TechSkills

TechSkills is a package of workshops, online resources, activities and face to face support to help you develop and enhance your technology skills.

Whatever your subject or level of study you will most likely need to understand and use different forms of technology to complete your course. Whether you are a complete beginner and want to learn how to use a PC effectively, need help getting started with a particular software application or would like to come along to one of our informal makerspace activities – TechSkills has something to offer you.

Our TechSkills workshops, events and activities run throughout the academic year and cover a wide range of technology subjects.

Previous workshops have included:

• Introduction to Creative Poster Design – This session begins with hints and tips about creative poster design then offers the opportunity to follow step by step instructions to create a basic example poster using Microsoft Publisher.
• Introduction to Academic Poster Design – This workshop begins with hints and tips about academic poster design then offers the opportunity to follow step by step instructions to create an example academic poster design using Microsoft Publisher.
• Create a Basic Blog – Overview of how to create a Wix blog, from signing up for an account and understanding the user interface to adding content and sharing it.
• Create a Basic Website – Overview of how to create a Wix/Google website, from signing up for an account and understanding the user interface to building the website structure, adding content including text, images and videos and creating a menu and links.
• Getting Started with Adobe Premiere Pro – Learn how to set up a project in Premiere Pro, import video files and assemble a simple sequence – add effects, render and export the edited video in the correct format.
• Windows 10 Hints, Tips & Shortcuts – Learn useful keyboard shortcuts, how to effectively store your data and find it efficiently, how the Task Manager works, important accessibility settings and handy everyday essentials to consider when using a PC at Edge Hill.

Students may also book a 1-2-1 appointment for personal help and support related to any of our TechSkills workshops.

Recent interactive TechSkills events in Catalyst have included showcasing augmented and virtual reality systems, programmatically creating virtual 3D models, operating 3D printers to produce intricate physical designs, an introduction to robotics via constructing and programming Robogators and our Nao artificially intelligent humanoid bots and an instructional demonstration of digital technologies designed to help train future medical practitioners.

Specialist Workstations

Specialist workstations are located within Catalyst to facilitate student access to professional creative media, geography, computer science and EditShare applications. Students can reserve a specialist workstation for up to 3 hours to ensure it will be available when required.

Reserve a specialist workstation

Specialist categories

1-2-1 appointments

We offer 30 minute 1-2-1 appointments with a TechSkills adviser.

Book an appointment for digital technologies support

Areas we support:

• Web: Build a website (Wix/Google Sites), Create a blog (Wix/Bloggger), Web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
• Office: Microsoft Publisher (Creative/Academic Poster Design), Microsoft PowerPoint
• Media: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Sway, Skype, Powtoon, Virtual & Augmented Realities
• Windows 10: Accessibility settings, Narrator, Keyboard shortcuts, File compression, Snipping Tool
• 3D Printing: Cura, Thingyverse, Tinkercad
• Presentation Technologies: Classroom & lecture theatre Audio Visual control systems

It may be helpful to bring along:

• An example of work produced using the skills you would like to develop

We can:

• provide advice and guidance in relation to technologies used at Edge Hill
• signpost you to online guides and further resources to support you after your appointment
• signpost you to other support services across the University

We can’t:

• advise you on the content of your work as we are not subject specialists
• offer hardware services, personal software installation, or offer a quick fix for an imminent deadline

Free software

The software below is free for students to download and use on their own devices.

Open source software

You might have heard about open source software (which usually means it’s free), or assistive technology – tools you can add to your computer or the software you use, which makes them more adaptable and easier to use. The below software is free for Edge Hill staff and students to use.

These links are a selection of resources that Learning Services feel are from reputable providers. Please note that as all resources are managed by external providers, support for these resources is through the provider and not Edge Hill University.

