Academics are of course extremely smart, capable people. But I’m experiencing more and more pressure for them to get up to speed with the digital aspects of their role, which is moving unbelievably quickly. The nature of this post is not to patronise, on the contrary, it’s to acknowledge that we often get the basics wrong – why don’t we admit it and seek to learn from it!?
Here’s 5 basic digital skills I think we need to be getting right every time.
- Screen Sharing.
Much of our communications are now conducted online, we’ll let Reform UK scream about that in the background… It’s incredibly often I see academics more concerned about sharing the screen correctly than what they actually have to say. We’ve all been there, when you get yourself into a real tizz, it’s hard to stop and think. My advice? Practice.
Start a meeting with yourself and explore the sharing options, see what is visible when you start sharing and what actions you need to take to begin sharing. Acknowledge the risks of sharing your whole screen every time you share.
- Live/Shared Documents.
It’s still incredibly common to share documents via email — and sometimes that’s totally fine. But here’s the thing: there’s a big difference between sharing a document and simply sending a copy. Not sure what I mean? That’s okay — let’s unpack it.
This one does depend a bit on how your university’s digital world is set up. We use Microsoft 365, which I think works brilliantly for collaboration. I know plenty of folks using Google Docs, and honestly? They’re more alike than different. The key shift is this: stop attaching files to emails — start sharing links. Why? Because it’s all about what you want the other person to do with the document.
If it’s final, done and dusted, and you just need them to read it? Fire away with the attachment. No problem.
But if you’re expecting feedback, edits, or teamwork — then we need to move away from sending offline files. Those static documents become version-controlled nightmares. Collaboration gets messy. Real-time teamwork? Off the table. Instead, we share a link. We give the right access. And suddenly, we’re working together — not just trading files back and forth.
Here’s some guidance on understanding the different types of sharing rights.
- Booking Pages.
Rarely do I acknowledge ‘game changers’ in my life but understanding booking pages/links and setting them up to benefit me certainly is one.
Of course this depends on the digital infrastructure at your institute as to what exact software tools you use here but there are alternatives to support whichever, some examples are; Microsoft Booking Pages, Calendly, Google Calendar Appointment Slots, YouCanBook.me and TidyCal.
All of these software tools allow you to avoid the ’email tennis’ of scheduling an event and allow you to share a direct booking link to your calendar. You can place time/date restrictions on the links access to your calendar too, although there is a needs to be extremely organised with your time – or you risk meetings popping up within your lunch break often!
I use multiple links depending on the circumstance. I will create an individual link for a particular set of tutorials, general queries, admissions inquiries, project supervision, etc.
- File Management.
This spans platforms, from our virtual learning environments (VLE) to our shared team files, we need to create/edit/manage documents with accessibility in mind. Unfortunately higher education in the UK is facing challenges, which is driving a need for us to do more with less. Being efficient with time is critical.
There’s nothing worse than spending your afternoon trying to locate the ‘Module Report V1 2022 Template’ file that your School wants you to use, but you can’t find it through the School intranet/document repository (and you’re actually not sure if that’s the version you want as you recall a new one being suggested at the School meeting but it’s unclear whether it’s been created/disseminated yet… **sounds fades out**)
Consider how and where files can be hosted. We use Blackboard for our VLE and SharePoint for our document storage, those who use these platforms to their advantages, see the advantage in the long run. I’ll be creating a separate SharePoint blog soon but the theme is important.
Set up hosting systems and VLEs as websites if you’re able and bookmark key resources for quick and easy access. You can always delete them later! It’s about developing a culture among academics where everyone understands the importance of digital accessibility to aid each other.
- Basic AV (audio/visual) Confidence.
It happens more often than we like to admit, someone presses play on a video mid-lecture, and nothing happens. The room goes quiet and they panic. Someone mutters “try unplugging it” and we waste ten minutes troubleshooting HDMI settings or fiddling with the volume mixer.
And the worst part? It’s not about the tech, it’s about the shift in mood and classroom management.
I don’t think every academic needs to be a tech whizz, but I do believe we should all be able to do a basic AV check. Know how to test sound. Know where the input/output settings live. Know how to plug in your laptop and duplicate a screen. Because if we’re using digital content, and most of us are, we owe it to the room to respect the flow. It’s not about perfection. It’s about preparation.
My main advice? Get familiar with lecterns — and that means understanding the basic connection types. Most modern lecterns offer several ways to connect, but not all of them will work with your device out of the box. Here’s a quick overview of what you’re likely to encounter:
- HDMI: The most common standard now — handles both video and audio. If your laptop has an HDMI port, use this first. If not, you’ll need an adapter (see below).
- VGA: Older but still surprisingly common in some rooms. It only carries video, so you’ll need a separate audio cable (usually 3.5mm jack) if sound matters.
- USB-C / Thunderbolt: Many newer laptops rely on this single port for everything. If that’s you, you’ll almost definitely need a USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to VGA adapter.
- Mini DisplayPort (or older Mac-specific options): These are rarer now but can still pop up — especially on older MacBooks or legacy kit.
Tip: Carry your own adapter if your device doesn’t have a native HDMI port. It’s the one piece of kit that turns panic into calm. A USB-C to HDMI dongle has saved more lectures than I can count.
And always, always, give yourself five minutes before the session starts to check audio output settings. Play something, hear it, then start. You’ll be much more relaxed heading into the session.
Dean Walker 