Led by Scott Hibberson, subject specialist - online learning and the digital student experience, Jisc. With contributions from Saf Arfan, vice-principal for development and innovation at Salford City College Dr Liz Bennett, director of learning and teaching at the University of Huddersfield Connect more in Liverpool, 21 June 2016

2. Leveraging change through
digital capability
Connect more…

3. Building digital capability
Discovery
tool
Leadership
development
Digital
capability
framework
Online
offer

4. Digital capability: the six elements
ICT
proficiency
Information,
data and
media literacies
Digital
learning and
self development
Digital creation
innovation and
scholarship
Communication,
collaboration and
participation
Digital identity
and wellbeing

5. 6/22/2016 5

6. Old Tools by arbyreed CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://flic.kr/p/hQQFyGOld
6/22/2016 6

7. Discovery tool
» We have built a discovery tool
to help staff discover their
digital capability and provide
them with feedback that will
help them to build their
capability and digital skills
6/22/2016 7

8. Discovery tool
6/22/2016 8

9. Discovery tool pilots
» As well as large scale tests we have a number of institutions, FE, HE
and skills who are undertaking small scale pilots with groups of staff
» In addition we have provided the Digital capability user group of
eighty plus institutions with a version of the tool for them to test with
small groups
» As a result we have had further user feedback that will inform
development and functionality

10. By Alan Chia (Lego Color Bricks) CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lego_Color_Bricks.jpg
6/22/2016 10

11. Digital leadership course
» The Jisc Digital leaders programme has been designed specifically to
equip current and aspiring leaders and managers with the tools and
knowledge to inform their digital practice, enabling them to:
› Become a more effective digital leader or manager through personal
and professional development
› Explore how their organisations can engage more effectively with the
technology at their disposal – at both strategic and operational levels
› Lead, manage and influence digitally-driven strategy across
organisations, departments, services and teams

12. Digital Leadership course
» We continue to work with Jisc training on the roll-out of the Digital
leaders course following the successful pilot
» The course is next scheduled to run in October, and that run will be part of
the transition from project output to Jisc’s service offer

13. Image by James Clay CC BY-NC 2.0
6/22/2016 13

14. Digital capability online offer
» Personalised dynamic online offer
» “Playlists” of activities, resources, content, guides
» Creation of dynamic and static “playlists”
» Bespoke institutional “playlists”
» Professional framework lenses
» Social sharing,Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

15. Online offer
» We are basing the online offer on the upcoming Jisc app and
content store
» Development on the app and content store is now at the stage
where we hope to be able to link to tagged ‘playlists’ of relevant
content and resources from the discovery tool results page within
the next couple
of weeks

16. The Shop of Books by Fergus Murrary CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://flic.kr/p/JmoaZ
6/22/2016 16

17. What do we understand
by digital capability?
6/22/2016 17

18. 6/22/2016 18
Twitter Bird by DryIcons with permission smashingmagazine.com/2008/09/practika-a-free-icon-set/

19. 6/22/2016 19

20. Image Copyright NERC
6/22/2016 20

21. Image: Lawrie Phipps
6/22/2016 21

22. Image by Randy von Liski https://flic.kr/p/8pxy4r CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
6/22/2016 22

23. Dashboard
» Bringing together information and aggregation of data from usage of the
discovery tool
» We are currently designing the prototype institutional dashboard based
on our emerging understanding of what the institutional leads want to
know about their staff’s results in the discovery tool
» Link in with resources and services currently in use and what is available

24. Resources
» Tools
» Services
» Advice and guidance

25. Image Credit: Moyan Brenn https://flic.kr/p/e7M5Qx CC BY 2.0
6/22/2016 25

26. Building digital capability
» This is about staff digital knowledge, skills and attitudes
» Universities, colleges and skills want help in:
› identifying the digital skills needed
› identifying their skills gaps
› planning, implementing and evaluating initiatives to improve skills
» #digitalcapability

27. Old Man's Desk by Daniel Hansson CC BY 2.0 https://flic.kr/p/2oeYqL
6/22/2016 27

28. Next step
» We will be opening the public beta of the Digital capability service to all
members in the Summer 2016
» The Digital leadership programme will be running in October 2016

29. Image by James Clay CC BY-NC 2.0
6/22/2016 29

30. » There is the main site on the
Jisc website
» jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/building-
digital-capability
Web site
» Follow the project on the blog
» http://digitalcapability.jiscinvolve.
org/wp/
Project Blog
6/22/2016 30

31. » Follow the community using the
hashtag #digitalcapability
» https://twitter.com/hashtag/digit
alcapability?vertical=default&src
=hash
Twitter
6/22/2016 31

