Being able to communicate well with one another is an essential life skill – and the ability to do this digitally is becoming increasingly important. But just as we spend our early years learning the do’s and don’ts when it comes to communicating with those around us, it’s also important to recognise the different dynamics that communicating online can bring.
In the fifth blog of their digital skills series, Katie Steen, Digital Skills Lead at the University of Exeter, discusses the intricacies of effective digital communications.
What do we mean by digital communication?
“Digital communication is any communication using digital media and networks”, as defined by JISC. So this could include chatting with friends via instant messaging and online videos or sharing photos with your family via personal social media accounts.
Where digital communication becomes more complex in terms of how we use it, is when our interactions online go from a private dialogue in a controlled personal space into a public conversation on a global stage. For example, when publicly commenting on social media networks or designing website communication messages on behalf of the workplace.
Private versus public communications
What’s key to being effective at digitally communicating, is knowing your audience; appreciating the distinctions that need to be made if it’s for a private or public receiver (for example: style of language, technical and accessibility considerations, type of digital media used etc).
It’s important to be aware that communications through public digital channels, whether for personal or professional purposes, are open to far more scrutiny than in the private domain. Appreciating this, can help minimise the risk of inadvertently causing offense or creating wrong impressions.
Our own digital communications
Recognising the value of good communications, Dave Weller and I have produced a Digital Skills Initiative SharePoint site, to update colleagues on the work that we’re doing within the Digital team to digitally upskill colleagues, students, and the wider community. If you’re a University of Exeter colleague, please take a look and get in touch with us if you’re keen to know more!
– Written by Katie Steen, Digital Skills Lead
Want to learn more about how we communicate in the Digital team? Take a look at this blog to read about how we use agile communications techniques.