digital - Blogs - DPG Community2024-03-29T07:48:31Zhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/feed/tag/digitalImagine a World Without Emailhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/imagine-a-world-without-email2018-10-04T15:54:17.000Z2018-10-04T15:54:17.000ZAdy Howeshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/AdyHowes<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/127795039?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><strong>Just imagine a world without email.</strong></p>
<p>For some, cold sweats might already start breaking out as they wonder how we’d survive. Others might be doing a jig as they imagine a world where they no longer must step on the treadmill that email has become.</p>
<p>How did we get here? How have we found ourselves in a position where a technology devised in the seventies is still the method of communication so many seem to rely on?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>I dream of a world without email.</strong></p>
<p>Email has become my least preferred method of communication.  I can’t shake off the feeling that we’d all be better off without it. Don’t get me wrong, I get some lovely emails. Being community manager here at DPG many people contact me with feedback, questions and ideas. Those emails, I could receive all day long.</p>
<p>Most people I talk to though are trapped under a constant swamp of emails ping-ponging with threads, replies and follow ups with discussion that span over days, weeks or even months. Stuff just takes too long. Wouldn’t it have been quicker to just talk?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The statstics tell me...</strong></p>
<p>Yes. It would have been quicker. For a while now, I’ve been looking at data on my own personal email. Sad, but true! Currently, my average response time to an email is four and a half days. It’s quicker to send me a letter! To make it worse, consistently more than 95% of emails I don’t even reply to.</p>
<p>Yet on my professional emails I know that I just wouldn’t get away with that level of performance. I don’t want to let people down or ignore people. That’s not my thing. I want to be part of the conversation and there to help.</p>
<p>So instead, probably just like you, I spend hours working with email. Sifting, organising, prioritising, replying and deleting. It’s one hell of an in-tray isn’t it? A bottomless pit. Then there’s that overwhelming feeling when you return from holiday knowing another pile is waiting for you. The carefully crafted <a href="https://ooogenerator.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out of office message</a> has done zilch to discourage people from adding another few to the pile.</p>
<p>But what about the impacts to the organisations we work for? Multiply the number of employees by the hours spent on email and you’re running into some serious cost, right? And what about communication? What sort of barrier is created when we choose to write to people rather than speak to them? That’s not healthy for interpersonal relationships, team work or collaboration is it?</p>
<p>The customer experience is often shot too. I see organisations create email address after email address after email address of different points of contact for customers to use depending on the nature of their enquiry. A whole directory of email addresses. Putting my customer hat on, is it really my job to figure out your complex communication pathways so that my enquiry gets diverted to the right desk?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>What are the alternatives to email?</strong></p>
<p>A couple of weeks ago, I was exploring <a href="https://twitter.com/i/moments/1040991145948573696" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alternatives to email</a> in a conversation with my personal learning network and I got some interesting responses. Getting off the email bandwagon is something many are trying to do. Here at DPG we’re on a continued journey of digital transformation using tools like Slack and Trello to help us collaborate as an alternative to email. We make it easy for our customers with alternatives too. Our online DPG Community is a great place to connect and discuss in small study groups or as part of a wider network of almost 10,000 professionals. We also use our channels on <a href="https://twitter.com/dpgplc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/development-processes-group-plc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Linked In</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dpgplc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> as ways to interact with our brand.</p>
<p>The video I’ve just posted in the <a href="https://community.dpgplc.co.uk/the-LD-zone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">L&D Zone</a>, ‘Outside the Inbox’, was made by Luis Suarez a few years ago. He’s a guy I’ve certainly learned a lot from when it comes to communicating in today’s modern organisations beyond email.</p>
<p>It’s well worth a watch.</p>
<p>And once you have….. imagine a world without email.</p>
<p> </p>
<div class="video-container"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gnv6K5JmpTM?rel=0" width="853" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
</div>Are you developing your digital skills?https://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/are-you-developing-your-digital-skills2017-02-13T17:03:39.000Z2017-02-13T17:03:39.000ZAdy Howeshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/AdyHowes<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2217289?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>There's been lots of opportunities over the past few weeks for me to talk with many about digital skills. I had some great discussions at Learning and Skills after my session on 'Putting the Human at the Heart of Digital'. At the LnD Connect UnConference last week there was lots of digital discussions going on in the 'Tech Tool Shed'. I've also had the opportunity to talk with many online.</p>
