital proficiency and our framework. So, it's a really good way for institutions that have that subscription to have them all aligned. So, time is incredibly precious. So, having that already mapped for you provides a really good way for staff and students to be able to go in and have a look at, these are some areas that might help improve my digital capability as well.

So, they've done a really good job of, again, taking our framework, adapting our own profiles, embedding in the discovery tool so that they can have that meaningful data to help drive that staff development and supporting their staff in digital capability as well. And then another institution that's done some amazing work again with our discovery tool and framework is Edinburgh University. So again, they did a slightly different approach, but they again have mapped our digital capability framework against their own service.

So, what they've done is for all of those different areas of digital capability, they've looked at their own internal offerings so in that digital skills team. So, they created a resource area for their staff, again, which broke down all of those different areas as well. They created a University Resource Finder. So, under those digital areas, the staff could identify what areas, based on the discovery tool, that they might need to improve on and increase their understanding on.

And that Resource Finder was a really quick way to signpost staff to, this is what you can do to improve that area. But what they also did which was fantastic and we see again a lot of this, is they did some work with student champions. So those student champions became digital advocates, if you like. And that helped with that peer approach to supporting digital capability so they would go out and train other students, make them aware of the discovery tool, et cetera. So that was a great way of improving that as well.

And one of the things I really loved that Edinburgh have done as well is, with the digital discovery tool and that digital capability, they've aligned that with new programmes as well. So, created some bespoke programs to help staff increase that digital capability and understanding and really again use that data to drive those initiatives as well. And they also redesigned one of their management and leadership courses as well.

So really again, that importance of bringing digital capability to that really higher-level stakeholder buy in across that institution because you need that to really continue that digital innovation as well across an institution. But they also used the LinkedIn Learning mapping exercise as well to create a really great bespoke area for their staff to go in and improve that digital capability because creating resources takes time. And if there's something that's already there and is being used extensively, then it's a really good way to draw on those really good content to help support that digital capability.