Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University.
Earlier this year, as part of the Open University’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, the Graduate School ran a film-making project for 50 postgraduate researchers.
As part of the follow-up to this activity I ran two workshops yesterday to explore how researchers can develop a digitally-engaged strategy for communication and engagement.
The workshops are described below, and a copy of the slides is provided. If you’re looking for online resources to support the digitally-engaged scholar, this is a good place to start:
The snakes and ladders of social media. Poster design: Peter Devine
I communicate digitally, therefore I am
For the morning workshop, we reviewed why a researcher’s digital profile is essential in the information age. Working cooperatively with other researchers, we mapped our digital profiles and considered strategic options for developing our online presence in the short-, medium- and long-term.
Slides: I communicate digitally, therefore I am.
We engage digitally, therefore we are
For the afternoon workshop, I introduced ideas about digitally-mediated engagement. I reviewed key findings from research into online engagement, and provided a space where researchers worked together to develop a strategy for engaging via digital tools and technologies. These plans can extend access to knowledge and improve the quality of your research and its outcomes for society and/or the economy.
Slides: We engage digitally, therefore we are.
Proforma: Engaged Research Design.
Acknowledgements
The development of these resources was informed by the Open University’s RCUK-funded Public Engagement with Research Catalyst, An open research university and our School-University Partnership with the Denbigh Teaching School Alliance, Engaging Opportunities.
To read about the story of how the snakes and ladders of social media came about, select Download and play the snakes and ladders of social media.