Each year, Jisc collect data from students and staff across Further and Higher Education at Institutions subscribed to their Digital Experience Insights Service.  Their reports on how students and staff are using and experiencing technologies in HE can be found here.

The insights surveys were implemented at the University of Manchester in 2023.  Findings from our institution are communicated annually via Staffnet.

Starting with Jisc’s ‘‘HE Student Role Profile’’ for students, personalise the expectations / ILOs against each of the 6 elements of digital capabilities so that they are relevant to your Programme / Curriculum / Unit / Module and context. This template from Jisc can be used to help capture your mapping.

Example:

For each of the elements of digital capabilities complete a mapping exercise of current Programme / Unit learning activities against the ILOs you have derived.  This will identify the elements you are already providing support for, as well as helping to highlight areas you may wish to expand on.

Example:

In addition to programme / unit evaluation data, the following University of Manchester data is available to support benchmarking / evaluation of the digital experience: 

• The anonymised institutional data from the Jisc Discovery tool covering how students from your subject area are reporting their confidence and experience. The application of this data is discussed in case studies from the Manchester Access Programme and Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering programmes.  There is benchmarking within the dashboard of UoM data with the sector. 

• The data from the Jisc Digital Experience Insights Surveys which were introduced across the University during 2023/24.  There are 3 surveys which open from Oct/Nov to February annually – one for students, one for colleagues who have teaching as part of their role and one for Professional Services colleagues.  They each cover evaluation of ‘you and your technology’; ‘technology and your role’; ‘technology at your institution’ and ‘digital capability’.   

The following toolkits can also provide support for benchmarking: 

• Jisc worked with the NUS to create a 'Roadmap for supporting students to improve their digital experience at university and college'. Jisc They have also created a ‘Benchmarking toolkit for online learning'.  

• There is also a toolkit to support the digital experience of new students and findings from research conducted into the digital challenges experienced by international students.   

These are useful resources / rubrics, guiding what ‘good practice principles’, such as students being ‘prepared to study with digital technologies’ look like on a scale from ‘first steps’ to ‘outstanding’. Again, this phase can assist in identifying areas to develop or enhance and having students’ views represented is essential. 

Considering the wider context: 

Further guidance is available to support embedding and benchmarking across the University through the application of Jisc’s Digital transformation framework and maturity model

Your Faculty eLearning team can advise on the creation of learning activities, in addition to providing practical guidance about different technologies. University recommended software can be accessed via the ITL ‘Guidance on software for online teaching’.

These Conversations that Count cards have been designed by Jisc to scaffold discussions with students about their ‘digital experience’. Guidance is included on how to use this resource which provide starter questions against a series of key topics for students and staff to explore, enabling the planning of developments / enhancements.

These resources from Jisc can be useful when starting to consider how ‘digital learning activities’ and ‘tools’ can be used to support the development of different capabilities. 

Two further measures to support embedding of digital capabilities into practice: 

• Supporting students to recognise, capture and confidently discuss their digital capabilities as they build their digital CVs. Sharing digital capability ILOs learning outcomes with students, e.g. including them at the start of each Unit / Module, can assist this development process. 

• Signposting to supplementary supportive resources for students, such as My Learning Essentials and support from IT Services and the Careers Service. 

The ‘Develop your digital capabilities’ resource from My Learning Essentials supports students to self-assess their skills and confidence access and use with the Jisc Discovery tool 

This student-facing resource is intended to raise awareness around digital capabilities and provide students with the opportunity to understand and reflect on their digital experience, confidence and development.  

The Discovery tool is a supportive, online tool that takes individuals through a series of questions about their experience and confidence of using digital tools and approaches 

A personalised digital capabilities report is provided on completion of a questionnaire, with suggested ‘Next steps’ and signposting to further relevant online resources. Completion of the tool also allows the user to sign up to retrieve a digital badge that can be added to their CV / portfolio. 

There are 4 questionnaires students can complete within the Discovery tool 

Once students have logged in to the tool, using their UoM username/password, they have access to four questionnaires:.  

• one designed for students who are new to HE and the other

• one for ‘current’/returning students. The latter enabling a more in-depth exploration of their digital practice and it is recommended that returning students complete this annually and reflect on their progress. 