<p>If there is one thing for sure, it's that there is a desperate need for us all to develop our digital skills and to help others do the same. I've always said, there is no such thing as a digital expert. The landscape is changing so fast that there is always something new to learn. It is crucial in our roles in L&D and HR that we continue to develop in these areas.</p>
<p>But for many, knowing where to start can be a barrier. That's why this week, I've launched the <a href="http://community.dpgplc.co.uk/group-hub/digitalskills" target="_self">Digital Skills Group</a> here on the DPG Community. It's a place to connect with like-minded professionals, join discussions, share challenges and resources to help develop our digital skills.</p>
<p>So if that' something you are interested in being a part of, head along to the Digital Skills Group. There you'll find a video from me and a discussion to get the group going.</p>
<p>Let's get those digital skills moving. <a href="http://community.dpgplc.co.uk/group-hub/digitalskills" target="_self">Join the group on this link</a>.</p>
</div>Digital execution: Lessons from Mrs Claushttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/digital-execution-lessons-from-mrs-claus2016-11-14T11:03:29.000Z2016-11-14T11:03:29.000ZAdy Howeshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/AdyHowes<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2217099?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>As a Digital Learning Specialist with a large interest in video production and storytelling, I followed with interest the Christmas adverts as they unfolded over the weekend. Looking at and drawing inspiration from big productions like these is something that I believe helps us to drive up standards in digital learning. Whilst we haven't got those big production budgets there are always clues as to what we can do to turn our digital dials up, I’ve previously referred to this this as <a href="http://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/digital-doughnut-thinking-improving-digital-design?context=tag-thinking" target="_self">digital doughnut thinking</a>.</p>
<p>It’s been tradition over years for many to look forward to seeing what retailer John Lewis comes up with for their Christmas advert. Each year they’ve created stunning adverts and having seen this year's, they haven't disappointed again. Towards the end of last week, they un-wrapped this year’s advert on social media followed by a run of TV showings over the weekend. If you’ve not yet met <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr6lr_VRsEo" target="_blank">#BusterTheBoxer</a>, where have you been? Lined up in the wings were other retailers ready to show their creations. The next I came across was Aldi with their amusing tale of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCZrWFrRgbQ" target="_blank">#KevinTheCarrot</a>, closely followed by the magical story of Mrs Claus delivered by M&S in their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5QPXhStb5I" target="_blank">#LoveMrsClaus</a> campaign.</p>
<p>Choosing a favourite wasn’t easy though. With high production values, budgets and expertise coupled with brilliant writing, they all connected well with the emotions of their audiences. In a poll that I followed over the weekend asking people to choose their favourite, the scores this morning were pretty even across the three. However, particularly when all this premiered on Saturday night, it was<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5QPXhStb5I" target="_blank">#LoveMrsClaus</a> that got the votes. It's not just the magical story where Mrs Claus, who we haven't really seen over the years, was unveilled. It wasn't just the incredible secret agent style where she flew off in that helicopter like a female Bond. There was something else that made it pack a punch.</p>
<p>Execution.</p>
<p>Whilst the other retailers were snoozing on social media, Marks and Spencer and indeed Mrs Claus herself were all over it. Aldi’s Twitter presence lay dormant, closed outside the usual hours of business. Similar for John Lewis, not a sole in sight as people raved about #BusterTheBoxer. But meanwhile, the Twitter profile of M&S lit up for the evening, They planted Mrs Claus there directly responding to tweets. M&S changed their Twitter image to one of Mrs Claus and gave her the job title ‘Head of Christmas Operations.‘Thank you my darling, Merry Christmas to you’ and ‘That’s lovely, you’re straight onto the nice list this year’ were amongst the comments she made. She pulled in a long night shift. </p>
<p>So to be true to my <a href="http://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/digital-doughnut-thinking-improving-digital-design?context=tag-thinking" target="_self">digital doughnut thinking</a>, what can be learned from this when it comes to digital learning?</p>
<p>It’s simple.</p>
<p>We can all produce the most beautiful pieces of digital content our skills and budgets stretch to. We'll put the best effort into planning and production that we possibly can. But for me it’s not just about creation. Execution is hugely important. It's not just about creating a nice video, an engaging piece of e-learning or a bite size online resource. Much thought effort and planning must go into execution. How will it be shared? How will we support people? Where does the conversation continue? Who's there to support?</p>
