Training: courses in digital communications

Jennifer Hamrick
Monday 25 January 2016

As the trainer for the digital communications team, my job is to put together a programme of courses to help train staff and students to become adept online content generators and to use a variety of digital tools.

I am currently in discussions with the Centre for Academic, Professional and Organisational Development (CAPOD) to develop a series of courses that will prepare participants to become confident digital communicators.

What we currently offer

Writing for the web

Hand typing on keyboard

When writing for the web, your content needs to be concise, scannable and objective. Users read differently from a screen than they do from paper, and as web content creators we need to write content in a way that helps users get what they want as quickly as possible.

This 1.5-hour course is designed for those seeking to improve their online writing ability and is mandatory for the University’s website content coordinators. The course consists of a PowerPoint presentation along with interactive participation and practical exercises. There is a short Moodle test that must be taken upon completion to pass the course.

  • Understand the benefits of good writing for the web.
  • Understand why writing for the web is different.
  • Learn how to write content that is concise, scannable and objective.
  • Learn how to write with technology challenges in mind.

T4 training

T4 logo

The University uses TerminalFour (T4) Site Manager to manage our website content. For those who are required to have access to T4, this mandatory course will train you to successfully upload content to the University website.

Currently, this course is self-taught with training materials that guide you through the basics of using the TermainalFour (T4) Site Manager. There is a short Moodle test which you must pass in order to be granted access to T4.

In the future, I will expand this course to be delivered in person where I can walk you through the trickier areas of T4 and answer questions that go beyond the scope of the current training materials.

  • Learn how to navigate T4 site structure.
  • Become familiar with T4 tools for uploading content.
  • Understand T4 best practices including links policies.
  • Progress to become a T4 content coordinator.

What we will offer in the future

Trello for beginners

Trello logo

Interested in learning about project management software? Trello is a free web-based application that can help you and your team manage complicated projects through an intuitive and visual system.

This course will consist of a series of guided exercises that will help you understand what Trello can offer and walk you through usability basics.

Social media: the basics

Social media icons

Whether you are intimidated by social media or simply want to learn more about a new platform, this course will provide the groundwork for understanding the most popular social media sites and apps today.

I will be conferring with my colleague and social media expert, Felicity Wild, to design a course which will introduce you to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. You will also become confident at generating social media content that is engaging and focused.

An introduction to Google Analytics

Google Analytics logo

Google Analytics is a free web analytics service which allows you to track traffic to your website. This tool is useful for understanding the kinds of users who visit your site, as well as their activity on your pages. With this information, you can market your site towards the right audiences and improve your content to meet user needs.

We have recently hired a new web content editor and data analyst who will be joining us in March. I will be conferring with her to design a course which introduces you to Google Analytics so that you can track and analyse the traffic coming to your pages.

Stay tuned for updates to our digital communications training courses!

Related topics

Share this story