33. Jisc Digital Leader Programme
Saf Arfan –Vice Principal, Salford City College

34. Context
»Background in construction & regeneration
»Joined FE in 2008 as the senior lead for capital
programmes , estates & IT
» Joined Salford City College in Sept 15 with the
added responsibility for digital learning.
»Merger of 3 Salford colleges (1 FE + 2 SFC)
»Medium size college with c£40m turnover
»Operate across 5 campuses
6/22/2016 34

35. Context
»Absence of a digital learning strategy.
»Lack of integration with the study programme
»Disparate practices across the digital spectrum
»Legacy of underinvestment hindered innovation
»Unreliable Wi-Fi and aging IT equipment
»Formed one of our six strategic priorities in May 15
»Organisation is highly receptive to change
6/22/2016 35

36. Developing the Road Map…
»Familiarisation – organisation and subject matter
»Understanding the interventions required
»Challenging timeline – 9 months
»Simultaneous interventions e.g. structure
»Develop the business case/investment plan
»Action some quick-wins
»Bring it all together as a coherent strategy
6/22/2016 36

37. Series of Fortunate Events…
»Internal sign-posting – started making connections
»Attended a few eLearning conferences and events
»Used former colleagues as a sounding board
»Key meeting with Jisc Account Manager
»Started to cement my approach
»Overwhelmed and out of my depth
6/22/2016 37

38. Digital Leaders Programme
»Key turning point.
»4-day Jisc residential aimed at senior leaders in FE.
»Led by Lawrie Phipps and James Clay
»Expected to walk-out with a strategy document in
my hand
»Event turned my approach on it’s head.
»Appreciate the complexity of the challenge
6/22/2016 38

39. Digital Mapping…
6/22/2016 By James Clay: http://elearningstuff.net/2016/01/14/mapping-the-learning-and-teaching/ 39

40. Education, Learning &
Faith
Collaborating,
Socialising & Playing
How To:
• Knit loom bands
• draw/paint/mak
e
• Minecraft
• Sew
• Bake
• languages
v
Salma Arfan – digital snapshot 2016

41. Digital Mapping…
6/22/2016 By James Clay: http://elearningstuff.net/2016/01/14/mapping-the-learning-and-teaching/ 41

42. The Mix…
6/22/2016 42

43. 6/22/2016 43

44. Themes/Workshops…
»Good cross section of workshops introduced us to
important themes, from legal considerations,
learning analytics, Janet to the use of assistive
technologies.
»As well as the Jisc Digital Capability Framework
and other resources
6/22/2016 44

45. Following on…
»Continued the dialogue with contacts I’d made
»Joined SOLA Consortium – HoW College
»Maintained contact with Jisc family for ongoing
guidance – Mark Ayton
»Tested the strategy amongst peers and colleagues
6/22/2016 45

46. Summary…
»Timing of the event was fortuitous.
»Services and guidance offered by Jisc are invaluable to the
sector
»A Jisc residential follow-up event to share strategies,
issues and challenges would be welcomed
»Challenging journey ahead
»Learning curve has yet to peak.
6/22/2016 46

47. Employability and digital identity: levering
change through curriculum review workshops
Jisc Connect Liverpool and Belfast
June 2016
Dr Liz Bennett
Director of Teaching and Learning School of Education and Professional
Development

48. Strategic project – institutional change
• Single institutional context
• Based around 2 year project around
– digital literacies repurposed for
– Employability
– Retention
– attainment
• Reconnaissance phase - External & Internal scoping – available
see resources slide
• Intervention – D4 Workshop

49. Employability macro context
• Thematic review a top down way
of putting a focus on particular
priority areas led by QAA ;
• Sector lead bodies eg Jisc, HEA;
• TEF has employability running
through it

50. Critiques of employability
• Bernstein argues that
autonomy and market
orientated approaches
are two forms of visible
pedagogy that are in
conflict 1990 p.86
• Docile professionals Reid
(2015)
• Lecturers are in tune with
these critiques

51. D4 - Employability
Curriculum Design:
Workshop
Liz Bennett, Sue Folley
Discover - Dream - Design - Deliver

52. Aims of the session
To provide a starting point for discussions of your course
development
To introduce you to a range of curriculum design tools
(Appreciative Inquiry and Employability resources)
To identify support available from the School, Careers Service
and the University.
To create a personal, team action plan and any actions for the
School and University

53. From: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADB195.pdf (p.16)
Appreciative Inquiry is a theory of organization development
management or research approach that focuses on the “best
of what is” instead of focusing on problems.
What is Appreciative Inquiry?