<p>When it comes to digital learning, think like a marketeer when it comes to execution. It’s the often neglected yet vital stage of digital projects that requires just as much thought and planning from the offset as the storyboard, creation and production.</p>
<p>And whilst we’re on the subject of great adverts, keep your eye out for DPG’s new advert for our <a href="https://www.dpgplc.co.uk/cipd-courses/cipd-level-5-certificate-hr-management-online-l/" target="_blank">CIPD Level 5 HRM Online Programme</a> coming soon. It's a good one.</p>
</div>Digital Doughnut Thinking: Improving digital designhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/digital-doughnut-thinking-improving-digital-design2016-10-20T09:32:37.000Z2016-10-20T09:32:37.000ZAdy Howeshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/AdyHowes<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2217066?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>I wish I’d taken a photo of it. It looked so beautiful. It grabbed me.</p>
<p>A freshly made tasty, sweet indulgent doughnut served with freshly ground and filtered coffee. Just what was needed. The perfect reward for persevering the relentless wander in and out of every single discount retail outlet in the shopping centre. There had been hundreds I'm sure. But the beautiful poster, proudly placed outside Thornton’s café grabbed my attention. The early bird offer would be mine. There was no doubt in my mind that Thornton’s would have at least one purchase that followed.</p>
<p>I stood waiting for my good lady who was in, yep you’ve guessed it; a shop. My mind plotted the sales pitch I would give her to encourage her too to pause the shopping activity and join in doughnut and coffee indulgence.</p>
<p>As I say, I wish I had taken a photo of that poster. A design that had clearly served its purpose well. The colours, the clarity of the photo, the design, the layout, the simple text, the key message. This analysis of design is something that often tends to happen in my mind as an automatic reaction to things I see out and about. It's inbuilt and sometimes I just can’t stop that happening. Do I need some sort of therapy? Or is it more the case it's what happens in my mind as an attribute of me? Perhaps it's my duty to do so.</p>
<p>It got me thinking about a video I once saw about creative thinking and how that links into my work as a digital learning specialist. It isn't really until now that I've made that link. As part of the Content and Design team at DPG we’re here creating community content, articles, learning material, resources, online learning and more. We bring to life content, qualifications, stories and conversations. We use online learning, live learning, animations, videos, images and design. We need a high degree of design, which continually develops and grows. </p>
<p>So for me, for us and for anyone else involved in developing any of this stuff, it is our duty to look at design and figure out how we can bring what we see (hear and touch too) into the work we do. I’m a big believer, when it comes to developing higher standards in digital design to look at the best, take your head off, forget about barriers and just use your senses to look and learn. From the best.</p>
<ul>
<li>If you’re creating a poster, graphics, images, models: look at what the big marketing people are doing for the big brands? What beautiful design can you bring into what you do?</li>
<li>Making a video? Take a look at what the television and film experts are doing. What <em>can</em> we learn from them? What are the techniques we can use with the simple kit we have and the lower budgets available?</li>
<li>What about a recorded interview? How would that sound on the radio? The content, the clarity, the production?</li>
</ul>
<p>That's part of the digital design process. Imagining just for a little while, that you had the skills, budgets, equipment and expertise the best of the best had. In reality we haven't, but what if we did? Take your head off, spend some time in that limitless world. As daft as it is, as unrealistic as it might be, just imagine taking the most radical approach to your digital design? Step outside, wander around daftness. Look far and wide. Look at the insane, the implausible, Consider for one moment those undeliverable ideas.</p>
<p>Because lying there in that daftness, out of the ordinary, far away from where we would usually look, are clues and ideas that can be used in digital design. Whilst we might not be able to reach those highest production values, we can certainly take some of what we learn through this creative thinking process and turn the dial up one or two notches.</p>
<p>Take time for this digital doughnut thinking. I’d love to hear what you come up with.</p>
<p>And if you need some help more generally with your doughnut thinking, check the video below from <a href="https://twitter.com/willwoodward" target="_blank">Will Woodward</a></p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/72eBPXeoMlI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
</div>Keeping your children safe in a digital worldhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/keeping-your-children-safe-in-a-digital-world2016-07-15T08:54:16.000Z2016-07-15T08:54:16.000ZAdy Howeshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/AdyHowes<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2216969?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>He was just eight years old when Mum and Dad decided to go away for the weekend and leave him in the house on his own.</p>
<blockquote>‘Do what you like whilst we’re away and have anyone you like around. We’re not leaving you a key so don’t bother locking the door. If you do go out, go anywhere you want with whoever you want. Trust everyone and come back when you like, if you like.’</blockquote>
