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digital U at Staffordshire University: Information & Data Handler

To be digitally capable University of Staffordshire employee you must be a digitally capable:

Information and Data Handler who can:

  • Locate, evaluate, organise and share digital information
  • Collate, manage, access and use digital data
  • Handle and manage data securely

Information Security training

Information security is critical to the successful running of the University and all staff must ensure that they handle any information they deal with appropriately and securely.

Training and Support

There is a guide to Information Security available at https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/infosec

An online Information Security training course is available for all staff. This training will explain the key information security risks which the University faces and will play an important role in protecting you at work and at home from increasing threats to information security and data loss - a risk which could result in considerable legal, financial and reputational damage.

You will have received an email with more information about this course and how to access it, and you will need to complete this training by 1 April.

Data protection and Copyright

Data Protection

An online course is now available for all staff to complete within Blackboard.  Log on to Blackboard at: https://blackboard.staffs.ac.uk using your normal username and password and under My Courses you will find the link to Data Protection Training for University staff.

Copyright

Our Copyright Guide is available at https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/copyright

Information Literacy

nformation literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner.

Information Literacy is an important part of digital capabilities and aspects of this sit within several of the themes we have identified within digital U.

Handling data

All university staff are increasingly having to handle a range of data from a variety of sources no matter what their role. The ability to process, manage and interpret patterns in this data is becoming more important and can help inform effective decision making. The ability to handle data in this way is often referred to as data literacy. 

Data literacy skills include the following abilities: 

  • Knowing what data is appropriate to use for a particular purpose.
  • Interpreting data shown visually, such as graphs and charts.
  • Thinking critically about information from data analysis
  • Understanding the analysis tools available to you and when and where to use them.
  • Recognise when data is being used misleadingly.
  • Communicating appropriately information and patterns in data to other people

One area where staff can develop their capabilities in handling data is to improve their knowledge of Excel.  Much data is presented in spreadsheets, or can be exported from other applications to Excel and improving your knowledge of features such as Excel charts, formulas or pivot tables can help you  make the most of the information 'hidden' within the data.

Excel training on lynda.com