All posts in category HWU Dubai

New year, new you …

Want to learn new skills this year? Perhaps you want to become a Photoshop Pro, an awesome photographer or even learn how to play an instrument? Remember LinkedIn Learning isn’t just for IT skills:

  • collection of paint brushesIf you’ve got a new camera or phone for Christmas you’ll find lots of videos and courses to help improve your photography skills.
  • If you want to take up a creative hobby, LinkedIn Learning can help with painting, drawing, and animation.
  • Or if your new year’s resolution is to better understand social media, you can find short courses on twitter and Instagram.

It’s quick and easy to access LinkedIn Learning courses from any device — anytime and anywhere.

If you have problems accessing LinkedIn Learning please contact IT helpdesk on +44 (0) 131 451 4045 or email ithelp@hw.ac.uk

lil1

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by Kirsty Thomson on 15 January 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, Staff, Student
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Posted by Kirsty Thomson on 15 January 2019

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2019/01/15/new-year-new-you/

Introducing BrowZine – the journal browsing tool

Our new tool allows you to find and browse scholarly journals that we subscribe to in your subject area and keep up to date with the latest research.

Access Browzine directly from the “Browse Journals” link on the Discovery home page, or select “Browse articles in this journal” from search results. 

screendshot of search results on Discovery with 'Browse articles in the journal' link

Then browse journals in your subject areas and register for an account to add journals to your ‘Bookshelf’. You can also download an app for iOS and Android, which will alert you when new issues of the journals on your bookshelf are available.   

Picture of BrowZine home page

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by Rachel Whittington on 17 December 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, Staff, Student

Posted by Rachel Whittington on 17 December 2018

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2018/12/17/introducing-browzine-the-journal-browsing-tool/

Heriot-Watt secures Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation #InformationServices

We have recently been awarded Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation in information security following an audit by a Scottish Government approved assessment body, ID Cyber Solutions.

The UK government scheme, which is specifically designed for public sector organisations in the UK, is a globally recognised certification that serves as a kite mark for industries around the world and is increasing becoming a requirement for research funders.

Receiving the certification is testament to our commitment to cyber security. It is also a demonstration of our commitment to continuous process improvement and safeguarding data

Kathy McCabe, Global Director Information Services

The certification covers the entire range of IT services provided within the university. It includes an assurance framework and a set of security controls to protect information from threats coming from the internet. Cyber Essentials Plus includes additional independent testing which requires an on-site technical assessment.

We achieved accreditation by the 31st October 2018 target date set out by the Scottish Government as part of its Cyber Resilience Strategy for Scotland, making it the largest Scottish University of our size and complexity to achieve the CE+ certification to date.

Kathy McCabe, Global Director of Information Services labelled the certification a huge achievement and an absolute credit to the teams involved”, saying it was the “culmination of many thousands of hours of work undertaken by an institution-wide team of dedicated colleagues.”

She added: “Receiving the certification is testament to our commitment to cyber security. It is also a demonstration of our commitment to continuous process improvement and  safeguarding data. But more than that, it provides the necessary accreditation to access funding from a range of funders, a proactive step giving Heriot-Watt an advantage over other HEIs/competitors.” 

Congratulations to everyone involved.

Cyber-EssentialsPlus-forweb (1)

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by cdonlan on 15 November 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, News and Information, Security
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Posted by cdonlan on 15 November 2018

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2018/11/15/heriot-watt-secures-cyber-essentials-plus-accreditation-informationservices/

Academic staff – call for reading lists…

Stack of Library BooksReading lists for items for the start of semester 2 should be received by 30th November 2018. We will still purchase any items requested after then but can’t guarantee that they will be available for the start of semester.

Please note that if your reading list has no changes from last year you do not need to submit it again.

Please let us know about new books or editions that you want, or if the number of students on your course has greatly increased (we will then need your reading list and the number of students).  If your course is completely new please submit your full reading list with plenty of time for us to provide all the books.
Please note that we will be giving preference to eBook copies of titles where available as this provides access to all HWU students

How to request recommended reading

Edinburgh or Orkney Campuses

If books are needed at the Edinburgh or Orkney campuses please send your reading lists to libord@hw.ac.uk with the information above or use the book order form.

Dubai or Malaysia Campuses

If you also need copies of books to be available at the Dubai and/or Malaysia campuses please contact their libraries directly as they place their own orders for stock. They can be contacted at DubaiLibHelp@hw.ac.uk and MYLibrary@hw.ac.uk respectively.

