Newsletters as a vehicle for progressing digital practice

At the end of September 2022 I co-launched our debut Institute of Health and Allied Professions (IHAP) newsletter, alongside our School Management Support Administrator and Head of Department.  An idea I initiated early in my role (though there had been previous discussions before my arrival), suggesting it to my head as a useful extension to our department meetings, improve general department communications and a central place for staff to share publications rather than email via department mail list.  Additionally,  I had a personal underpinning intention of building connectedness, community and belongingness across the department, through such means.  As well as enabling people with quieter and talkative dispositions a platform to express themselves.

As a digital curriculum lead in the department, I feel it firmly fits within my role to produce this so I took lead on it.  I went onto co-collecting news, curate other news worthy items, produce, edit/write new text and communicate the newsletter, and subsequent news item submission request and feedback forms.

EDIT:  In December 2022, after reading Rod Webb's 'You’re a STAR!' blog post,  I feel his recommendation below reinforces my initiative.

"Make it Easy to Get Recognised

Create frameworks that make it easy for good news stories to be shared.  Encourage people across the organisation to throw a wider spotlight on their own local stars with rewards and public acknowledgment."

Rob explains stars in the context of "Here’s the question I’d like you to ask yourselves the next time you’re looking at the night sky.  Do the stars that shine most brightly, really shine more brightly?  Or is it that they are simply closer and therefore easier to see?  What about the ones you can’t see because you’re looking in the wrong direction?  Or those that can’t be seen at all from your side of the planet?...Remember, there are a lot of stars out there.  The stars that shine most brightly in your orbit, though important, might not be the only stars worth noticing." 

I produced the interactive newsletter using Microsoft Sway, and using the visual embed feature in an Outlook email to distribute across to all IHAP staff members.  The newsletters will be published bi-monthly, but me and my head will review the frequency.  The next one is scheduled for the end of November 2022.  Below illustrates the newsletter structure - I have not included a screenshot due to staff names, personal details and pictures featuring in it.

• Key updates
• Meet the team, Staff Spotlight: [staff name]
• Successes to celebrate incl. publications
• Events and opportunities incl. staff socials, dates for your diaries, appreciation and staffing
• Innovation corner incl. [staff name and topic title]
• Digital developments
• Reflective moment incl. [staff name and topic title]
• How to feature in this newsletter and feedback
• Joyful resource

Besides communicating important department updates and successes, I see interventions like this to celebrate, disseminate and progress digital practices - making them visible to all.  A motivational vehicle to enable others to share and progress their digital practices: literacies; developments; experiments; innovations; achievements/successes; reflections/evaluations and a safe space to share what and why something digital hasn't work.  So I have an underpinning intention of using some of the designated spaces in this newsletter to share such information; digital developments and innovation corner.  So far in this section we have had audio feedback and Vevox practices.  Obtaining pieces like this requires me to engage and work with our academics on capturing and presenting such detail, and or collaboration opportunities to feature in future editions.  Which I have approached a couple via a mini case study format that I have.  I think some may have been reluctant at first, but after they had seen the first one and how it is presented, it has piqued their interest in wanting to share.  The digital developments section highlighted:

• "Digital Curriculum Support and Development - IHAP staff have direct access to a designated learning technologist (me), that offers advice and support on all things technology enhanced learning and teaching.  From embedding digital literacies and skills into the curriculum, innovation and learning design support, to advice and skills in using curriculum-specific learning technologies including PebblePad, H5P, Virtual Reality (VR) immersive walls, NOW, Microsoft Office 365 suite, Microsoft HoloLens, iPads and much more.
• VR wall content - if some academics need any 360° video content to use on the VR wall, and feel able to use our 360° camera - bookable tutorial and handout available.  They can book the camera out via the technicians and capture the footage you need.  Then Digital Curriculum Support and Development will encode the content to be accessible via the VR suites (Clifton and Mansfield).
• Online tips and support - shared some popular self-directed resources and encouraging staff to upload a profile picture/book for a professional picture to be taken.
• Upcoming workshops - listed H5P retreat, understanding and using ATLAS (PebblePad) and VR wall sessions.
• H5P developments - shared my 'IHAP Shared H5P developments catalogue' to preview IHAP-specific in-development and completed H5P objects, also enabling opportunities for academics to co-collaborate with subject content leads and adapt objects for their own courses and modules.  And using H5P Course Presentation title slide placeholders to add a professional flare to Course Presentation H5P objects using one of the samples, created by then intern."

