Making the Most of IT (Demo site)

Hello and welcome to this session on Making the most of IT.

This presentation provides an awareness of the Information Technology and library services available at the University of Edinburgh. The presentation contains a lot of information, and some things may not be relevant to you now, but are likely to become relevant in a few weeks, or months, time as you progress with your studies. Hopefully, having seen this presentation, you’ll then remember about the services available to you and be able to find the information on the University website and get the full details. A full copy of today’s presentation as well as a pre-recorded version can be found on our dedicated Making the Most of IT webpage. You’ll also find a list of useful links on the topics covered today. You can access this webpage using the link on this slide, by scanning the QR code or by searching for Making the Most of IT 2022 on the university website We’ve also added QR codes to each slide which can be scanned or clicked on to take you to the relevant webpage with further information for the specific topic.

During today’s presentation we will introduce you to the key services you should be aware of as a student. These include: Essential systems and software Computing and printing services Mobile computing Library services Digital Skills Programme Help and support Let’s first take a look at some of the essential systems and software you need to know about as a new student at the University. It's important that you carry your University card with you at all times while on University premises. It can be used for identification, and it also gives you access to library facilities, controlled areas, printing and you can set it up to use as payment in some University cafes MyEd is the University of Edinburgh's web portal. It provides a centralised access point for web-based services within and beyond the University. You'll have used MyEd during the application process to communicate with the admissions team. MyEd gives you access to services such as the Learn virtual learning environment, email, library resources, timetables, support information and much more. MyEd also gives you access to your notifications, alerts about tasks you must complete or other important information. Learn is the University's virtual learning environment and is used to accompany teaching on some courses. It provides web-based access to course content and tools that may be used for course activities, such as discussion boards and blogs. You can also submit assignments through Learn. If your course uses Learn, you will automatically have access to the course within Learn. Your tutor will explain how they want you to use it for your particular course. Students can either access Learn directly, or via their MyEd homepage. Before you became a student at Edinburgh you may have had guest access to Learn for online pre-arrival induction courses or as a promotional tool. However, you can't access enrolled courses using guest access. As a University student, you have a Microsoft Office 365 account. This provides a web-based version of Microsoft Office, giving you anywhere access to email and calendar, University staff and student directories, plus cloud-based document access and sharing using OneDrive. It also provides document creation and editing with web apps including Word, Excel and OneNote. Your login password is the same as your University login, but you need to add “@ed.ac.uk” after your University username. When you login to Office 365, you're first taken to your Outlook email, this should be checked regularly as it’s where official University communications will be sent. However Office 365 is a lot more than just email - If you click on the 9 dot “App launcher” button at the top left of the screen you can see the other apps that are available for you to use, some of which are highlighted on this slide. The apps shown on screen are: Outlook on the web, Word, Planner, Excel, OneNote and OneDrive. The Digital Skills and Training team offer a range of training courses teaching you how to use these applications. They are bookable via the event booking channel. You can also download and install MS Office Suite on up to 5 devices, allowing you to access Word, Excel, PP and more offline – so NEVER pay for it! Your MyTimetable information can be easily accessed on your Office 365 calendar that is linked to your university email address. Once you are logged into your Office365 account just click on the calendar icon in app toolbar. By adding your calendar to your phone or other device you can access your personalised MyTimetable information wherever you are. Your Office 365 calendar starts showing your core teaching activities a week or 2 before the start of teaching. Please note that as updates can take time to appear in your Office 365 calendar and will be inputted in scheduled phases, therefore you may only be able to see a week or 2 in advance at the start of Semester and it could take up until the end of December for the full academic year to show. Computing and printing services As a student, you can use the use computers within various areas across the University with your University username and password. There are computers for you to use in the central area, libraries and cafes, Kings Buildings campus, Holyrood campus and some halls of residence. You can find a full list of locations on the web page. You need to have activated your Office 365 email account before you can log-in to the open access computers. First, saving files. It is important to make sure your University work is saved securely and you should make back-ups of important files. The University provides 2 places where you can store files. Every student is assigned space on a University server. This is known as your M: drive. When you're logged into a University computer, the M drive will be the Documents folder and you'll be able to access files you've saved there. There is also the OneDrive cloud-based storage on Office 365 It's worth noting that the space on your M drive is a lot less than the space on Office 365. You can pre-book study spaces using the SeatEd app. Install the app before you arrive at a study space. It will enable you to check-in and check-out of study spaces by scanning desk QR codes. Please do not attempt to use your smartphone's default camera app, as this will not be able to scan desk QR codes. The official name of the SeatEd app is: SeatEd@UoE You can find the app in Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store. Accessible PCs are available at several locations around the University and provide assistive software and hardware designed to help disabled people. Information about the equipment available and a Quick Start Guide can be found on the Making the Most of IT 2022 webpage There are also bookable accessible study rooms in the Main Library and on the King's Buildings campus. These rooms are only for disabled students registered with the Disability and Learning Support Service (formerly called the Student