In conversation with... Helen Green, Learning Developer at LSE LIFE speaks to undergraduate and DSL columnist Kara Jessup and shares her insights on what digital tools will help students in their academic lives, the importance of daily reflection, and the value of offering and receiving feedback.
Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and what exactly it is that you do at LSE LIFE?
I’ve been a Londoner for the last 15 years. I first came to LSE to do an MSc in social and public communication. Academic study and research were such a thrill after so many years of working life! I enjoyed it so much that I did a PhD in social psychology at LSE, too.
At LSE LIFE, a big part of my job is building the workshop offer. That means curating a series of events and workshops that are helpful for students, which happen at a time when they’re useful - and of course, encouraging students to come take part. We introduce basics around what it’s like to study and learn and some ideas on managing time around the beginning of the academic year. We get more specific about crafting convincing arguments in writing in the run up to assignment deadlines, for example. Later, we offer workshops around exams and dissertations. I also teach some of these workshops, and my personal favourites to teach are around reading and getting creative with research topics and research questions.
How do you use digital skills in your role and how do they help you?
I've become much more digital in the last couple years. Between teaching online; recording and editing video and audio; or setting up new network disks, monitors, and mics at home and making them all talk to each other - I've learned a lot in the process of making working from home work! I’d say my most useful digital skill is a "meta-digital" skill: snooping around online for advice. Nearly every time I need to figure out how to do something, someone has already done it, has some advice, and probably made a how-to video. Being curious, searching for solutions, deciding which ones I can manage, and trying them out myself is a "digital skill" for me. We learn in tiny steps and can often lean on others' expertise. I don’t master much, but there's a lot of knowledge out there, and I know how to look for solutions and give things a try. Then of course, I turn to the clever and helpful people in my entourage for advice, which is much nicer than endless how-to videos.
Do you have any advice for current students specifically about useful digital skills?
For writing, I can think of two digital tools that were useful for me. One is Scrivener. It really helped me with my thesis! Mostly because it helped me switch very easily between the small, specific points I needed to make and the bigger picture - the argumentative flow of the entire thesis. I liked the features for outlining and making notes about each section (word count, deadlines, etc.). My favourite feature was the virtual corkboard for index cards! (I use a lot of non-digital index cards, too.) I think this could be helpful for dissertations or any long text. That said, it is a paid product - but they do offer a free trial.
I also used Mendeley for generating references - but also for keeping all the .pdfs of my sources in order. I also used it for keeping my reading notes together with the original texts. There are a few different reference management tools that do this. The great folks at the Library run sessions on Endnote and Zotero, and offer personalised, one-to-one advice, either during their surgeries - or simply by getting in touch with them, as and when questions come up.
I have to say though, for me, writing every day with a pen and paper is really important. It changes the pace of my thinking - slows me down in an interesting way. So my advice for students would be to write a little bit every day: what you learned, some questions you have, a new idea, something you read about or saw, how you are. Maybe mastering some digital skills for "getting things done" can allow more space and time for this kind of reflection - whether you do it with a pen or a keyboard!
If you had one piece of advice to offer students while they're still at LSE, what would it be?
One thing I think we can all take advantage of at LSE is feedback. And I mean feedback in the largest sense - offering and receiving genuine and constructive reactions, opinions, and ideas - whether it's about course work, research plans, or frankly any idea. University is an obvious place for feedback - but I mean more than a mark on an assignment. LSE is a place full of curious and intelligent people with a huge range of experiences and expertise. The potential to connect with people, both to seek their reactions to your ideas and to offer your own views on theirs, is a luxury we have here.
As a "receiver", if you're practiced at asking for others' views, listening with an open mind, and then selecting and applying what’s useful, you'll always be able to discover different perspectives and perhaps better ways of doing things. As for giving feedback, the ability to look at something together with someone, genuinely and thoughtfully, and then sharing your views constructively is an important talent!
So my advice is: whether it's an outline for an essay, a proposal for new project, or what might be a crazy idea, find the courage to share it with someone, early on, in order to involve others' perspectives as you build it. And if you're fortunate enough to be asked your opinion on something, try your best to listen and respond generously - it could be the beginning of an interesting exchange! Whichever side of the "feedback loop" you're on, it always an opportunity to learn something and it can be a fascinating way to connect with other people.