top tips - Blogs - DPG Community2024-03-28T09:02:03Zhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/feed/tag/top+tips10 apps to help you work and study smarterhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/10-apps-to-help-you-work-and-study-smarter2017-06-15T12:27:04.000Z2017-06-15T12:27:04.000ZLucy Boltonhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/LucyBolton<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2217286?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>We are always helping you with new ways to study and tips to boost your productivity. Studying and completing your CPD is such an important thing to keep track of, so we have taken up the challenge of coming up with the top 10 series in and around studying and CPD. This week… Studying apps!</p>
<p>These apps are perfect for those of you who are looking to modernise your learning and productivity. They have been designed to help you manage your time, be more focused and make it easier for you to reach your qualification goals.</p>
<p>Have you used any of these apps? How have you used them effectively? Are any missing? Let us know in comments below </p>
<p><b>1. SelfControl (MAC) / Freedom (Windows)</b></p>
<p>Struggle to stay focused on one thing at once? Let your mind wonder to Facebook a little bit too often? Well this is the app for you… </p>
<p>These web apps allows you to block some websites for a set amount of time, that means no more nipping onto Twitter, no checking your emails, no distractions! And the best thing? Once the blocks have been put in place for a certain amount of time, you can’t access anything until the block expires, there’s no flick of a switch to make everything come back… you might as well just study! </p>
<p><a href="https://selfcontrolapp.com/">Check out Self Control for iOS</a> </p>
<p><a href="https://freedom.to/">Check out Freedom for Windows</a></p>
<p><a href="https://freedom.to/"></a><b>2. Noisli</b></p>
<p>We love this web app as it allows you to create an environment that helps you focus and concentrate. Want a fire crackling in the background or wind blowing...or do you even want to feel like you’re in a coffee shop. Mix and match your background noises and put your head phones on to focus, concentrate and be as productive as possible. Let us know what your favourite combinations are in comments.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.noisli.com/">Check out Noisli</a></p>
<p><b>3. Timetable</b></p>
<p>Save your timetable, your webinar and workshop dates, your assessment deadlines and all the other bits in-between into this handy little app and say goodbye to your worries. This app syncs across all your devices so you only have to add them once and you will know where you need to be and when. Plus, it’s all colour coded and lets you know all the details such as location and time! Could you ask for more? Side-note this app is only on Android currently.</p>
<p><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gabrielittner.timetable&hl=en_GB">Check out Timetable</a> </p>
<p><b>4. Milanote</b></p>
<p>Milanote is a place for you to add your research, notes and ideas side by side. It’s fantastic for more creative projects or presentations, and for planning your work as the interface allows you to connect your notes, move images, text and links around to organise your thoughts. Milanote lets your work evolve naturally.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.milanote.com/">Check out Milanote</a></p>
<p><b>5. Trello</b></p>
<p>If you need something a bit different to keep on top of your to-do-list then Trello is for you. It can be used from simple reminders to full on project management. This nifty list-writing, not only gives you the satisfaction of ticking off the jobs you’ve done, but you can share lists – so it’s great for organising collaborative work. It integrates with Google Drive and Dropbox to upload files, as well as adding links and photos to your tasks, and setting alarms for assignment submissions or workshops. </p>
<p><a href="https://trello.com/platforms">Check out Trello</a></p>
<p><b>6. Tinycards</b></p>
<p>Is it exam time? Well Tinycards is the app for you. Tinycards is basically just a set of flashcards on your phone which can be used to help you memorise your notes before a big exam. Tinycards allows you to create your own decks of cards which you and your friends or colleagues can share with one another. </p>
<p><a href="https://tinycards.duolingo.com/">Check out Tinycards</a></p>
<p><b>7. Evernote</b></p>
<p>As well as note-writing, you can take photos, record audio and share your saved items with other mobile devices. One of our favourite features is the camera function which lets you photograph pages from text books. Check out this great discussion on tips to use <a href="http://community.dpgplc.co.uk/learning-professionals/evernote">Evernote here.</a></p>
<p><a href="https://evernote.com">Check out Evernote</a></p>
<p><b>8. Dragon Dictation (iOS) / Speech to Text (Android)</b></p>
<p>Some people retain information better by speaking out loud, if that applies to you, it may be time to try a dictation app. With Dragon Dictation you just have to speak directly into your phone, and it converts your voice into text, you can then copy and paste this into anything and log it somewhere safe! One of the best Android equivalents is Speech to Text.</p>
<p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/dragon-dictation/id341446764?mt=8">Check out Dragon Diction</a></p>
<p><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=appinventor.ai_xenom_apps.SpeechToText&hl=en_GB">Check out Speech to Text</a> </p>
<p><b>9. Slack</b></p>
<p>Slack is a app that we love here at DPG and use it all the time. It’s a place to communicate with your colleagues with real-time messaging. It’s quick and effective, especially with a remote team! Slack allows you to create different threads for different projects, so everything you need is all in one place. But Slack is great for studying too, create a thread for each assessment you have, and post in there all the links you might need, any articles or blogs, and even add in your personal notes. Everything you need, all in one place. Check out this blog and video about <a href="http://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/slack-a-tool-for-your-cpd">using Slack for CPD</a></p>
<p><a href="https://slack.com/one">Check out Slack</a> </p>
