A Scaffolded Approach to Developing Professional Communication and Digital Skills

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Sue Beckingham

Introducing digital skills to level 4 students on an undergraduate module including social media and web 2.0 tools

Education

A Scaffolded Approach to Developing
Professional Communication and Digital Skills

BACKGROUND:
The aim was to introduce new Seminars introduced the importance
digital skills to first year computing of developing a professional online
students that would develop their presence and a practical exploration
communication skills. The students of the tools now being used in a
kept a private semester long professional context which included
personal blog reflecting on their social media tools such as LinkedIn
learning experience and career and Twitter, collaborative tools such
aspirations. They also used this as as Google Drive, Diigo and Google+.
a repository to evidence online YouTube videos were used to share
group meetings and a digital 'about and discuss exemplars of poor
me‘ video or screencast embedding digital CVs and presentation
these into their personal blog. delivery, followed by good ones.

CVs
Introduction to professional
social networking, digital CVs,
exploration of video CVs. PROFESSIONAL WEB 2.0 USE
Searched and located
LinkedIn Twitter companies, professional
bodies, careers info.

COLLABORATION
Shared space to record
meeting agendas,
WEB 2.0 COMMUNICATION minutes and group work.
Key space to record work using blog tools Google
outside of the VLE. Develop articulation of current
and future skills verbally (embedded videos) Drive
and in writing. Creative inclusion of visuals.

ORGANISING RESEARCH
Skype/ GROUP COMMUNICATION
Students held, recorded and
Social bookmarking evaluated
resources: books, websites,
Diigo G+ reflected upon online team
videos, images etc. meetings and their contribution.
Hangouts

Sue Beckingham | s.beckingham@shu.ac.uk | @suebecks
2nd Annual HEA STEM Conference 2013

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