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  3. Understand and engage in digital practices

Understand and engage in digital practices

    • Overview

      • Participate in online learning
      • Consider the rights, wrongs and possible consequences of online behaviour
      • Look after own digital wellbeing
      • Be aware of own digital footprint

    • Participate

      • Follow instructions for accessing and using tools for study, e.g. OU VLE tools and sites

    • Maintain digital wellbeing

      • Be aware of own digital footprint
      • Recognise the differences between private and public internet spaces, and the difference in communication required within them
      • Know when to ‘switch off’; recognise when technology is causing distraction, stress or overload, and disconnect when necessary
      • Behave appropriately in online spaces according to guidelines

    • Overview

      • Use digital tools to participate in learning, collaborating and sharing with peers
      • Look after own digital wellbeing

    • Participate

      • Follow instructions for accessing and using learning tools, sites, and apps for study, e.g. OU VLE tools and sites
      • Identify tools to manage study, e.g. calendars, task lists
      • Participate in a variety of learning activities and collaborative spaces, sharing content appropriate to the tool and context

    • Develop own digital practices

      • Identify existing digital skills

    • Maintain digital wellbeing

      • Take personal responsibility for behaving appropriately in an online community
      • Recognise the differences between platforms and how their use affects your personal digital footprint
      • Recognise distraction, overload and stress, and disconnect when necessary

    • Overview

      • Begin to create a personal study environment using different tools
      • Communicate ethically with others
      • Evaluate current practice/digital skills and know where to go for development

    • Participate

      • Use digital tools and apps to find, use and organise online information and resources, to support study and personal development, e.g. time management apps

    • Develop own digital practices

      • Evaluate current digital skills and identify where to go for development

    • Maintain digital wellbeing

      • Recognise how behaviour impacts on self and others
      • Communicate with a range of audiences appropriately in an online setting, with awareness of legal and ethical responsibilities
      • Adopt strategies to manage distractions, stress or overload

    • Overview

      • Update and adapt own digital practice and use of tools, taking account of own wellbeing
      • Communicate ethically and legally online, showing personal and cultural awareness

    • Participate

      • Select and use digital tools in learning and professional development, to manage, organise, share and reflect, e.g. mind-mapping, note-taking

    • Develop own digital practices

      • Adapt to new and emerging technologies, independently evaluating use of devices, software, apps, plug-ins and upgrades

    • Maintain digital wellbeing

      • Practise principles of legal and ethical behaviour online
      • Demonstrate sensitivity to cultural difference, the wellbeing of self and others, and appropriate etiquette when communicating in different spaces
      • Adapt and develop own strategies to manage distractions, stress or overload

    • Overview

      • Develop personal learning environment and digital scholarship techniques, taking account of own wellbeing
      • Communicate ethically and legally online, showing personal and cultural awareness
      • Produce a comprehensive literature review in a specific subject

    • Participate

      • Select and use digital tools to create own tailored personal learning environment
      • Engage in digital scholarship within a subject or professional context

    • Develop own digital practices

      • Apply digital techniques to conduct and share research

    • Maintain digital wellbeing

      • Practise principles of legal and ethical behaviour online
      • Demonstrate sensitivity to cultural difference, the wellbeing of self and others, and appropriate etiquette when communicating in different spaces
      • Adapt and develop own strategies to manage distractions, stress or overload

Understand and engage in digital practices - Examples

Understanding and engaging in digital practices is about knowing what online tools and networks are available, and how to select, access and exploit them for personal, study and work purposes. It involves looking after one’s own digital well-being, and that of others through ethical online behaviour.

Here you will find examples of online materials that illustrate how this skill area can be taught and learned, with an indication of which level of taught OU study they may be suitable for. This is not intended to be prescriptive, but rather to give a flavour of what is available.

Title of activity

Description

Level

Sources

Freely available?

DE100 – looking back exercise

Students reflect on study skills developed so far, and share study tips with peers 

1

DE100 Investigating Psychology

OU members only

B206 digital skills check

Diagnostic of 20 questions in 5 key digital skills areas, with links to resources for learning

2

B206 Understanding Customers

OU members only

EE811 – literature review and critical analysis exercise in tutor group discussion

Students develop search skills, critical analysis and online discussion

Masters

EE811 - Educational leadership: agency, professional learning and change

OU members only

Library online training: Introduction to Library Services

Introduces the Library website, key services and where to get further help

0/1

Library online training

Free (recording)

OU only for live session

Student Help Centre: Computing Help

Provides a basic introduction to how to use computers for study; links to further resources

1

OU Student help centre

Freely available

OpenLearn Preparing for your digital life in the 21st C: Online safety

Describes hazards of online world, provides tips on digital safety

1

OpenLearn

Freely available

Library online training; Reference management tool – an introduction

Teaches when and why you might use reference management tools, and how to choose the right app

3

Library online training

Free (recording)

OU only for live session