• an AI and Gen AI questionnaire 

• and a Digital skills for Employability questionnaire 

Students with a staff role will access the staff version of the tool  

Although the following relates to a relatively small proportion of students, it is worth noting that when students who havewith a staff role, e.g. Student Partner Interns, access the Discovery tool they will be asked to set up a staff, rather than student profile (asking them which department they work in, rather than what subject they are studying). They will then be able to access the staff, rather than the student, dashboard within the tool.  The digital capabilities questionnaire they can access is very similar to the ‘current student’ questionnaire, giving them an in-depth exploration of their digital capabilities.  If interested, they can also access the the 2 additional questionnaires (‘Effective online digital teaching’ – based on Laurillard’s Conversational framework; ‘AI and Gen AI’; ‘Accessibility and Inclusion’; Leading digital change) available within the staff dashboard.   

Students and staff can access further resources within the Discovery tool

In addition to the selected resources recommended to students within their personalised reports from the Discovery tool, students can access extensive further resources within the tool. Staff can also review and access these resources by logging in to the Discovery tool and clicking on the ‘Resource bank’ icon in the menu.

Staff can receive reports on their students’ data from the anonymised Institutional data dashboard 

Please contact your Faculty elearning team to be put in touch with the staff member who can feedback relevant data for your cohort/course.

Consider where digital capability support is signposted throughout the student journey 

Reference to digital capability support is included within the University’s Transition resource shared with all offer holders annually and within the online Welcome and Induction resources. 

Include within learning outcomes, supporting students to articulate and take ownership of the skills they’re developing 

Supporting students to recognise the skills they are developing, e.g. by signposting digital capabilities ILOs learning outcomes within Programmes / Units, is critical to them being able to take ownership of their digital capabilities and confidently showcase and discuss them with potential employers. Alongside extensive support offer by the University Careers Service, this blog from the University Careers Service encourages students to consider how they can evidence their digital capabilities when updating their CVs: Digital CV makeover? You are savvier than you think.  University new programme, new unit and programme amendment forms are being updated to include capturing information around how students will be supported to develop and articulate their digital capabilities. 

‘Embed / signpost enhancing activities that provide recognition

The Library’s online resources have been consolidated into this overarching start to finish guide: Library support for digital skills 

• As mentioned, students can use the Discovery tool to reflect on their digital progress. It is recommended that students complete the ‘New’ student questionnaire on arrival and then complete the ‘Current’/returning student questionnaire annually, enabling them to reflect on their progress and action plan their next steps. 

• LinkedIn Learning is currently available to all students and staff until June 2026 via Flexible Learning pilot.  This Library resource helps students to get started with the extensive professional development support hosted on this platform. 

• Industry recognised certifications, e.g. from Microsoft, are available for students to take through the Library.   

• This student-facing digital wellbeing resource encourages active consideration of how digital wellbeing can be promoted and embedded 

• Digital and study skills support is represented within the University’s Central learning environment pedagogical standards and template. 

• Digital capability underpins digital equity and reference to digital capability support and the University’s Digital Equity Charter for students has been included in the University programme handbook template for 2025/26

The Digital Learning Hub signposts access to and support to use: the Discovery tool; Linkedin Learning including the opportunity to sign up as a Linkedin Learning Curator to create your own learning paths you can share with students and colleagues and information about Microsoft 365 peer support workshops delivered by ITS Digital Champions. 

In addition to giving an overview of digital capabilities and the MLE resource / Discovery tool, this staff-facing resource outlines how students can be supported to consider their development once they have completed the Discovery tool and received their personalised digital capabilities reports.

Implementing the Digital Equity Charter 

The Digital Equity Charter marks an important step forward, setting the University’s intentions for digital equity. All staff are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the Charter and to include reference to the Charter and available support within Programme information as appropriate.  

The following summary details existing support and our next steps across each of the contributing elements towards a digitally inclusive teaching, learning and student experience. We recommend reading the following summary alongside the Charter. 

Teaching, Learning and Assessment 

This section of the Charter commits to embedding: 

• Digital capability development 
• Digital wellbeing support 

It is worth considering how we support each of these within our Teaching Learning and Student Experience. Examples include:  

• Accessibility and inclusion within our curriculum design and delivery  

Digital Wellbeing is defined by Jisc as, ‘the impact of technologies and digital services on people's mental, physical, social and emotional health.’ 

This Jisc Quick Guide gives an introduction to ‘Promoting digital wellbeing for learners.’  For more in-depth guidance, this: ‘Good practice principles to support the digital wellbeing of your learners and staff’ Guide identifies four educational contexts for digital wellbeing: ‘Digital social wellbeing; Digital personal wellbeing; Digital learning wellbeing; and Digital work wellbeing.’ 

