All University Information Services - Staff Learning & Development courses

We are providing four workshops to learn new skills or refresh existing ones, with the Content Community.

During this session learn how to create accessible content for your users and avoid accessibility common errors.

Led by content designer Chris Watson and content design team lead Joanne Back from UIS.

See related courses below.

With enough initialisms to drown in, the data privacy and protection legislation that affects our apps, online services and websites can seem impenetrable. So how do we demonstrate that we understand our users' concerns, comply with regulations and strike the balance between business and user needs?

In this session, we'll provide a refresher on cookie consent and data privacy compliance on web channels. We will review the current www.cam.ac.uk cookie and privacy setup. We will also explore when you might need to adopt local versions.

During this session find out what competitor analysis is, how you can do it, and what the benefits are.

Competitor analysis is a technique you can use to research your competitors' strengths and weaknesses. It's a useful way to get ideas for improving your content. You can also use competitor analysis to find gaps in your existing content.

Are you comfortable writing and editing content? Do you feel ready to make your content more accessible for people with disabilities and improve the overall user experience for everyone?

If you are, we'd like to invite you to join us for this month's content accessibility workshop.

Together we'll work through a piece of your own content, from your website or intranet, to make it more accessible wherever we can. We'll use a handy checklist to help us, which includes:

• heading styles
• text styles
• colours and contrast
• alternative text for images
• captions and transcripts
• internal and external links
• file links and downloads

Please note:

Workshop places are limited. Only book a space if you're sure that you can attend. If you do need to cancel, please cancel 48 hours in advance so that someone else can attend.

We are providing four workshops to learn new skills or refresh existing ones, with the Content Community.

During this session discover the most important process for improving and maintaining your site: the content audit.

Led by Lauren Parnell, content designer in UIS communications team.

See related courses below.

For this session, we'll look at card sorting.

Card sorting is an established method that can help you find out how different people interpret and categorise information. You can use card sorting results to improve the way content is organised and labelled on your website.

Whether you're planning a new site in Sharepoint or want to improve an existing Drupal site, card sorting can help you.

Join us for this month's session to:

• get information about card sorting and how it works
• learn how to plan and run card sorting sessions
• be inspired by case studies
• have a go at card sorting by taking part in our card sorting exercise

For this session, we'll look at top tasks.

Top tasks are the things that matter most to your users. There are usually around 5 to 10 main ones. Once you identify them, you'll be able to create content that gives users what they need.

By the end of the session, you'll:

• understand what top tasks are
• be able to find your site's top tasks
• have some case studies and resources that you can read in your own time

This session is a whistle-stop tour of common areas of Google Analytics 4, and the scenarios its data can help you analyse.

This session is suitable for complete beginners and those wanting to learn the basics of Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Universal Analytics has been replaced by GA4 and uses a whole new interface, those still using UA will need to switch over to GA4.

We will introduce you to Google Analytics 4 and how to set it up. We will look at what metrics are tracked for your website and how that is different to old Universal Analytics. We will explore how to use that data when optimising your website.

In the second half of the session, we will go through how to get Google Analytics 4 running on your website. This will include, creating a Google Analytics 4 property, sending in the request, and adding additional users.

Join us at the next Content Community event to get a checklist of regular website maintenance jobs that content editors can do. We will go through how to do the tasks and how they contribute to good user experience. Examples include how to find and address broken links, establishing a content review schedule, and things you should test regularly.

Accessible content is easy to find, understand and interact with, regardless of the user's ability or the device they are using.

One common misconception is that web accessibility only helps people who have a permanent disability. Though 1 in 5 of us in the UK have a disability, all of us experience temporary and situational disabilities during our lifetime. This session builds on existing accessibility guidance from the content community.

This content community event will also cover:

• Updates about new WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards
• Common content accessibility issues in Drupal, SharePoint and Shorthand, and how to fix them
• Tools and tips for creating accessible web pages, videos, documents, social media posts and more

The session is for everyone interested in creating content.