Disability Service). EdPrint is the university's printing, copying and scanning service. You can print from the open access computing labs, but please be aware that printing incurs a small charge – prices are on the website. You can check your printing account balance and add more credit at myPrint link on the website. After you send a print job to the printer, you need to go and swipe your University card to release it. You're not charged until it's actually printed. uCreate provides equipment, advice, training and support to help you make (almost) anything! Makerspaces offer supported self-service use of a wide range of specialist equipment from 3D Printers to VR headsets, with staff on hand to provide training and support. Multimedia Bays hold high performance computers, specialist software and hardware for multimedia, motion graphics and other creative work. uCreate loans let you borrow specialist kit for use off site. All of the tools, technology and support are available to anyone in the University of Edinburgh community (and most of it is free!). Pop in to the uCreate Makerspace in the Main Library or have a look at the uCreate website for more information. Azure Virtual Desktop is a system that allows you to go online to use software that you need for your studies but is not installed on your computer. Some of the applications you can access include Adobe Photoshop (image editing), Python (coding), EndNote (reference management), Blender (3D modeling) and Pro Tools (audio editing). Media Hopper Replay is the University’s official lecture recording service. Many, but not all, lectures are recorded using Media Hopper Replay. Please check with your lecturer to see if your lecture is recorded. Recorded lectures are accessed through Learn. (If you’re giving the presentation in a Media Hopper Reply-enabled room, point out the light on the desk and that it is red when recording) Mobile computing Our eduroam wireless network is available throughout the University. Once your device is connected it will also give you access to the wireless network at other institutions across the UK, and even the world, that use the eduroam service. The easiest way to configure your device for Wi-Fi is to use the eduroam connection app. This is downloaded from the link on the slide. It can be run before or after you arrive on campus. The app will detect your operating system and configure your device to connect to eduroam on campus. If you have any problems, contact EdHelp (more details about this later in the presentation). The University’s Virtual Private Network service provides a method for securing communication between your computer at home or other non-work location, and the University network. You may wish to connect via VPN to access resources that are normally inaccessible from outside of the University's network, such as some library services. Staff and students wishing to use the VPN service need to register at the webpage on the slide. Please note that your VPN password has to be different to your main University login password. Students can borrow laptops from the helpdesks in the Main Library and nine Information Services site libraries; there is a self-issue facility for laptops in the Main Library and the Murray Library. There's no reservation system. The standard loan period is seven days, which you can renew three times. Longer term loans are also available based on need. MiFi units (mobile wireless hotspots) are also available for students in hardship. Library services This section will introduce you to what the library to help you get started with your studies. There are 11 Library sites across the University. Some are focused on a subject but you are welcome to use any of the libraries. You will need you University card to enter libraries and borrow items As well as holding the Library's book collections the libraries provide a range of facilities, including open-access computers, printing and a range of study spaces. Some study space is bookable. You can access the Library's resources and services either through the University's MyEd portal, or through the Library's website. This is the preferred route as it simplifies the access to online material such as journals and ebooks, by providing authentication of your access as part of the University of Edinburgh. On the left of this slide is a screenshot of the MyEd portal, and when you're in MyEd you'll find the relevant links are listed under the "Studies" tab. The first link "Library" takes you to DiscoverEd, which is the Library's catalogue and discovery tool, which I'll talk about on the next slide. The second link, "Search and access Library resources" takes you to links for frequently-used Library resources, including subject-specialist databases, and also subject guides. The subject guides can be very useful when you want to find out more about specialist Library resources in your subject area. I would encourage you to explore the guide for your subject. The third link points to the homepage of the Library's website. On the right of this slide is a screenshot of the homepage. At the top of the page, you'll see a simple search box for DiscoverEd to search the Library's catalogue and discovery tool. DiscoverEd is the Library's catalogue and discovery tool, so if you want to find out what print or online material the Library has, you can search DiscoverEd, for example, to see if the Library has a particular book or journal that you want to use. This slide shows a screenshot of DiscoverEd. At the top right of the screen, there's a link to sign in to DiscoverEd using your University login. You can use DiscoverEd without signing in first, but by signing in, you will get better access to the online resources provided by the Library. It will also allow you to access and manage your library account, as well as save searches & links. There may be times when you find that you need access to material that the Library doesn't hold in its collections, but if this happens, we can usually get the material for you. Two ways that you can request material that we don't already have, are by using our Inter-Library Loan service, or by using our Request a Book service. To use the Inter-Library Loan service, you will need to Sign in to DiscoverEd, where you'll find a link to the Inter-Library Loan form at the top of the DiscoverEd home page. After you complete the form, the item will usually be supplied to you within a few days, as a scan sent to your University email address. For physical items, it is likely to take longer to supply the item, so please allow plenty of time for these to arrive. Use the Request A Book service to tell us when we do not have a book you require in our collection, and we will try to buy it for the Library. To learn how to get the best from the library for your studies, enrol on LibSmart! LibSmart has been developed as an online self-enrol course in Learn, with videos, quizzes, and other material to help support you in using the Library's resources for your studies. LibSmart I: will help you get started using library