It is worth considering how we support each of these within our Teaching Learning and Student Experience. Examples include: 

• allowing appropriate time for transitions and breaks when timetabling activities; 

• managing expectations around channels of communications; 

• supporting students to getting the most out of their learning irrespective of the modality. 
• The Strategies for effective learning MLE resource provides additional support around this for students.  
• Accessibility and inclusion within our curriculum design and delivery 

There is a range of internal and external support to help you design for accessibility and inclusion, including recommended hardware specifications outlined below. 

Internal Support 

• UoM Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training and Support for staff. 

• The EDI and ITS Digital Inclusion Strategy Group is defining a project within the Strategic Change Office to undertake work to make UoM digital products (developed and procured) accessible and compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and government accessibility legislation.  As part of this work, webinars and resources have been commissioned from Ability Net. They can be accessed here on the UoM Digital Inclusion pages. For further information on the accessibility strategy please email the team. 

• ITL Resources: Making accessible teaching content and Inclusivity in education. 

• The Microsoft 365 Champions offer a peer-led workshop on ‘Accessibility in Microsoft 365’: MCRO185.  

• FBMH Quick checks, FSE Teaching Academy resources include support to create accessible teaching and learning content. 

• FSE Teaching Academy resources include support to create accessible teaching and learning content. 

• An Accessibility and Inclusion question set is available to staff within the Jisc Discovery tool and there are accompanying resources in the tool’s resource bank to support development. 

• There are resources within Linkedin learning to support understanding and enhancing accessibility. 

External Support 

• Government Guidance: Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies articulates what's legally required to make systems accessible. 

• This Ability.net article outlines the statutory ‘Accessibility requirements for Higher and Further Education organisations’. 

• The Further and Higher Education Digital Accessibility Working Group's digital accessibility toolkit. 

• Advance HE: Inclusive curriculum design in Higher Education. 

Jisc Guides: 

• Getting started with accessibility and inclusion 

• Accessibility regulations – what you need to know 

• Meeting Accessibility regulations 

• Creating an inclusive learner journey 

• Digital inclusion. 

• Accessibility and inclusivity are key considerations throughout the Central Learning Environment (CLE) and the wider Digital Learning Environment (DLE) to ensure educational resources are available to all individuals. The University is creating an inclusive digital learning environment to cater to diverse requirements, promote equal opportunities for all students and foster a culture of diversity and inclusion through the design and development of templates in Canvas. 

Minimum hardware specifications 

The recommended minimum specifications below. Programmes are asked to adapt as needed and communicate the relevant minimum requirements annually to new and returning Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught students ahead of their arrival and return to Manchester. 

The Disability Advisory and Support Service (DASS) advises: 

For Windows computers, the minimum specifications as outlined by DSA regulations is an i5 processor from 2017 or later, 8GB RAM, 250GB SSD. All MacBooks/Airs etc are generally suitable.  

For Transnational Education: 

The following is included in the standard Offer Letter to students taking online / transnational courses so that they know what they need to be able to engage with the course:   

• Regular access to a computer with internet access fast enough to run video conferencing/stream video lectures. 

• A computer that meets the software requirements of video conferencing and other software: Broadband internet connection; desktop or laptop PC with Windows 11 or later; 4 GB RAM; 6 GB disk space for installation (with administrator rights to be able to install relevant software as needed). 

Access to hardware, software, connectivity and infrastructure

The student-facing 'Access computers, software, and the internet' webpage includes a range of resources to students including Student IT Support, connecting to our free Wifi, and accessing computers on campus. 

We encourage you to promote to students that free WiFi is available on campus (alongside IT policies and guidance) during pre-arrival / induction / return, as appropriate. 

From recent work by Jisc exploring international students’ digital experience a lack of awareness of eduroam and free WiFi can result in a detrimental experience: 

“Provide information about how to access the internet on and off campus, including what eduroam is and the common use of reliable wifi versus mobile data in the UK. Without clear explanations about the routes to free or low-cost access, a clear understanding of all the university-supported resources available to them and an explanation of which additional resources are licensed, legal, recommended and low-cost, international students are at a disadvantage.” 

Suitable space to study 

You can signpost students to our Your Study Spaces webpage where they can learn more about and book study spaces on campus. 