54. Discover
Dream
Design
Deliver
Appreciative Inquiry
The best of what has been
Best that might be
What it might truly look like
What we will
commit to

55. Employability TEF and DLHE
• Productivity challenge
– Over 7 million graduate jobs 2012-22
– At least 20% of graduates not working in high skilled 3.5
years on
– STEM employers concerned about shortages
– Organisations finding it difficult to recruit certain skills
– Surplus and mismatch in other areas
– ‘HE needs to provide degrees with lasting value to their
recipients’

56. Source: http://feweek.co.uk/2016/02/01/survey-helps-us-deal-with-skills-gap/
Employability and levelling the playing field
“we are finding that the
combination of opportunities,
resources, and sense of
confidence and self-esteem that
enable certain people to play the
graduate employment game
more successfully than others,
are recurring themes in our
data. “ (Bathmaker et al. 2015)

57. Source: http://feweek.co.uk/2016/02/01/survey-helps-us-deal-with-skills-gap/
Students’ opinions

58. Split into groups of 3-4 people.
a) In your group, brainstorm the types of jobs that our graduates get.
b) Identify the things that help our students to get into work both within and outside the
curriculum?
c) Identify the things that your course/curriculum do well in supporting students to get started in
their career.
Task 1 – the Discover Stage
Discover
Dream
Design
Deliver

59. Still in your small groups you are going to create a vision of what the desirable attributes a first
class student graduating from your course demonstrates.
Think about: How you want your degree to enable graduates to:
- Work effectively with others
- Meet employer’s expectations
- Work with professional bodies (if appropriate)
- Be adaptable and agile to work and learn in a variety of contexts
- To be able to work in a digital world
Draw a mind map or other diagram to represent the ideal graduate attributes.
Feedback to whole group and distil into a list of themes
Task 2 – the Dream Stage
Discover
Dream
Design
Deliver

61. Task 3 – the Design Stage
Discover
Dream
Design
Deliver
Still in your small groups this task is to map the development of employability skills across the 3
years of your course.
a) Using the coloured cards identify whether there are any gaps with Task 2 and if so create some
new cards for attributes that you’ve identified in Task 2.
b) Write out on the sheet provided the modules that make up your programme.
c) Map onto the modules the current activities and tasks that develop the graduate attributes
identified in Task 2.

62. Task 3 – the Design Stage
Discover
Dream
Design
Deliver
c) Using the cards and the stickers colour code these activities
d) Start to discuss gaps/overlaps and create a vision of what your curriculum may look like in the future

64. Communication
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Ability to present information both verbally and in written form
with clarity and precision to individuals and a wider audience

65. Communication
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Students need evidence of being
able to:
Possible curriculum approaches for
this:
Written
 Write for different audiences and medium
 Sell an idea/product/concept via written
communication
 Write reports of various nature
 Write a well constructed sentence and use
appropriate language and style
Verbal
 Present confidently
 Sell an idea verbally
 Debate/negotiate/persuade
 Question/interview
 Show empathy and have the ability to
understand and articulate another person’s
point of view
 Listen
 Producing real-life written materials like
marketing materials, posters, reports,
articles, a research proposal etc.
 Blogging tasks
 Discussion board tasks
 Speed dating with employers
 Presentations
 Debates
 Role playing
 Elevator pitch

66. Personal Qualities
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Demonstrate a range of personal qualities that employers value

67. Personal Qualities
Students need evidence of being: Possible curriculum approaches for
this:
 Adaptable: able to change according to the
needs of the role and priorities
 Enthusiastic
 Resilient
 Self-motivated
 Committed to continuing personal and
professional development
 Reflective – ability to review the quality of
work
 Emotionally intelligent, and possessing a
high level of interpersonal skills
 Able to demonstrate a high level of self-
esteem/self efficacy
 Stress tolerant
 Able to resolve conflict
 Problem based learning
 Case studies
 Reflective blogs/diaries
 PDP modules
 Personal tutoring
 Dissertation guidance/supervision
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.

68. Leadership & Initiative
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Initiative – acting before being prompted by others
Leadership – possessing the quality of character and personality
to gain the confidence of and lead others

69. Leadership & Initiative
Students need evidence of being
able to:
Possible curriculum approaches for
this:
 Involve others, encouraging their ideas
 Provide feedback to others
 Recognise people’s strengths and
weaknesses
 Take responsibility
 Make decisions
 Lead by example
 Placement opportunities
 Peer feedback
 Group/collaborative tasks
 Group project work
 Constructing criteria on which
performance may be judged
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.

