Digital Skills

Digital communication has become an essential part of our daily lives. Whether you’re using email, messaging apps, video calls, or social media, understanding how to communicate effectively online is crucial. This page provides an overview of digital communication tools, tips for effective communication, and best practices to ensure your privacy and security. 

Common Digital Communication Tools  

Email

As mentioned in the digital foundation section, an email account is an essential part of using the online space. As it’s name suggests, Email is electronic mail where you can send and receive messages. It is one of the best place to conduct more formal communications whether the be communicating with a company or organising a meeting with your boss. Additionally it can also be used as a great way to share files as it allows an attachment method and if you have an account with Google or Microsoft, you can send bigger files via their respective cloud storages.  

Some tips for using emails are: 

• Use a clear and relevant subject line. 

• Be concise and to the point in your messages. 

• Proofread before sending to avoid misunderstandings. 

Video Conferencing / Instant messaging Apps 

These kinds of applications are becoming more and more prevalent in different industries as it enables for quick, precise and collaborative conversations to happen with people within an organisation. In addition to this it makes it really easy to have a video call between users without needing to have extra information like phone numbers/ physical room locations. All that is required is a stable internet connection and the other users emails addresses and you can send them an invite. You can also enable webcams for that face to face experience. The primary application that you will use at University is Microsoft teams.  

Some tips for using these platforms are: 

• Test your camera and microphone before the meeting. 

• Choose a quiet, well-lit space for clear visibility. 

• Mute your microphone when not speaking to minimize background noise.  

• Understand when it’s more professional to send an email over a instant message 

Social Instant Messaging Apps 

Instant messaging apps are a great way to informally communicate between friends and share posts. Some of these platforms are connected to social media platforms enabling you to contact people who might be outside your social networks to help expand your networking. Others like WhatsApp uses phone numbers of people you know to expand basic text messaging.  

Tips for Instant messages: 

• Use emojis and GIFs to add tone but avoid overusing them. 

• Respond promptly to keep conversations flowing. 

Social Media

Social Media makes up a massive part of the internet as it enables users to share ideas or experiences out to the world. Each platform is different and designed for different demographics. Social media can be an extremely powerful platform to develop an internet presence however it can also dangerous to users’ mental health if over used. Additionally, a lot of misinformation can be share on platform as there is very little in the way of fact checking. Because of this, it is extremely important to understand where you are posting, what types of information you are coming across and who/what content you’d like to see.  

Some examples of social media that you might use are: 

Facebook – Connecting with friends and family  

Instagram / BlueSky – Sharing creative ideas and practices 

X (formally known as Twitter) – Information (true or false) sharing platform  

LinkedIn – Professional Networking  

TikTok – Video Sharing platform  

Tips for Effective Digital Communication 

• Be Clear and Concise: Write clearly and get to the point quickly to ensure your message is understood. 

• Use Proper Grammar and Spelling: This helps convey professionalism and ensures clarity. 

• Be Respectful and Professional: Maintain a respectful tone, especially in professional communications. 

• Listen Actively: In conversations, show engagement by asking questions and acknowledging others’ points. 

• Adjust Your Tone: Be aware of how your tone may come across in written communication; use appropriate language to match the situation. 

Beyond technical skills, it also involves understanding netiquette—knowing when to use formal or informal language, choosing the right communication method (e.g., email vs. chat), and recognising how tone can be misinterpreted in text-based conversations.

What is Netiquette? 

Netiquette comes from two words; Net standing for the ‘internet’ and Etiquette which is a customary code of polite behaviour in society, that is showing common courtesy and respecting others. Combined they together give the word Netiquette which is a guideline for proper behaviour in online settings and while the fundamentals of online interaction share similarities with face-to-face communication, there are a few additions to consider depending on the situation and environment you are around. 

We have put together some good netiquette tips to start putting into place to help you foster a healthy online presence. 

What's the context of your online environment?

Netiquette will change depending on what you are accessing on the internet. For example, how you use academic resources will be different from how you will use your personal social media. 

So, it is important to first understand the context when you are approaching a virtual environment. One useful piece of advice would be to ‘lurk before you leap’ which means to watch how others interact with the platform or consider how you would react if the interaction was taking place face to face with an individual. 

Think before you post!

Every time you post or leave a comment on a public page you leave a trail of a digital footprint that can be traced back to you. Be sure you are aware of what you are posting as digital footprints are quite permanent.  

Think of the person behind the screen

Remember that even if you cannot see someone behind the screen, that does not mean that they are not there. The internet can dehumanise individuals based on not being able to see their face becoming another name on a screen, so it is important to remember that there is someone there and to treat them with respect.

This works both ways, sometimes the other person might not be able to see your face either so remember when communicating to fill in the gaps that in a face-to-face interaction would have been expressed by your body language. For example, if you are making a joke, it might come across as harsh if the individual cannot see you so be sure to clarify, which can be done by using emojis to add tone to a message.

Be aware of the language you use

It's healthy to foster discussion and sometimes there will be people with differing opinions than yourself so it's acceptable to hear them out and understand where they are coming from. However, be aware that using Offensive or aggressive language is not acceptable. Be polite or you can be removed. Be aware of strong language, all caps, and exclamation points. It is easy for written text to be misread and misunderstood. Have you ever sent a text message with good intent but your recipient thought you were being rude? If so, then you’ve experienced this first-hand. By being cognizant of strong language, you can identify potential confusions before sending messages. Tip: Read it out loud to yourself before you send it.