A recording of this event will be available on the Content Community SharePoint site for anyone who cannot attend.

Metadata is a fundamental component behind search and reporting functionalities. This event will introduce the concept of metadata, provide examples of common types of metadata, and how metadata will help your intranet site function well.

Rob Ireland, SharePoint Developer, will host a show and tell to show how the new intranet will use metadata. There will also be other members of the Digital Presence Programme team available to answer questions.

Topics

• Introduction to metadata
• Functional examples of metadata
• Review how metadata will help your intranet function well

If you are already aware of these concepts and what they are used for, you may find the related event more useful: Metadata event for staff with a technical and data management background

A recording of this event will be available on the Content Community SharePoint site for anyone who cannot attend.

Find out how to research the way users talk about your topic and use your findings to optimise your content for search

Adding the sorts of words that your users understand and search for to your content makes it quicker and easier to use. This research can also help you select keywords, which you can put in the right places for search engines to make it easier to find.

We'll show you some ways to research how your users talk about your topic, and how to make a keyword map of your pages to avoid them competing with each other. We'll make the template available for you to use in your own work.

Topics

• Analysing enquiries to improve your web content
• Alternative sources to look at if you don't have access to enquiries
• Creating a keyword map for your website

We'll also provide a quick look at the forthcoming new style guide.

February's event will introduce you to the 2i checklist and explain how to use it. After introducing you to the checklist, we'll have a go at applying the checklist to a piece of writing.

This event has 25 spaces so that we can support the small-group exercise. There's a waiting list so that any cancellations go to someone else. We'll run a second session if there are five or more people on the waiting list. For the exercise, you're welcome to bring your own piece of content to look at in your group. There will also be an example to work on for those who do not have something they can share.

We'll record the main part of the event about the checklist for anyone unable to attend. The recording and event resources will be available on the Digital Presence Programme's SharePoint site as soon as possible after the event.

This event will introduce you to the 2i checklist and explain how to use it. After introducing you to the checklist, we'll have a go at applying the checklist to a piece of writing.

This event has 30 spaces so that we can support the small-group exercise and has been offered first to those who were on the waiting list for the first edition held on Monday 28 February. For the workshop activity in breakout rooms, we will be using a Miro board and reviewing a webpage (we have two examples to choose from). You can access both in your browser, and we suggest using a laptop or desktop computer rather than a smartphone to make switching between windows easier.

The event resources will be available on the Digital Presence Programme's SharePoint site as soon as possible after the event.

The Content Community is providing four workshops on Monday 31 July to learn new skills or refresh existing ones.

During this session find out how you can improve your users' experience by making it easier to find the things they want most.

Led by content designers Lana Bozovic and Lizzie Bruce from UIS.

See related courses below.

We all know that it can be impossible to understand data just by looking at a slew of numbers and stats. For data to be truly helpful, it needs to be presented in a logical, easy-to-understand way. This is where data visualisation comes in. It's the process of turning data into a compelling visual story through the use of graphics, like charts and graphs.

This content community event will cover:

• how to use data visualisation effectively in your content
• how to make your data visualisations accessible
• data, design and content tips for success

The session is for everyone interested in using data visualisation effectively.

A recording of this event will be available on the Content Community SharePoint site for anyone who cannot attend.

Most websites get the majority of their traffic from search engines. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is one key step to improving your content. This is where you consider how easy it is for users to find your website, what they are looking for when they do and try to make it easier for them.

During this event, we will introduce you to Google Search Console and how to gain access to it. We will look at what Google knows about your website, and what people are looking for on Google Search when they find your website. Finally, we’ll explore how to use that data when optimising a page on your website.

This content community event will also cover:

• how to access Google Search Console (and get verified)
• Google Search data you can see and what it means
• using Google Search Console to help you with SEO

The session is for everyone interested in using Google Search Console effectively.