<p><br />
What a load of nonsense. You’ll be pleased to hear this story is made up. There can’t possibly be a parent in their right mind that thinks this is right. But, whilst we all agree this made up scenario should never happen, the sad thing is in real life, amazingly it does. Not in the context of ‘in real life’, but in the context of digital and online.</p>
<p>I hear of this happening a lot. Often, it’s when Santa has just brought along an array of tablets, laptops and mobile devices for excited children. I see them all too often handed out with no thought to what and who could be accessed in the big wide world of the internet of things. When you think about it, potentially, it’s scarier than the real world.</p>
<p>But you see, there lies the point. It <em>is</em> the real world. There’s nothing virtual about this at all. Just like letting your loved one wander around the street, talking to whoever they like, whenever they like.  I don’t believe this blatant disregard happens intentionally. Who in their right mind would allow this to happen? I think it’s more likely the case of a lack of knowledge. Parents not knowing what they don’t know. Naivety.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-908" src="http://adyhowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/piles-of-technology-shutterstock_278967893.jpg" alt="piles of technology shutterstock_278967893" width="1000" height="667" /></p>
<p>I’m hoping this blog goes someway to helping. Please share with other parents that may find this useful.</p>
<p>So what do you do? Do you listen to your inner older generation? The one that tells you it wasn’t like that when you were their age and that they should be building things out of twigs and leaves and stuff instead. Or do you listen to your other side? The one telling you that technology is a big part of the world now. Would we really put our kids at a disadvantage by not allowing them to develop digital competence whilst accessing knowledge, learning about new stuff as well as having fun? We <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLu-S8pSgJ8" target="_blank">need those digital skills</a> more than ever; of course all in moderation balanced alongside other useful things like eating, washing, talking, walking, exercise and fresh air.</p>
<p>Even with my reasonably robust technical background and digital skillset, it had me scratching my head as to what the solution was. Let no-one be embarrassed by not knowing. But please <em>do</em> be concerned as a parent if you choose not to take the time to find out what the solution could be.</p>
<p><a href="https://family.norton.com/web/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-909" src="http://adyhowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Norton-Family-Parental-Control.jpg" alt="Norton-Family-Parental-Control" width="725" height="643" /></a></p>
<p>The solution is this. A product by Norton called <a href="https://family.norton.com/web/" target="_blank">Norton Family</a>. In my opinion, it is the most essential app by far for children. Top of the ranks towering higher than Minecraft and Google. An absolute must. According to <a href="https://family.norton.com/web/" target="_blank">Norton’s website</a>, the award winning software ‘offers an impressive range of parental controls and monitoring features for parents of today’s hyper-connected kids.’  The free service provides features including web supervision, time constraints, reports on what is being searched for, social network activity, personal information protection and much more all in real time. The premium version, a steal at just £29.99 a year, adds on many more features like multiple device protection, virus protection, cloud storage and identity protection to name a few. By the way, Norton are not paying me to tell you these things. I just feel the need to let you know.</p>
<p>As a parent, you have access to a web-based control panel available on your computer or mobile, allowing you to see activity on your child’s devices as well as set up the rules on what can and cannot be accessed and when. The simple interface is easy to use and <a href="https://twitter.com/adyhowes/status/753512645169410048" target="_blank">Norton’s support team</a> are a great help when you need a helping hand.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone wp-image-911" src="http://adyhowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Internet-crime-shutterstock_177132158.jpg" alt="Internet crime shutterstock_177132158" width="493" height="390" /></p>
<p>It’s not the fault of the kids who fall foul to the ever growing scams, manipulative adverts and unscrupulous links out there. So I followed Norton's advice and use it to have open conversations about what is being accessed and why. If things are attempted to be accessed that shouldn’t be, you’re presented with opportunities to educate and advise on how to stay safe. Cyber bullying by text or social media? Perhaps this is the answer to nip that one in the bud too.</p>
<p>It’s not always about the bad stuff though. It’s quite enlightening to see what they’ve been searching for and looking at.  There are great conversations to be had about what they’ve learned and discovered.</p>
<p>By far, this is the app that I’d most recommend to any parent. It’s a must. But whatever we do, let’s not kid ourselves. This virtual world stuff isn’t virtual. It <em>is</em> the real world. Our role as parents is no different when it comes to protecting our loved ones online as it is offline. So let's get this right.</p>
<p>You should check it out. It’s called <a href="https://family.norton.com/web/" target="_blank">Norton Family and you can find it just here</a>.</p>
