Digital Skills

This section provides development courses to support with Digital communication, collaboration and participation.

Digital Communication

Digital communication is any communication using digital media and networks.

The ability to communicate well includes using different channels such as video and instant messaging, photo sharing and chat. It also includes an awareness of different audiences, different norms and needs, and the changing boundaries between public and private communication.

We also need to think about how our choices around digital communication can exclude others.

Examples include:

• The capacity to: communicate effectively in digital media and spaces such as text-based forums, online video, audio and social media; design digital communications for different purposes and audiences including using AI; respect others in public communications; maintain privacy in private communications; identify and deal with potentially harmful digital communications.
• An understanding of the features of different digital media for communication and of the varieties of communication norms and needs.
• An understanding of technical and intellectual accessibility around digital communication.

Some courses to support with digital communication skills:

Digital Collaboration

Digital collaboration is the ability to take part in digital teams and working groups to meet specific goals, using shared tools and media.

Even when participants are physically in the same organisation, digital collaboration can be an efficient way to produce shared materials, to plan and run a project, or to work effectively across various boundaries and differences.

We also need to think about how some practices for digital collaboration can exclude others.

Examples include:

• The capacity to: participate in digital teams and working groups; collaborate effectively using shared digital tools and media; produce shared materials; use shared productivity tools; work effectively across cultural, physical, social and linguistic boundaries.
• An understanding of the features of different digital tools including Generative AI for collaboration, and of the varieties of cultural and other norms for working together.
• An understanding of technical and intellectual accessibility for effective digital collaboration eg providing choice, digital spaces for collaboration.

Some courses enhance your digital collaboration skills:

Digital Participation

Digital participation means taking part in a more open-ended way than collaboration, over a longer time, and in a range of different settings.

This is how you join, facilitate and build digital networks, take part in a shared social and cultural life using digital services, build contacts and share ideas. Digital participation should always be safe and respectful, and not exclude other people.

Examples include:

• The capacity to: participate in, facilitate and build digital networks; participate in social and cultural life using digital media, AI and services; create positive connections and build contacts; share and amplify messages across networks; behave safely and ethically in networked environments.
• An understanding of how digital media and networks influence social behaviour.
• An understanding of technical and intellectual accessibility of digital networks and participatory spaces.
• An understanding of the ways that digital participation can impact on the environment (eg carbon footprint of sending and storing emails).

Some courses about digital participation: