Developing Digital Skills with iChamps

One of the joys of working at the University of Southampton is that I get to work across all the faculties and meet with some brilliant innovators. There has been a flurry of activity over the last week or so.

I met with Scott Border today who has chosen to work with Oli Galgut (Medical Student) to support him in the development of digital skills for his students. It just takes ideas, some cool tools and lots of time (and support) to make it all happen. Scott is planning to work with Oli over the next year to use digital technology to work on some of the ideas raised by students through the feedback that they gave on his modules.

For Humanities we have two new iChamps – both in Music and working with their academic team, led by David Bretherton. Harry Williams and Anna Kent-Muller. They both have key roles to develop particular digital skills for both students and staff through workshops with students and supporting innovative ideas that staff have for their modules.

Last week I met with John Shrimpton from the Faculty of Engineering and the Environment. He has two iChamps working with him, Bradley Heslop and Barnaby Abbott. Both students are in their fourth year and have exciting ideas to support the digital agenda.

The students are part of the Innovation and Digital Literacies Champions (iChamps) network of students working with academics across the university. The scheme is now in its third year and supported by the Institute for Learning Innovation and Development (ILIaD). The iChamps are part of a wider university initiative called the Southampton Opportunity.