A recording of this event will be available on the Content Community SharePoint site for anyone who cannot attend.

We can all write well. It’s our job! But how can we make our content more user centred? User-centred content helps our users and ultimately helps us.

Come to this session to:

• understand how cognitive burden affects comprehension
• use some of the methods and tools that we’ve been demonstrating over the past year
• get help and feedback from your Content Community colleagues

For this session you need to bring:

• a piece of content from your website or intranet
• any thoughts, feedback or queries you’ve had about the content
• your goals for the content. For example, you might want to:
  • improve readability
  • check that it’s accessible
  • re-organise the structure
  • test understanding of a complex subject

We all use search engines to look for information, whether it's to buy a second-hand sofa, or check when to repot the begonia.

If your content isn't optimised, people won't be able to find it easily through online search. Good SEO will help more people find your content more easily.

Come to this workshop to:

• Get a quick recap on best SEO practices.
• Try some of the SEO methods and tools that we’ve been demonstrating over the past year.
• Get help and feedback from your Content Community colleagues and us.

For this session you need to bring:

• one or two links to web pages that you want to optimise
• any SEO or keyword information you already have
• any ideas you have about why the content is or isn't performing well

We will also be running this workshop in August.

We all use search engines to look for information, whether it's to buy a second-hand sofa, or check when to repot the begonia.

If your content isn't optimised, people won't be able to find it easily through online search. Good SEO will help more people find your content more easily.

Come to this workshop to:

• Get a quick recap on best SEO practices.
• Try some of the SEO methods and tools that we’ve been demonstrating over the past year.
• Get help and feedback from your Content Community colleagues and us.

For this session you need to bring:

• one or two links to web pages that you want to optimise
• any SEO or keyword information you already have
• any ideas you have about why the content is or isn't performing well

Join content colleagues to talk about how we can use data that seems quite abstract to tell us about our content. Come to this workshop to:

• recap some general principles
• discuss some examples and sources of data
• do small-group exercises in Microsoft Teams break-out rooms

You will want to be able to look at the exercise information, and possibly some example websites in your browser, while in the MS Teams meeting. If you have access to a desk offering a second screen, that may be the most convenient.

This session is for beginners who are not confident in interpreting analytics or similar data. No preparation is required. You do not need to be familiar with any software other than MS Office 365 and your browser.

Join content colleagues to talk about how we can use data that seems quite abstract to tell us about our content. Come to this workshop to:

• recap some general principles
• discuss some examples and sources of data
• do small-group exercises in Microsoft Teams break-out rooms

You will want to be able to look at the exercise information, and possibly some example websites in your browser, while in the MS Teams meeting. If you have access to a desk offering a second screen, that may be the most convenient.

This session is for beginners who are not confident in interpreting analytics or similar data. No preparation is required. You do not need to be familiar with any software other than MS Office 365 and your browser.

We are providing four workshops to learn new skills or refresh existing ones, with the Content Community.

During this session find out how to improve engagement with your content by using tactics that account for how people read differently online.

Led by content designers Lucy Moore and Eloise Hayes from University Information Services (UIS).

See related courses below.

My Cambridge Application is a ‘Go’ for launch in September for the 2024 admissions cycle.

Join us online for an overview of the project and what to expect from the September release.

We'll walk you through the application process and the improvements we've made to make it easier to complete, understand, administer, audit and trust. We'll cover:

• our vision and goals for My Cambridge Application
• what we have delivered and what that means for applicants and colleges
• what will be delivered post launch, and what will be done by the 2025 admissions cycle
• show the video walk through for My Cambridge Application
• take any questions

Find out more about Digital Admissions and the My Cambridge Application project: https://universityofcambridgecloud.sharepoint.com/sites/UoC_DigitalAdmissions

The Digital Admissions project aims to support the transformation of the information systems, processes and tools used in the undergraduate admissions process.

At this 'town hall' event, you will hear from project members who will show the progress made to the service and invite you to ask questions.