This week we began the discovery phase of the Digital Mindset Initiative, a cross Digital Services initiative which hopes to provide benefits across the University, whilst reinforcing core values of Digital Services.

What is the aim of the Digital Mindset initiative?

To understand the potential digital literacy or capability across the staff in the University, identify strengths and weaknesses, provide advice, signpost support and resource and where appropriate co-design further support activity e.g. targeted training, develop a digital champions network and embed more digital ways of working. This will help to enable the University to harness the opportunity offered by Digital to help us become more adaptable, cyber secure and open to trying new digital tools, platforms, and software.

How do we intend on achieving this?

We intend on delivering a programme of activity that establishes a baseline with our user community, agrees targets and priorities, delivers a comms and development plan, and helps foster a community of sharing and digital enhancement. This will lead to a cyclical digital engagement strategy that ensures continued engagement, feedback and targeted responses to user needs.

The envisaged activity is being split into discovery and delivery phases. During the discovery phase we are initially focussing on existing groups or communities across the University, to engage them in completion of a Digital Mindset form and then a discovery workshop. As we progress in the discovery phase, we will reach out to the wider University community for engagement. The form aims to provide us a baseline of information on current tool usage, literacy and potential support routes. This will guide the content of the discovery workshop’s enabling initial support on tools, whilst providing a platform for further discussion around themes and priorities for future activities undertaken by the Digital Mindset initiative.

This discovery phase will inform and ensure the activities created in delivery phase are aligned with what support the users want.

It is envisaged during the delivery phase a series of targeted workshops will be developed, focusing on supporting staffs digital literacy and capabilities whilst being supplemented by information from key strategic drivers for the University and/or data insights from sources from across Digital Services.

Alongside these workshops additional activities such as ‘Show and tells’, Special Interest Groups (SIG’S), development of a community platform and identification of Digital Influencers will be explored depending upon feedback from users.

What does it mean for me?

This initiative should support and amplify messages and work that’s being undertaken across Digital Services, as such you may get contacted by members of the Mindset team for information, guidance or support with the activities of the initiative.

How do I get involved?

As the initiative progresses you will get asked to engage in the discovery form and workshop, in which your engagement would be appreciated. If this an initiative that you think may support activities you’re undertaking or you want to support the development and delivery of this initiative, please don’t hesitate to contact bsmith@lincoln.ac.uk