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The Digital Student

Communication and Exchange

Use this quiz to self-assess your knowledge of issues related to digital communication and exchange.

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Introduction to social media

Online tutorial iconThis helpful tutorial from the Leeds, York and Manchester University libraries introduces you to social media

Six things to consider when presenting yourself online: (Reppler, 2013)

The tone of the language used by you and your connections. Is the tone positive, negative, or neutral? Is this consistent with how you would like others to perceive you?

The words used most often by you and your connections. Are these words ones you would like others to associate with you?

The sources of the posts on your Facebook Wall. Are your posts coming from you, your friends, or an application you use? If a lot of them are from a game application, for example, do you want others to see that?

The timeframes of your activity. What days of the week and times during the day are you most active? If you work during the day and have a lot of activity during work hours, would this be a good reflection of how you work?

The categories of the Facebook Pages you "like". What type of Facebook Pages do you "like"? Are you comfortable with others seeing this?

Is the information in profiles across different social networks similar? Recruiters often look for discrepancies in your education and work history

Student Futures have useful information about using social media in relation to job hunting.

Using social media sites

Twitter

What makes a good tweet?
 
What makes a good tweet? by Lisa

Practical ways to use Twitter
  • Set up an account on Twitter
  • Experiment by creating a tweet with an image, a gif, or a poll.
  • Look for accounts of people in your subject or interest  to follow.
  • Try searching for relevant keywords or #hashtags to find content that is interesting to you.

Creating lists of specific Twitter users
Lists are a great way to manage the amount and type of tweets you are viewing.

To add someone to a list:

  • Go to their Twitter profile page
  • Click on the cogwheel/settings icon next to the large ‘Following/Follow’ button on the right of the page.
  • Choose the second option down ‘Add or remove from Lists’.
  • You can then choose to create a new list or add them to an existing list by selecting the box for your list of choice.

To view the feed from one of your lists:

  • Click your profile image on the top right of the page
  • Choose the second option down ‘Lists’.
  • From here, you can select which list you would like to view.
  • The list will then display a feed of tweets posted by people only on that list.

Twitter Analytics

Twitter Analytics analyses your tweets.

To view your analytics:

  • Go to your twitter home-page
  • Click on your profile image in the top right corner
  • Then on Analytics from the drop down menu
  • Use the tabs Home/Tweets/Audiences/Events/More at the top of the screen to explore the different analytics Twitter collects for you.

Tweetdeck
Tweetdeck is a management tool where you can schedule tweets to be sent out at specific times, save #hatshtag searches and keep an eye on and participate in realtime chats using #hashtags.

​Leicester University also have practical hints and tips about using Twitter

Adapted from: University of Edinburgh (2016) Thing 7 and 8: Twitter and Facebook. Available at: https://www.23things.ed.ac.uk/week-4/ (Accessed: 2 June 2020)

Activity

Try to condense the information below into a 240 character tweet.

I have come across some interesting research on the introducing alcohol and drinking to children. According to Professor Dorothy Newbury-Birch on BBC Women's Hour, her opinion of drinking has changed from it being a way of encouraging sensible drinking to her view now - that there is no such thing as safe drinking for children. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/ 5Hbck3YD2qCHKZrvn8DMBgq/how-should-you-introduce-alcohol-to-your-teenager-if-at-all)

What would you tweet?

Adapted from: Open University (2020) Writing a good tweet. Available at: http://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/beingdigital/objects/77/index.htm (Accessed: 2 June 2020)

Should children be introduced to alcohol from childhood, or not at all? Which is safest: https://bbc.in/2xMPY00 Note that the URL has been shortened using the bit.ly URL shortener

Blogs

This sway introduces the things to consider when writing a blog

Why use LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a social networking site aimed mainly at professional occupations and regarded by many them as the world’s top business networking
website. It is an important online resource for job seekers and provides users with access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights from industry leaders.

Many employers research a job candidate online during the application process. LinkedIn may present your first impression to employers and recruiters. It is vital that your profile is effective and provides a concise snapshot of your employment history, accomplishments, education and skills - include all the details you would on a C.V.

Personal branding

LinkedIn allows you to develop a professional online profile that should showcase your skills and enable it to be found near the top of search results. 
network with other members to gain skill endorsement and recommendations

Networking

LinkedIn allows you to network with other members (e.g. alumni and fellow professionals) and gain skills recommendations and endorsements from them. It also gives you access to insider information, work experience and jobs.useful groups that allow professionals to network across a range of thematic, profession and disciplinary groups

Job search

LinkedIn is used increasingly to advertise jobs and internships.

Adapted from: University of Salford (2018) Writing an effective LinkedIn profile. Available at: https://www.salford.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1250754/Writing-an-Effective-LinkedIN-Profile-Aug-18-Version.pdf (Accessed: 4 June 2020).

This sway introduces you to writing a good LinkedIn profile:

Subjects: Academic skills