Digital technology, use and technical skills include our ability to understand and use digital and technological systems and tools effectively and collaboratively. Skills include digital literacy (our ability to seek and communicate information using digital media), our digital ethics (ensuring we use digital platforms and technology ethically) and our ability to collaborate (sharing and collaborating using online platforms). They also include proficient use of software, programming ability, data analysis and coding. Digital and technology skills also include our thought processes, such as computational thinking - which requires us to use data to solve problems whilst also creating new processes which can be used repeatedly. Digital technology, use and technical skills will also help us to understand a range of different systems, how they work and how they can be used effectively to make processes easier, faster and more efficient.
To learn more about your skills in this category, you can evaluate your skills through the ‘Skills Discovery’ tool, via your CRSID.
Skills included in this area
There are a number of skills you can develop in this area; you might choose to develop a range of them at once or focus on individual skills. At some level digital, technology use and technical skills are prevalent in our daily tasks. You would not be expected to be an expert in all of them to get a good grasp on this wider skills category – in fact just a developing proficiency of one or two skills in this area can build confidence. For some job roles you would be expected to have a strong, even expert, proficiency in digital and technical skills. If you are thinking about where to start, looking at job descriptions for core skills in areas that interest you can give you an idea of what level you might need to progress. Skills such as ‘fostering inclusiveness’ ‘integrity & ethical behaviour’ and ‘working with accuracy’ can be developed more generally, particularly through your study and should be viewed in the context of digital skills and technology use (for example, being responsible for the programmes we create, making web pages accessible and content is accurate).
- Coding skills and languages
- Computational and algorithmic thinking
- Cybersecurity literacy
- Data analysis and statistics
- Data literacy
- Data management
- Digital collaboration
- Digital ethics
- Digital learning
- Digital literacy
- Digital marketing/social media
- Fostering Inclusiveness
- Information seeking
- Integrity & Ethical behaviour
- Logical reasoning
- Programming literacy
- Structured problem solving
- Systems Evaluation
- Tech translation and enablement
- Technology design and programming
- Technology use,
- Working with accuracy
Ideas to develop skills in this area
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Coding & Programming Languages – develop skills through your academic study/modules
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Produce models and drawings using software programmes
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Coding & Programming Languages – undertake a structured, formal course.
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Coding & Programming Languages – work on professional projects
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Coding & Programming Languages – create your own recreational projects.
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Take part in a Hackathon.
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Take part in a technical workshop – such as a music production workshop.
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Use LinkedIn learning for short and in-depth courses on a variety of topics including AI, cyber security, excel, giving presentations, marketing, coding, programming, image editing and so on. You can use your CRSID to log-in to LinkedIn to link it to your account to access it for free.
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Access training courses via the University of Cambridge UIS training directory to access courses to support your development including the Digital Literacy course timetable
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Access curated training from the JISC Digital Communication, Collaboration and Participation course list (via UIS)
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Access curated training from the JISC Digital identity and wellbeing courses (via UIS)
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Access short courses from the UIS curated training suite on the theme of ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI)’ – choosing from ‘beginners’ courses to ‘Advanced’ (check that your status i.e. student, postgraduate, staff, is the target audience for the course before enrolment).
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Use the Cisco Networking Academy course suite to access courses on foundation ‘tech’ areas, such as cybersecurity, python, programming and data science (via UIS with CRSID)
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Learn more about resources available for hybrid working through UIS
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Undertake Cyber Security Awareness Training for students via UIS
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Access the MATLAB online training portal via UIS (STEM)
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Look through the Cambridge Students Union societies directory (find or start a society- all with various committee roles) and the list of Registered Clubs & Societies. Many will have digital/web/IT/internet officer roles, or roles involved with marketing (creating social media posts, images and web management)
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Become a member of your college JCR/MCR (look for roles involving web/digital/IT)
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Access the JISC Digital Skills training portal (via UIS/Raven ID). The JISC Digital Skills programme curates digital skills development recommendations based on those the JISC Discovery Tool has identified, personalised to you.
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Use resource and skills sessions on data management. Start by searching the university library skills sessions (Raven ID) (select ‘Data Management’ under the ‘topic’ filter.
For more ideas, see the sections on Community & Volunteering, Professional Development, Societies & Committees
Other skills categories to explore
Interpersonal, communication and social skills
Writing, analytical and reporting skills
Learning, thinking and reasoning
|
Skill |
Definition |
|
Coding skills and languages |
The ability to understand programming languages (e.g., to fix errors in code, solve IT problems, or create new software features). |
|
Computational and algorithmic thinking |
The ability to analyse real-world problems by breaking them into smaller and logical steps and creating models that are easily executable by a computer. |
|
Cybersecurity literacy |
The ability to understand and effectively protect oneself and others against online threats and risks (e.g., phishing attacks, malware infections, or data breaches). |
|
Data analysis and statistics |
The ability to analyse large volumes of data using analytical methods, discerning patterns and trends, and generating statistical insights into the data. |
|
Data literacy |
The ability to understand ways of creating, collecting, validating, and storing data and be able to communicate them in a meaningful way. |
|
Data management |
The ability to gather, organise, and store data in a way it can be analysed and visualised for making informed decisions. |
|
Digital collaboration |
The ability to collaborate with others across virtual channels (e.g., email, video calls, file-sharing platforms, content creation software, etc.). |
|
Digital ethics |
The ability to use and engage in the digital world and online relationships responsibly while considering ethical impacts (e.g., privacy, accountability). |
|
Digital learning |
The ability to acquire knowledge and skills through digital tools (e.g., websites, e-books, online communities, etc..) and identify the most reliable resources. |
|
Digital literacy |
The ability to utilise digital tools to find, critically evaluate, create and communicate information via digital media platforms, popular software, or AI. |
|
Digital marketing/social media |
The ability to use social media and other online channels to reach, inform, and engage with an audience. |
|
Fostering Inclusiveness |
The ability to appreciate diverse points of view and provide access and respect to individuals of any orientation and background. |
|
Information seeking |
The ability to identify missing information and assess the most efficient place or resources where to look for answers. |
|
Integrity & Ethical behaviour |
The ability to be honest and show a consistent adherence to strong moral and ethical principles that guide one in any situation. |
|
Logical reasoning |
The ability to draw conclusions, make judgements, and accept or reject certain information based on logical evaluation of facts and arguments. |
|
Programming literacy |
The ability to understand the principles of software development, machine learning, coding, or data visualisation. |
|
Structured problem solving |
The ability to solve complex problems by breaking them into parts, identifying the root causes of each issue, and applying analytical techniques to find solutions. |
|
Systems Evaluation |
The ability to identify measures and indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct its performance. |
|
Tech translation and enablement |
The ability to foster collaboration between technical and non-technical domains or teams and use technology to add value to a project. |
|
Technology design and programming |
The ability to create or adapt a piece of software or technology equipment to serve user needs. |
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Technology use, monitoring and control |
The ability to assess indicators of a system and control operations to ensure correct and smooth running. |
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Web development |
The ability to build and maintain websites. |
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Working with accuracy |
The ability to perform tasks correctly, accurately and with detail orientation. |