resources. The course provide an introduction to topics such as: • accessing and using online library resources • finding material for an essay • good academic practice with citation and referencing LibSmart II focuses on the next steps, allowing you to pick the modules you find most relevant for your work. You’ll develop advanced searching skills and really get to grips with subject specific information. This course will help you with complex research projects such as systematic reviews or final year projects. Digital skills programme Now for a few slides about the services that the digital skills team has for students. Developing digital skills for both students and staff is a priority at Edinburgh. Although you're likely to get taught some digital skills as part of your programme this will probably be focused on your course and we advise you to further develop your broader digital skills yourself. Digital skills are important to enable you to study effectively, including searching literature, analysing data, learning in a digital environment, being more productive. They also help you to develop graduate attributes and employability skills. I'll talk you through some of our key student-centred services. Toolkits: A wide range of toolkits for learners of all degree types and levels Self-paced eLearning courses: Choosing a reference manager Producing your thesis or dissertation in Word Introduction to Programming Introduction to Python and Python for Data Science Digital Skills Programme: A wide range of over 100 face-to-face and online webinars running all year round and accessible through the Event Booking system. Each event is completely free to attend as many times as you like. We also have two main development programmes – 23 Things and Developing your Data Skills. Data skills: 6 month blended learning programme for students and staff to develop data skills no matter your level of prior knowledge. 23 things: Introduction to a range of digital topics and tools that are useful for your personal and professional development. Edinburgh Awards and paid internships: Digital Skills Specialists EA is a series of events and activities designed to strengthen your digital skills and help you stand out to employers. Digital volunteering with Wikipedia EA helps you develop important digital research skills and apply these to improving the knowledge freely available online. There are also a variety of student internships available both with our team and Information Services, both term time and over the summer. Opportunities will be advertised via UniTemps and MyCareerHub. Digital safety and citizenship resources: A range of courses and resources to help keep you safe online Student Focus Fortnight and Digital Skills Festival: This digital skills team is running a Student Focus Fortnight during semester 1. This will be two weeks of student-focused digital skills training events bookable via our website or Event Booking. Our Digital Skills Festival is a week long event including interactive events, presentations, workshops and courses, delivered by speakers from within and outside of the University. It usually runs in late May. The Digital Skills Framework brings all the digital skills development services together and makes it easy for you to find the right training and resources to develop the skills you need. It will help you evaluate your current level of digital capability, plan your development path, and find resources. It contains links to the Discovery tool, the role profiles and the resource finder tool. The discovery tool, is an online self-assessment questionnaire that helps to identify areas of strength and weakness in your own digital skills. Once you've finished, you'll receive a tailored report outlining your current digital skills competencies. You can use the report as a basis for a digital skills development plan and use the Resource Finder to search for suitable resources to get you started. LinkedIn Learning is a commercial website of online training resources that the University gives you with access to. Through the University you can get free access to over 18,000 technology, creative, and business courses developed and delivered by industry experts. You can download and view content on your desktop and mobile devices. So you can learn what you want when you want. The courses are really wide-ranging - examples of topics include data analysis, personal branding, personal finance, leadership skills, illustration, audio engineering, graphic design, video production, programming languages to name but a few. You can also download the mobile app and view content offline. Information security and digital safety. This is really important - everyone is a potential target for online criminals. 5 top tips: Keep your devices up to date and install any updates as soon as they are released. The University also provides all staff and students with free antivirus software (search website for antivirus). Always be on the lookout for suspicious emails and phishing scams. The University will only ever send communications to your University address. Be careful opening any suspicious links and if in doubt, don’t click. Always back up your data regularly. You can save to your University network drive or your OneDrive cloud storage account via Office 365. Both are safe, secure and backed up. Use the University’s VPN service (registration required) when off-campus. The University provides free access to the premium version of Last Pass to keep your passwords safe and secure. Think carefully about your passwords, avoiding the usual ‘Password’ or ’Password1234’ type passwords. Also consider digital citizenship - think before posting on social media – don’t share personal information, but also consider how other people may react and be kind. Support is available – you can go to the Advice Place, contact EdHelp or use the University’s Report + Support platform for reporting distressing situations related to sexual violence, harassment, domestic abuse and stalking. There is training available in the Information Security Essentials self-enrol course on Learn; and the Digital Safety and Citizenship and Digital Safety: lessons from Netflix Digital safety courses in Event Booking. Help and support EdHelp is a service that brings your frequently used student services together, meaning you can find what you need all in one place. EdHelp can help with learning & study resources, IT support, financial support and much more. Click on the ‘Launch EdHelp’ button and login with your University login to find answers to common questions and support topics. You can use the ‘Contact Us’ form to get help with your problem, or the EdChat live chat function. You can also visit EdHelp on-campus at the Main Library, George Square and the Noreen and Kenneth Murray Library, Kings Buildings. If you want to keep in touch with us you can subscribe to our Digital Skills Newsletter, which is sent out quarterly by email. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram for updates or visit our website. Thanks for watching.