Scottish Borders Campus

If books are for the Scottish Borders Campus please contact J.H.McIntyre@hw.ac.uk

Via email – please send the following information:

  •       Title and code of the course
  •          Details of the items needed (as much information as possible is helpful, e.g., author, title, ISBN, publisher, year, edition)
  •          Number of expected students
  •          If an item is a key text
  •         If the item is to be available as a three hour loan (rather than for week or standard (16 week) loan)
  •          If there is a reason to provide a print rather than an eBook copy. 

 

IDL students

If books on your course are needed by IDL students please make sure that the books are available as eBooks before your list is given to students. Unfortunately not all titles are available as eBooks and IDL students have previously reported problems reading material recommended by staff. Please let me know if you want more information about this or to find out if a title is available as an eBook as we can check for you.

ALP students

If titles on your course are needed by ALP students please be aware that we do not purchase books for ALP libraries and individual ALP libraries are responsible for their own purchasing. However ALP students do have access to our eResources so will be able to use any eBooks on reading lists.

Via the online form (for Edinburgh and Orkney campuses only currently):

Items on reading lists can also be requested using the book request form which is accessed from the link on the “Suggest a book” page . Please select ‘Yes’ from the drop down menu at the first question ‘Is this book on a reading list?’.

Wider reading

To request books to support students’ wider reading for research, dissertations, theses, projects etc please again use the request form link on the “Suggest a book” page  and select ‘No’ from the drop down menu at the first question ‘Is this book on a reading list?’. These items are automatically forwarded to the School’s Library Representative for approval and will not be purchased until he or she has approved them.

Journal articles and book chapters

If you require online copies of book chapters or journal articles, then this can be done through our digital copies service.

If you have any questions please contact Ellen Peacock, Aquisitions & Metadata Manager (e.peacock@hw.ac.uk Ext 3573)

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by cdonlan on 14 November 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, Staff

Posted by cdonlan on 14 November 2018

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2018/11/14/academic-staff-call-for-reading-lists-7/

Top ten courses on LinkedIn Learning

Screenshot of a PowerPoint Quick Tips course on LinkedIn Learning.All staff and students at Heriot-Watt now have access to LinkedIn Learning, a collection of 12,000+ digital courses on business, creative and management topics.  LinkedIn Learning provides personalised course recommendations based on your interests, skillset, experience and goals, delivered by industry experts with real-world experience.

The current top ten courses at Heriot-Watt are:

  1. Learning C#
  2. How to use LinkedIn Learning
  3. Learning Java
  4. Learning Python
  5. Python for Data Science Essential Training
  6. Communication within Teams
  7. Developing Your Emotional Intelligence
  8. Project Management Foundations
  9. Strategic Thinking
  10. Python Essential Training

LinkedIn Learning covers a huge range of topics, such as app development; Microsoft Office; entrepreneurship; social media marketing; photography and many more.  You can access LinkedIn Learning online or via the Heriot-Watt portal.

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by Kirsty Thomson on 09 November 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, IT Training, Staff, Student

Posted by Kirsty Thomson on 09 November 2018

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2018/11/09/top-ten-courses-on-linkedin-learning/

How to spot ‘fake news’

 

Anyone who has been to one of our classes on Literature Searching will be aware of the importance of evaluating information – and its source – for your academic work. This is also important in your day to day life as well, especially if you get most of your information from social media. When reading anything online, take a moment to stop and follow this guide. If the story sounds suspicious, you can also use fact checking sites like Snopes and Full Fact.

    • how-to-spot-fake-news-IFLA

 

 

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by Rachel Whittington on 12 October 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, Staff, Student

Posted by Rachel Whittington on 12 October 2018

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2018/10/12/how-to-spot-fake-news/

‘Email De-activation Request’ – How to Spot a Phishing Scam

Here is some updated advice following the latest round of Phishing emails, with subject lines such as ‘Email De-activation Request’ or ‘Important Doc’.

When you receive a suspicious email, stop and take a moment to think about:

  • Who
  • Why
  • What
  • When 
  • Where
  1. Who and why: Check the sender and the logic of their request

Most of the time a spam email will come from an unfamiliar organisational email address. However, if it is from a recognised email address, you need to be extra cautious and report it immediately to the owner or the email administrator to verify it.

In the recent case, where staff and student accounts were compromised, the sender appears as a genuine HWU user. In that case, consider whether it’s reasonable that a fellow student or teaching member of staff is asking you to verify your IT account details.

  1. What: Read the message

Don’t ever fall to trickeries stated in the email example like a link asking for a reset password which you don’t request, quizzes that require you to login or asking for your digital signature. Always be sure that the email is legitimate before proceeding to click any links in it. If in doubt, check with ithelp@hw.ac.uk in the first instance.