</div>Making sense of digital learning: Live this week!https://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/making-sense-of-digital-learning-live-this-week2016-02-01T17:25:17.000Z2016-02-01T17:25:17.000ZAdy Howeshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/AdyHowes<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2216725?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1357731?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1357731?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"></a><em><span class="font-size-3">How do you begin to make sense of the skills that L&D people need to create engaging digital learning content?</span></em></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">That's the question I'm setting out to make sense of for some of those attending the Learning and Skills conference and exhibition this week. The session, which I've called '<strong>Making sense of the senses in a digital learning world</strong>' is on Day 1, Wednesday 3rd February at 11.15am. </span><span class="font-size-3">I'll be spending time exploring what it actually means to be a digital learning specialist, how you engage learners with digital content, the skills that are needed to do so and how to go about developing those. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3">It's the first conference speaking slot I've done, which comes with it's own share of nerves. I remind myself though that </span><a href="https://fuchsiablueblog.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/breath-bravery/" target="_blank">there are no real dangers in a room of people who gather to learn</a><span class="font-size-3">. </span></span><span class="font-size-3">I'm hoping to make some connections with others along the way and get some dialogue on digital learning going during and beyond the session.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3" data-mce-mark="1"><span class="font-size-3" data-mce-mark="1">I'd love for you to be a part of that too. If you are <a href="https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=%23LAS16uk%20from%3Aadyhowes&src=typd&lang=en" target="_blank">on Twitter, head over there where I'll be tweeting the content and my thoughts</a> during the session. </span></span><span class="font-size-3" data-mce-mark="1">And if you are there 'in real life' on Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th February for Learning and Skills 2016, do take time to drop by and say hello to us all on the DPG stand.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3">See you / tweet you there!</span></span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><span class="font-size-3">Ady</span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p></div>Tweaking the Sliders of Digital Learning Contenthttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/tweaking-the-sliders-of-digital-learning-content2015-08-21T11:07:51.000Z2015-08-21T11:07:51.000ZAdy Howeshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/AdyHowes<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2216581?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=289"></div><div><p>It was late into last night, almost the hours of today, when I finally turned off the digital learning production here. I haven’t been a 9-5 type guy for years and if creativity is flowing, who am I to stop it in its tracks?</p>
<p>It was around 8pm, just after tea, when I settled down for the final session. The little people were in bed, rubbish was on the tele and my working day still felt quite young. I was on a roll! Here in my working space, the funky visual coloured wall lighting was on, I was kinaesthetically touching, clicking and tapping a variety of buttons and gadgets, tasting the coffee and smelling the recently re-filled room freshener. Sandalwood. I was engaged with my senses.</p>
<p>With sight, smell, taste and touch all accommodated for, I realised there had been a deafening silence around all day during the daylight hours. Some tunes were needed. A quick Tweet asking for recommendations of tunes to put on whilst working soon filled that audio gap and had me exploring a whole range of genres!</p>
<p>So there I was, fully engaged in my environment, with all senses amused. It all contributed to the work I was doing and creativity flowed nicely.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until later when I finished, that I stopped to think how relevant the multi-sensory environment I was in was to the work I was doing. My work to create digital learning. That’s what it’s all about. Of course in digital, we’ve just got the three senses to work with in the absence of smellovision and tastovision. We work with; audio, visual and kinaesthetic. I like to think of these as ‘channels’.</p>
<p>Now, I don’t agree that we as learners are one type or another and fit into just one of those particular boxes. I believe we tune into all three of those ‘channels’. Sometimes one at a time, sometimes all at the same time, all very much dependent on what we’re doing, where we are, what we’re trying to learn and how engaged we are. These channels to me are like volume sliders that digital learning producers tweak. Set any one of them too high and content is distracting. Set any one of them too low and content becomes dis-engaging.</p>
<p>In answer to the question that often comes up as to how we make digital content more engaging, that’s it in a nutshell. What do you need to do to turn the slider up (or down) on visuals? Is the audio deafeningly silent? Is that right for your content? Does it need narration, music or both? Or is it more relevant to have nothing? What about the touch and feel of your content? How are learners going to interact with it? Will they click or will they tap? Is it beautifully intuitively easy to do so? Or is it going to be a complete pain for them as they try to line the smallest surface area of their fingertip up with the two or three pixels that trigger the desired action?</p>