I also took initiative by putting in others bits such as internal communities, department SharePoint site, promoting the use of our #NTUIHAP social media hashtag, and suggested the sections; appreciation and a joyful resource to close the newsletter with.  I also encouraged my head with her reflective moment section inclusion.  I've subtly been modelling gratitude, appreciation and vulnerabilities across the department - I'm not just all about digital!  This was subsequently made an agenda item at the December 2022 department meeting; "IHAP Newsletter – Appreciation/Innovation/Reflective moments".  EDIT:  In the November 2022 edition, over a weekend I pondered over a 'reflective moment'.  Before publishing, at the last minute, I included the following piece on based our colleague social party.

"The value of colleague social events

We spend a good proportion of our lives at work, so I like to make some effort in getting to know colleagues more personally. Having previously come from a highly individualistic work environment, I have realised how important and vital workplace family-like relationships are to feeling a sense of belongingness, self-worth and achievement.

In a role like mine as a learning technologist, where I am present across multiple course teams. It's a challenge to feel connected to a particular team, as well as getting to know people personally. Therefore, I value social events such as the IHAP Christmas party that was held on 25th November 2022. Alcohol or non-alcohol infused (although sometimes it helps!), to me, are crucial to establishing professional working relationships and my own wellbeing. Quality time with colleagues outside of the work boundaries can do us good. With that in mind, I respect those that prefer a clear separation from work and personal lives, and staff socials that may not be for everyone.

At the event I had some great personal conversations with people, and some who I wouldn't have perhaps been as confident to speak to. But now we have got more acquainted, I feel this has now enabled further connection and dialogue between us, even possible friendships, that can be transferred into the work environment. We have more in common beyond our professions than we might have thought. Do not underestimate and take for granted the value of true team spirit when everyone pulls together and to share hearts and minds towards common goals.

Thank you Kathryn Shilling for organising a wonderful event for us to get together and enjoy a good ol' time!"

I'm not a 'rainbows and unicorns' person though.  It is naturally me - not forced internally or externally on me.  I often forget to give appreciation (as well as learn graciously receive) so I have made a conscious effort to do so, so I openly invite others to join me.

The newsletter has been well-received so far by staff - ratings have all been 5* and below are some pieces of feedback I received.  Engagement figures provided by Sway look high and decent too.

• Professor Sara Owen, Executive Dean of the School of Social Sciences - "Hi, I loved this newsletter…so much better than list of publications.  Dan is a talent!  Best wishes Sara"
• Farai Pfende, Senior Lecturer - "Many thanks for a great new digital innovation for HAP."
• Dr Anne Felton, Head of Department - "Thanks for doing such a great job co-ordinating and putting together."
• Dr Anne Felton, Head of Department - "Thanks as always for your flexibility with this."
• Leah Jayes, Senior Lecturer in Public Health - "This is the first newsletter I’ve read since joining, such a great resource, thank you."
• Tara Bromley, School Management Support Administrator - "Thank you for all your work on the newsletter!"
• Nikki Welyczko, Deputy Head of Department - "Btw, I’ve had a look at a couple of past Newsletters and they are fabulous. Really well done!"
• Me - "Thank you Nikki, very kind of you to say.  I do feel they add value to bringing belonginess and community to the department."
• Lin Mantle - "Just caught up – brilliant work in putting all this together Dan – thank you! x"

I'm hoping for the success to continue, and the newsletter to be a staple department communication method.  I will continuously evaluate and collect feedback on it.  I'll report back here as I progress with this intervention.

EDIT:

In January 2023, Nottingham Trent University's communications department reached out to say the following:  "We’re doing a project at the moment, scoping out the types of communications colleagues and students receive from schools.  It’s been flagged to us that you send out an Allied Health Newsletter. 

Are you able to let me know the following:

• How many colleagues does this go to?
• Does it go to any students?
• Is it just sent to Allied Health colleagues? 
• What’s the frequency? 
• What’s the sign off process? 
• How do you get the content to create it? 
• I can see it’s a sway, is it just updated on SharePoint or is it emailed out? 
• Have you had any specific colleague feedback around it?
• Are you able to share your viewing figures?"

This shows that the newsletter has been recognised by central services as a key communication method in our area.