Never feel so rushed into doing something in a hurry. Think what you’re being asked to do. In general terms, deleting a message is the safest course of action after reading and considering the contents of an unexpected email.

  1. Where is it taking you: Got an attachment or link? Look out!

Attachments may contained malware and viruses. Again, be vigilant and always ensure the email that you received is legitimate and from a trustable source. Check (hover over or right click on a link) to see where it is you are being sent. If the web address is unfamiliar or in any way suspicious, don’t go there. If you do arrive at a strange site though, never enter your Heriot Watt credentials in any of the forms there.

  1. When: Report it, immediately

If you are unsure don’t wait but please report any suspicious email right away to IT by attaching the email and send it to Abuse@hw.ac.uk. If you think your account has been compromised, don’t delay and please seek assistance immediately from ITHelp@hw.ac.uk

 

If you think you have received a spam or phishing email:

DON’T click on any links or open any attachments

DO forward the email to abuse@hw.ac.uk and delete it

 

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by Rachel Whittington on 09 October 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, Staff, Student

Posted by Rachel Whittington on 09 October 2018

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2018/10/09/email-de-activation-request-how-to-spot-a-phishing-scam/

Happy Libraries Week!

Today marks the start of Libraries Week 2018. We’ll be writing all week about how you can maintain your digital wellbeing, whether that’s how to spot a phishing scam or how to manage your ‘Digital Footprint’. Today, we wanted to focus on some of the ways in which we work with Student Wellbeing Services to support you.

Bibliotherapy Guide.

We worked with the Student Wellbeing Services to develop the Bibliotherapy Guide as a list of self-help books, websites and other resources on a range of topics. It’s constantly being developed, but if you have anything you’d like to suggest do contact us at LibHelp@hw.ac.uk.

Power Hours. 

Wellbeing Services have been running sessions as part of the Power Hours programme on the Edinburgh Campus for close to 10 years. For example, this week they are running the following sessions on the Edinburgh Campus:

Self Care and Your Studies: Tuesday 9 October, 15.30 – 17:00.

This session focuses on how to manage your wellbeing and how to deal with the challenges and stresses of students life. Run by the Student Counselling Service, this workshop will provide an opportunity to think about your work/life balance, discover resources and gather helpful tips to enhance your University experience.

How to Stop Putting Things Off: Friday 12 October, 12:15 – 13:15, Anderson Room .

Putting things off until tomorrow? Avoiding completing tasks altogether? Feeling de-motivated? Putting off or delaying starting work can result in us feeling more stressed and under pressure, yet we can find ourselves repeating this behaviour time and time again. This workshop will explore: the reasons why we put things off, what we can do about it and ideas to help with motivation and “getting started”.

To book, visit the Power Hours website 

To find out more about what Student Wellbeing Services are doing on your campus, visit their webpages.

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by Rachel Whittington on 08 October 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, Staff, Student

Posted by Rachel Whittington on 08 October 2018

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2018/10/08/happy-libraries-week/

HWU Vision Upgrade – July 2018

Essential planned downtime of Vision

Information Services are upgrading Vision this summer and making a move to a cloud solution (SaaS) which involves some system downtime (with a ‘read only’ version still available).
The essential planned downtime of Vision will be from 0:00 BST 13/07/2018 until 14:00 18/07/2018.
In the future, the University will benefit from (almost) no downtime when managing upgrades.

There will be no immediate change to the user experience for students and colleagues (We will continue to use Learn with the Original Experience) but the look and feel will be updated and the ongoing updates will improve user experience.

Deletion of old Vision courses

As part of the migration of Vision to the cloud, there will be a clean-up and deletion of old Vision courses some dating back to 2005.

The course IDs outlined below will be deleted during the migration on 13/07/2018.  It is an easy process to download the course files in a zipped package or move the files to another course. Instructions available on Blackboard Help.

Course IDs to be deleted:

  • _2005-2006
  • _2006-2007
  • _2007-2008
  • _2008-2009
  • _2009-2010
  • _2010-2011
  • _2011-2012
  • _2012-2013
  • _2013-2014

Apologies for the disruption and thanks for your patience.

For more information or any questions about the upgrade, please contact Caroline Dobson, Information Services.

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by cdonlan on 29 June 2018  •  Permalink
Posted in HWU at SBC, HWU Dubai, HWU Edinburgh, HWU Malaysia, HWU Orkney, News and Information, VISION (VLE)
Tagged

Posted by cdonlan on 29 June 2018

https://informs.hw.ac.uk/2018/06/29/hwu-vision-upgrade-july-2018/

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