70. Problem Solving
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Selection and use of appropriate methods to find solutions

71. Problem Solving
Students need evidence of being
able to:
Possible curriculum approaches for
this:
 Identify problems and possible solutions
 Think creatively to solve problems
 Take into consideration various
stakeholders’ views
 Use questioning/investigative skills to find
out further information
 Problem based learning
 Group problem-solving tasks
 Reports
 Scenario based learning tasks
 Case studies
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.

72. Digital Identity
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Ability to manage identity and personal branding created and
perceived online

73. Digital Identity
Students need evidence of being
able to:
Possible curriculum approaches for
this:
 Present themselves online to perspective
employees (via LinkedIn, online cv,
ePortfolio)
 Use various mediums appropriately
according to audience e.g. blog, email,
social network
 Build a professional network online
 Show awareness of how to manage their
own digital identity
 Blogging
 Use of social networks to share ideas and
discussing appropriate topics
 Creating a LinkedIn profile and Twitter
profile for professional use
 Creating an ePortfolio to showcase work
 Building a professional network using
social media
 Discussions about professional ethics in
social media
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.

74. Teamwork
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Can work constructively with others on a common task

75. Teamwork
Students need evidence of being
able to:
Possible curriculum approaches for
this:
 Work effectively as part of a team to
complete a task
 Maintain positive networks with various
working partners
 Work to deadlines as a team to support
your colleagues/peers
 Involve others, encourage their point of
view and listen to their ideas
 Group work/collaborative tasks
 Doing real projects for a customer in a
team
 Group wikis for creating content or solving
problems
 Snowballing tasks: which might start with
pair-based work with the groups
progressively combining to produce a
larger-group response to the challenge set
Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.

76. Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Planning & Organising
Ability to work out how to schedule available resources and
activities in order to meet an objective

77. Adapted from the Viewpoints Project by JISC.
Students need evidence of being
able to:
Possible curriculum approaches for
this:
 Prioritise tasks and workload
 Plan for the future
 Work under pressure and meet deadlines
 Multitask
E-portfolios
Doing real projects for
a customer
Other project work
(group or individual)
Producing a research
Planning & Organising

79. Task 4 – the Deliver Stage
Discover
Dream
Design
Deliver
Using what you have done in the previous task(s) and the backs of the cards discuss which aspects of
employability skills you cover well in your current curriculum and those you would like to include in
your future planning to cover any gaps.
Complete the first three boxes on the front of template form to capture your discussions.
Following this create a team action plan of what action needs to take place in the
short/medium/long term to make the changes you need. Agree on who is taking responsibility for
each of these changes and complete the second page of the template form provided.

82. Evaluation of our Workshops
would recommend it to others. Good way to focus on curriculum design
(Participant from Workshop 2).
very helpful as a structured and facilitated opportunity for us to discuss this task
as a team with external input, giving rise to ideas and opportunities that we
would not have identified ourselves (Participant from Workshop 3).
It was a very valuable time together and prompted some tangible ideas that we
wouldn't have thought of otherwise and that will add real value to next year's
lab programme (Participant from Workshop 2).
The workshops were evaluated using five simple open ended questions. The results
were overwhelmingly positive.

83. • ”It created a space and structure for us to think clearly and
practically about how to enhance our curriculum and
pedagogy to respond to TEF whist not losing sight of the
intrinsic value of education…It facilitated us to come up with a
clear and focused “to do” list….It made us aware that some
small changes to teaching delivery could have a big impact if
handled well”

84. Why do they work?
• Space for critique;
• Team based dialogue,
unfreezing change, not siloed;
• Change positively framed;
• Simple but not oversimplified
• Action orientated and positively
framed

85. Resources
• http://ipark.hud.ac.uk/
• (in the training & staff development
folder)
• Or shortened url is bit.ly/1O2UVla
• External Scoping Report
• Internal Scoping Report

86. References
• Bathmaker, A.-M., Ingram, N., & Abrahams, J. (2015). The labour
market transitions of recent graduates: narratives of classed
experiences. Paper presented at the Converging Concepts in
Global Higher Education Research: Local, national and
international perspective, Celtic Manor, Newport.
https://www.srhe.ac.uk/conference2015/abstracts/0184.pdf
• CBI & NUS. (2011). Working towards your future Making the
most of your time in higher education.
• Reid, J. (2016a). Redefining “Employability” as something to be
achieved. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 6(1),
55-68. doi: 10.1108/heswbl-02-2015-0005
• Reid, J. (2016b). Engaging with childhood: student placements
and the employability agenda. A journal of global child research.
• Yorke, M., & Knight, P. T. (2006). Embedding employability into
the curriculum: HEA.