<p>So a question for you. Where are the sliders in your learning material, be it digital or not? Think presentations, handouts, even the learning environment? What sliders need turning on? Or off? Or up or down?</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</div>It's Time to Move: Digital Learning is Here at DPGhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/digital_learning_is_here2015-05-11T13:00:00.000Z2015-05-11T13:00:00.000ZAdy Howeshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/AdyHowes<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2216497?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p><span class="font-size-3">Shopping, banking, listening to music, watching films, booking holidays, keeping in touch with friends, sharing photos, campaigns against political decisions, raising customer service complaints… The list goes on in the ways that digital has had an impact on the way we lead our lives.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Marketing, finance, customer service, IT, operations, HR and L&D have all shifted some of what they do to make use of new technology. But no doubt, there’s much more to do to embrace the tech that’s out there let alone the stuff that’s coming around the corner that we don’t even yet know about.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">There’s a massive buzz around the word “digital” in L&D right now. Whilst I’m not a huge fan of finding yet another word to tag onto the front of the word learning, there’s something about the word digital that gets me excited. It plays to my skills. It’s online as well as it is offline. It’s social as well as isolated. It’s mobile as well as static. Live or on demand. It’s a great word that seems to encompass everything.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Digital has been a feature of my career for many years. I’ve got myself involved in all manner of digital things. Video production, audio production, animation, online learning, live learning, <a href="http://www.learningnow.tv" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">on demand learning and broadcast learning</a> to name a few.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">So it makes total sense to me to embrace this whole world of digital in a brand new opportunity that has come my way. It is one that was just too good to miss. I’m delighted to let you know that from the beginning of July, I’ll be starting a new role as a Digital Learning Specialist. The role is here working for DPG PLC where I studied both my level 3 and level 5 CIPD qualifications. </span><span class="font-size-3">With us all needing to embrace the world of digital, where better to be than in an organisation that plays a huge part in developing people that are responsible for developing others?</span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1357673?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="252" height="252" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1357673?profile=original"></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">In many respects, it’s been an easy and straight forward decision to go for the role. On one hand, I love the job that I currently do, the people I work with and the organisation. I was certainly not looking actively to move on. But at the same time, my new role is perfectly aligned to what I do and what I aspire to do. It’s all very exciting and I’m like a coiled spring ready to get started.</span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">In the meantime, you’ll be able to see some of my digital work next week as DPG promote the great work that they do at next week’s CIPD event in London. </span></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Sadly, I’ll not be there physically, but I’ll certainly be following the digital footprints that they leave.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p></div>Research Project: How do you use Social Media?https://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/research-project-how-do-you-use-social-media2014-12-19T09:30:57.000Z2014-12-19T09:30:57.000ZDebora Figueiredohttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/DeboraFigueiredo<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2216350?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Hi everyone,</p>
<p>As part of my Digital Marketing Apprenticeship I need to complete a research project looking at how people use social media specific to my industry.</p>
<p>As I work for DPG, what better way to complete this research than to use the fantastic DPG Community to find out how L&D and HR professionals use social media?</p>
<p>This can be from a personal or professional perspective but understanding how people use and benefit from using social media is a key part of the project.</p>
<p>The questionnaire will only take 5 minutes and I’d be so grateful is you would take the time to give me some feedback on how you use (or don’t use) social media.</p>
<p>Just click the link below and answer the questions. You can stay anonymous if you wish but it would be great to capture your role to help me identify any trends across the different types of role.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/637S2WH" target="_blank">Social Media Questionnaire</a></p>
<p>Thanks in advance for helping me and have a fantastic festive period!</p>
<p>Debora aka <a href="https://twitter.com/Little_Figs" target="_blank">@Little_Figs</a></p>
</div>