Help yourself guides

The Digital Skills page is your go-to starting point to get digitally ready for university life. You'll find guidance on the key platforms and tools you'll use throughout your studies, for example Blackboard, where you’ll access course content, reading lists, and more.

Being confident with digital tools is essential and you're not alone. Support is available every step of the way.

Key areas of support

• Welcome Information for new and returning students
• Blackboard guides
• Microsoft Teams - Student Support Guides
• Office 365 and OneDrive guides
• Accessing Lecture Capture content as a student
• University of Staffs Library & Student Services

Support will be provided by your subject tutors and digital experts within your subject area but you may like to follow the university links below to help you to get started.

Jisc Digital Capabilities

The Jisc Digital Capability discovery tool allows you to self-assess your digital skills to identify your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to your digital capability, to help you develop and enhance your digital literacy.
Complete the questionnaire to assess your current capabilities and on completion you'll receive a report highlighting your capable areas as well as suggested next steps. 

Turnitin

Turnitin is web-based text matching, electronic submission and feedback software. It is used by many universities in the UK and across the world. Turnitin compares the text in the work you submit with a vast database of electronic sources, including online journal articles, web pages and previously submitted student work. It can be used by staff as a tool to help identify plagiarism and poor academic practice. It can also be used to as a developmental tool to help improve your academic writing.

Turnitin is integrated into Blackboard, so you will only ever access Turnitin via your Blackboard courses. As Turnitin provides staff with a wide range of options it can be used in several ways so it is important that you check with your tutors if you have any specific questions on the user of Turnitin.

Digital Services support

• Borrowing a laptop
• Finding a PC - software which allows you to see available PCs in different locations (has this been updated following the withdrawal of PCs for social distancing)
• University email account
• Free student software
• Passwords
• Printing, scanning and copying
• Ask Beacon - your digital guide - includes access to your timetables

Study Smarter with technology

There is a wide range of tools which you can use to help you study effectively.  These include tools to help everyone  with reading online, writing, text-to-speech, planning and organising, collaborating with others and more.  We have created a guide to recommended tools which are free to download, or are already in-built on the student computers.  

• Study Smarter with Technology: Useful tools guide

If you are encountering any digital problems try these links for online support. 

• Ask Beacon - your digital guide - fast information on your timetables, staff contact details, PC availability, university services and answers to many frequent student enquiries. Available on Teams, desktop or phone app. 

• Password advice -  advice on password formats and how to reset your password 

• Digital Services FAQs  all you need to know about the University internet, printing, laptop loans, software downloads, Ask Beacon and Blackboard as well as password and username information. 

• Contact Digital Services 

• Troubleshooting access problems to library databases - if you cannot access a Library electronic resource then this step-by-step guide will help you get connected.

• Current issues with Library database access - information on any known service interruptions or downtime will be posted here.

• Recommended Digital Tools a fantastic A-Z of digital tools to enhance your learning experience, including Microsoft OneNote, Powerpoint and Sway plus Zoom, Flipgrid, Mentimeter, Padlet and much more.