The student-facing 'Access computers, software, and the internet' webpage includes a range of resources to students including Student IT Support, connecting to our free Wifi, and accessing computers on campus. 

We encourage you to promote to students that free WiFi is available on campus (alongside IT policies and guidance) during pre-arrival / induction / return, as appropriate. 

From recent work by Jisc exploring international students’ digital experience a lack of awareness of eduroam and free WiFi can result in a detrimental experience: 

“Provide information about how to access the internet on and off campus, including what eduroam is and the common use of reliable wifi versus mobile data in the UK. Without clear explanations about the routes to free or low-cost access, a clear understanding of all the university-supported resources available to them and an explanation of which additional resources are licensed, legal, recommended and low-cost, international students are at a disadvantage.” 

Suitable space to study 

You can signpost students to our Your Study Spaces webpage where they can learn more about and book study spaces on campus. 

While the reports students receive through completion of the Discovery tool can only be viewed by them, an Institutional ‘dashboard’ is also provided. This collates anonymised data from completed questionnaires and benchmarks our University, anonymously, with the sector.

If you are embedding the use of the Discovery tool within your Programme or Unit and would like to receive feedback on how your students are reporting their digital capabilities, please get in touch with your elearning team.

In this postgraduate unit case study, Miriam Firth uses LinkedIn and LinkedIn Learning to help students build a professional digital identity and reflect on employability. Students develop their online presence through weekly posts and portfolios, informed by curated CPD content, with strong feedback on the practical value of digital engagement.

In this case study on an undergraduate unit, Miriam Firth embeds LinkedIn Learning into employability-focused assessment by requiring students to complete 8 hours of self-selected online training aligned to their career goals. Students reflect on their learning and submit certificates as evidence, boosting digital skills and confidence ahead of their Applied Study Period.

Martin Simmons introduced the Jisc Discovery Tool to Welcome Week and academic advising across Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering to help students audit their digital capabilities. With over 200 completions, the tool now informs staff-student discussions and future curriculum planning, supporting continuous digital development.

This case study of a cross-programme initiative by Esnath Magola-Makina, Harsha Parmar & Jenny Silverthorne, displays how they embedded digital capability development across all four years of the MPharm, guided by the Jisc and HEE frameworks. Students completed annual self-assessments, undertook structured online learning, and tracked progress in professional eportfolios. The approach was accredited by the GPhC and is now expanding to include tailored staff CPD, further embedding digital confidence across both teaching and practice.

Emilie Greathead embedded the Jisc Discovery Tool into MAP to help Year 12 students assess and grow digital skills through quizzes and workshops focused on employability. Insights from the tool shaped new guidance, resource development, and future plans to introduce LinkedIn Learning pathways, promoting digital equity and readiness for HE.

For this case study in the Fashion Business Technology programme, Aurelie Le Normand integrated curated LinkedIn Learning paths into both UG and PGT units to reinforce professional knowledge in areas like AI in retail and customer experience. The approach supported self-directed learning, coursework relevance, and CV enhancement, with strong engagement and plans for bespoke content development.

To improve intern onboarding in this case study, Theo Abbott created a structured Learning Pathway on LinkedIn Learning for Student Partners, enabling progress tracking, better UX, and optional exploration of workplace-relevant content. The result is a more autonomous and engaging induction experience, with expanded opportunities for digital literacy growth.

Amanda Conway led the Careers Service in adopting the JISC Discovery Tool across staff teams to audit digital capability and identify shared development priorities. With over 45 completions, the tool sparked uptake of Excel and Camtasia training, and shaped service-wide initiatives in Office 365. The approach encouraged reflection, surfaced skill gaps, and built momentum for a coordinated digital upskilling strategy.

This case study from Catherine Wasiuk and Helen Davidson demonstrates different ways that a new undergraduate programme has embedded digital capabilities into the curriculum.

In this case study Cath Wasiuk, E-Materials Quality Control and Student Support Officer, Integrated Interdisciplinary Innovations in Healthcare Science (i3HS), shares how she created 1minuteCPD - micro-learning supporting staff digital skills development while recognising the time pressures staff face accessing CPD.

In this case study Prof Raj Ariyaratnam describes implementing Nearpod to promote active learning in revision sessions. The digital capabilities tagged are: Digital learning and development; Digital learning & Digital teaching.

This case study from Tim Cappelli, discusses the introduction of a ‘digital logbook’ for clinical skills.  The digital capabilities tagged are: Digital learning and development; Digital learning & Digital teaching.