Should you find yourself offended by a post, please reach out to your tutor for assistance in resolving the matter.

Assume you can be seen and heard online, even when you can’t see or hear others – it is easy to forget to mute the microphone and switch the camera off, or to think you have when you haven’t.

Use chat sparingly. Follow the facilitators guidance on use of chat,  reserve it for comments and questions on the materials being presented and await tutor responses. You wouldn’t hold a conversation with others during classroom lectures, so avoid this online too.

Consider the location you are joining from

Choosing the right environment is important not only for a level of professionalism but also for ensuring that you attain the level of focus for both you and others so nobody gets distracted.

Think about:

• Will there be interruptions during your call like a person walking past? 
• Are you in a loud or quiet area?
• Is your background clear or are there visual distractions

Remember you can blur your background and mute your microphone when appropriate. If you do have your webcam on, consider what you are wearing as just like in real life, what you wear on screen is just as important!

Be prepared to participate

Engaging in participation is crucial; otherwise, how will anyone know you're present? Simple actions like responding to invites show your commitment to attending.

During online sessions, collaboration is essential. Join discussions to enhance learning for all. Approach interactions with kindness, empathy, openness, and tactfulness. While we may not always see eye to eye, everyone's perspective matters. Utilise features like the 'raise hand' function when a lecturer or fellow student is speaking.

Before jumping into discussions, ensure you're ready to go. Mistakes can happen if you're not prepared, and they might affect how everyone else gets involved.

Privacy Matters

Respecting others' privacy is important. Avoid independently recording or taking screenshots during lectures, as this violates privacy and is unprofessional. If you've connected with someone, refrain from sharing their personal information without their consent, as they may prefer to keep it within their trusted network.

Cite your sources

Whenever you are sharing an idea that originated from someone else (even if it is not word for word), it is good practice to cite that source. This applies to discussion forums too. If you share a good idea that is someone else’s, be sure you let your audience know where you saw it first.

Be forgiving of people’s mistakes 

Just like in life, people make mistakes, it might be their first time using an online environment or discussion board and might still be learning what their own netiquette is.

Whenever you are engaging with an online community or platform be sure to ask yourself these four questions:  

1. Does the way I behave online serve me well? 

2. Does the way I behave online serve the group well? 

3. Am I a part of a two-way exchange of ideas and experiences? 

4. Am I displaying the behaviours expected of my profession? 

Digital collaboration enables you to work with others on shared documents or projects in real time, often using cloud-based platforms. Understanding how to store, share, and manage files efficiently ensures seamless teamwork across multiple devices.

A great example that you can try now, is accessing your Microsoft Onedrive, create a file like a Word document or PowerPoint and then start creating some content. When you are ready you can select share in the file ribbon and type in another user's name or email address. You can also create a link to share with other in your organisation.

Digital collaboration also extends to project management, where tasks are assigned, tracked, and updated using tools like Trello. Effective collaboration requires not only technical skills but also an awareness of file organisation, version control, and user permissions to maintain security and efficiency.

Creating documents to share with others

Creating documents is a vital skill when moving into a lot of professions, whether that will be for sharing a newsletter with colleagues, sending a client a form or effectively tracking data points. So it’s also important to understand how to share these documents to allow effective collaboration or as a final document to send.  

If you have an online connection, you can upload or create a document to a cloud hosting platform and share a document with users online to enable them to collaborate in real-time on a document. You can  

Creating a new document

If you don’t have a document created, you can create a document and share it out. For this example, the Microsoft environment will be used, however it is very similar across different platforms.  

To create a document, you can either head over to OneDrive or the document application that you wish to use and create a new document. To share a document, once the application has opened select the “File” ribbon then select share. If you are a part of an organisation, you can select other users in that organisation to access the document, alternatively you can enter an individual’s email address which will send them an email with access to the file.  

Sharing an existing document 

If you have a document saved to your personal device, first you will need to upload the file to the cloud to then share with other users. Access your OneDrive and drag the file from your saved location on your device (this might be in your documents folder unless you have saved it too somewhere else). From here you can move the document into a preferred stored folder. To share, access the share arrow located next to the name of the file, from here you can select users in your organisation or attach an email address which will share the document. You can select the permissions of the users by using the arrow drop down next to the “Add name” box. These consist off “Can Edit”, “Can View” and “Can’t download”.  You can change users’ permission at any time by returning to the document on OneDrive and selecting the sharing option and using the drop downs to change permissions.  

Alternatively, you can upload to OneDrive and then head over to Outlook, create an email and then attached an attachment, similar to the previously described method you can assign what permissions a user will have.  

Accessing a share document 

If you have created the document, returning to the location you saved it on OneDrive will enable you to continue to edit it.  

If you have received a document to edit, you can open it either from the email attachment or access the shared folder OneDrive.  

Opening the document will show the document in it’s respective app, as long as there is a internet connection the document will save automatically and any users who are accessing the document at that time will appear across the top ribbon. You will also see their cursor and where they are typing with changes being made in real time.