<p><b>10. Neil’s toolbox</b></p>
<p>If you struggle with writing your references properly Neil’s toolbox could be of great help for you. You have to add in the details of your resource and the toolbox will generate a Harvard reference for you to add in to the end of your assessment. It’s great for checking you have the order down correctly, and all the information correctly stated....and saving time.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.neilstoolbox.com/bibliography-creator/">Check out Neil’s Toolbox</a></p>
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<p>So, there you have it, 10 apps that will help you boost your productivity and become a study ninja. </p>
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</div>10 areas HR professionals should focus on in 2016https://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/10-areas-hr-professionals-should-focus-on-in-20162016-01-14T14:48:42.000Z2016-01-14T14:48:42.000ZMike Collinshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/MikeCollins<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2216729?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>The close of one year and beginning of another is always a good time to reflect on what has been and what is to come. HR professionals need to use this opportunity to prepare themselves for 2016.</p>
<p>It almost goes without saying that 2016 is going to be a year of further change for the profession, with new disruptions, innovations and ways of working. A lot of HR teams are still playing catch up with all the change that took place in 2015, so there is no scope for complacency.</p>
<p>To help you, we have come up with a list of the top 10 areas that we think HR professionals need to be focusing on in 2016:</p>
<p><strong>1.</strong> Technology. Technology is behind a lot of the change that has been and will be occurring. HR needs to embrace the possibilities of technology, but without being swept along with the latest fad or piece of kit. Look at the technology you have already got – is it doing what it needs to do? Is it user friendly? Does it enable your business to be agile? Huge amounts of change are predicted in this space for HR in 2016. According to research by <a href="http://www.bersin.com/Blog/post/HR-Technology-For-2016-Ten-Disruptions-On-The-Horizon.aspx" target="_blank">Bersin</a>, more than 40% of all companies are replacing or planning to replace their core HRMS systems. LMS markets are also being hugely disrupted by new video-based learning solutions. Plus there’s video, mobile, etc to think about.</p>
<p><strong>2.</strong> Be employee-centric. Think of employees as consumers. With regards to L&D, for example, how do they learn currently? How do they want to learn? How can you best deliver the type of learning they want, when they want it, on the device they want to use? Employees have become self-directed learners so if L&D doesn’t want to share that journey, they will be left behind.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> Business alignment. This is something HR and business leaders have been talking about for a long time, but still needs improving. HR has to be aligned to the business. It needs to really understand business drivers and objectives and its role in achieving them. Talk the language of business. The benchmarking organisation <a href="http://www.towardsmaturity.org/article/2014/10/30/modernising-learning-forward-dr-chai-Patel-HC-One/" target="_blank">Towards Maturity</a> has talked extensively about the need for HR to focus on business outputs, rather than learning inputs.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> Data. It’s all about data these days, whether you work in HR, finance or marketing. Want to implement a new training module – where’s the data to support why it is needed and what the results will be. This ties in with talking the language of business and again, this is something that<a href="http://www.towardsmaturity.org/article/2015/05/12/data-optimising-ld-performance/" target="_blank">Towards Maturity</a> has made a big play of.</p>
<p><strong>5.</strong> Skills. What skills does your organisation really need now and in the future? Do you have them? How can you get them, internally or externally? HR needs to keep one eye constantly on the horizon.</p>
<p><strong>6.</strong> Learning culture. Organisations need to really foster and encourage a learning culture, enabling employees to keep learning and learn as part of the workflow. Facilitate collaborative learning and sharing, be it through peer to peer networks, community portals, special projects….</p>
<p><strong>7.</strong> Talent. Do you have the talent you need? Are you retaining your top talent? How can you retain your top talent? With the jobs market continuing its recovery and an ageing workforce who will start retiring, it’s rapidly becoming a candidate’s market.</p>
<p><strong>8.</strong> Mental health and wellbeing. There is so much research that shows that workplace stress levels are high, working hours are long and a culture of <a href="https://www.dpgplc.co.uk/2015/10/presenteeism/" target="_blank">presenteeism</a> exists. The mental health and wellbeing of the workforce is a really important business issue, as Professor Cary Cooper, the new president at the CIPD, made clear at his opening speech at the recent <a href="https://www.dpgplc.co.uk/2015/11/well-being-in-the-workplace/" target="_blank">CIPD conference</a>.</p>
<p><strong>9.</strong> Working patterns. As we know, the workplace is no longer a 9-5, Monday-Friday, office based set up. Increasing numbers of people want to work flexibly, whether it’s flexible hours, flexible location or flexible roles. There’s also increasing numbers of freelance workers. Organisations need to accept and facilitate these different working patterns if they are to hire and retain the best talent. Flexible working arrangements can be highly beneficial to employers as well, when considered properly.</p>
<p><strong>10.</strong> Your own self development. It’s very easy for HR professionals to spend all their time on the career development of others and neglect their own career development. Needless to say, your career and skills development is just as important, particularly as the profession is going through so much change and you have to change with it.</p>
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