Online tools for study!

Technology has changed the way we do many things, and this includes the way in which we learn. Gone are the days when you had to take admission and attend classes to get a degree. Today, all you need is an unquenchable thirst for learning and a working internet connection, and you can literally learn anything online!

These changes in technology have meant that social media is now part of our everyday life, and  when used correctly, social media can assist you in your studies as well as your professional career. If you are keen to use social media to create an online professional profile, the Library is running two online workshops on Developing your Personal Learning Network, and Managing Online Information.

Learn to Connect: Developing your Personal Learning Network is being run on Tuesday 20 March at 1pm – Join us for an hour to share and explore:

• The benefits of a Personal Learning Network (PLN)
• How a PLN can help keep your professional development up-to-date
• How to connect with others in your profession/field of study
• How to create accounts with three popular applications: LinkedIn, Twitter, and feedly.com.

So, you’ve created your professional online persona and are getting a lot of data coming your way. If you’ve ever worked on a project using large amounts of data, you’ll know that keeping track of everything is a battle in itself. The Learn to Connect: Managing Online Information workshop will demonstrate and explore just this. Run on Wednesday 28 March at 1pm, this one hour workshop will cover:


• The OneNote and Pocket applications and how to use them for study and collaboration
• How to evaluate online material using the CRAP test (currency, reliability/relevance, authority, and purpose/point of view)
• The legal issue of Copyright, and how you can re-use online material without getting into trouble!

If you’re interested in learning more about using social media to find, use and distribute information, check out the Library’s Research Profile Library Resource Guide. Social media has many tools that allow you to do these things and more, all while you increase your profile and your social network. Another tool you may find useful for online study is the Library’s Using Images at University Library Resource Guide. Remember to register today if you’d like to come along to one of these workshops, and please contact us if you need further help.