Software locations

Software	Location
Adobe Creative Cloud Acrobat DC After Effects Animate Audition Character Animator Dreamweaver Illustrator InDesign Lightroom Media Encoder Photoshop Prelude Premiere Pro	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
Adobe Premiere Rush	Available on all PCs throughout Catalyst.
ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Pro	Available on the Geography specialist workstations, PCs on second floor of Catalyst and Geography PCs in the GeoSciences building.
Audacity	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
AutoGraph 3.3	Available on PCs in the Faculty of Education IT labs.
Blender	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub. Can also be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Education\Resources\Blender
BlueJ (Java)	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub. Can also be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Education\Resources\Greenfoot
Capture 2019 Student Edition	Available on the Animation specialist workstations in Catalyst.
Cinema 4D	Available on the Animation specialist workstations in Catalyst and Animation PCs in Creative Edge.
ClaroRead	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
Crumble	Can be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Education\Resources\Crumble
Dartfish	Available on all PCs throughout Catalyst.
Derive	Available on PCs in the Faculty of Education IT labs.
Endnote 20 (inc. Word plugin)	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst and Catalyst laptops.
ERDAS Imagine 2020	Available on the Geography specialist workstations & all PCs on second floor in Catalyst and Geography PCs in the GeoSciences building.
Final Draft 11	Available on PC 9, PC 10, PC 11 & PC 12 within the Silent Study area on the 3rd floor of Catalyst.
Flowgorithm	Can be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Education\Resources\Flowgorithm
GIMP	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub.
Google Earth Pro	Available on the Geography specialist workstations & all PCs on second floor in Catalyst and Geography PCs in the GeoSciences building.
GraphPad Prism 8	Available on 4 PCs in The Loft and PC 6 & PC 7 within the Silent Study area on the 3rd floor of Catalyst.
Harmony	Available on the Animation specialist workstations in Catalyst and Animation PCs in Creative Edge.
Hot Potatoes 6	Available on PCs in the Faculty of Education IT labs.
Inspiration 9	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
Keli uVision4	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub.
Kinovea	Available on PCs in the Wilson Biomechanics lab. Can also be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Sport and Physical Activity\Kinovea
Maxon Cinema 4D	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
MatchWare MindView	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
Maya	Available on the Animation specialist workstations in Catalyst and Animation PCs in Creative Edge.
MEGA 7	Can be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Biology\MEGA7
Mendeley	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst and Catalyst laptops.
Microsoft Mathematics	Can be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Education\Resources\Maths
Microsoft Office 365	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
Microsoft Project	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
Microsoft Visio	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
Microsoft Visual Studio Community	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub.
MSW Logo	Available on PCs in the Faculty of Education IT labs.
NVivo 12	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
Octave	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub.
QGIS	Available on the Geography specialist workstations & all PCs on second floor in Catalyst and Geography PCs in the GeoSciences building.
R for Windows 4.0	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Catalyst laptops.
Read & Write 11	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.
RStudio	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Catalyst laptops.
Robo 3T	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub.
Sage Accounting	Available on 5 PCs on the 2nd floor of Catalyst near the Accountancy book stock.
Scratch	Available on PCs in the Faculty of Education IT labs. Can also be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Education\Resources\Scratch 2
Small Basic	Can be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Education\Resources\Small Basic
SPSS 25	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst, Catalyst laptops and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University. Downloadable for home use from the All Student Services list on the Students Homepage.
StoryBoard Pro	Available on the Animation specialist workstations in Catalyst and Animation PCs in Creative Edge.
Tarsia	Can be run on any networked PC on campus directly from X Drive – X:\Education\Resources\Tarsia
Textease Studio	Available on PCs in the Faculty of Education IT labs.
Trimble Business Center	Available on the Geography specialist workstations in Catalyst and Geography PCs in the GeoSciences building.
UASMaster	Available on the Geography specialist workstations & all PCs on second floor in Catalyst and Geography PCs in the GeoSciences building.
Unity	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub.
Visual Studio Code with Python 3.9 & Java JDK 15	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst.
VLC Media Player	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst.
Weka	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub.
Wireshark	Available on the Computing specialist workstations in Catalyst and Computing PCs in the Tech Hub.
Write-N-Cite	Available on PCs throughout Catalyst and all classrooms, lecture theatres and IT labs throughout the University.

Please note that the majority of this software is supported by staff within departments.

Catalyst floor plans displaying software locations:

• Ground Floor
• Mezzanine
• First Floor
• Second Floor
• Third Floor

IT self help

IT self help guides

We have produced a range of quick guides to the main Microsoft Office applications used at the University together with some that are more comprehensive. Please note that you may need to login to view the comprehensive guides.

Quick Reference Guides

• Windows 10: Hints, Tips & Shortcuts
• Getting Started with Microsoft Teams
• Getting Started with Microsoft OneDrive
• Getting started with Microsoft Word
• Getting Started with Microsoft PowerPoint
• Getting started with Microsoft Excel
• Getting Started with Microsoft Publisher
• Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop
• Getting Started with Adobe Premiere Rush
• Word: Tables, charts and mail merge
• Word: Working with long documents and formal reports
• Excel: Functions and worksheet management
• Excel: Create a basic Gantt chart
• Getting Started With Microsoft OneNote
• Excel: Data lists and pivot tables
• Visio: Getting started
• Read and Write Toolbar
• Read and Write Quick guide

Video Guides

Create a Google (blogger.com) Blog | 30 minutes
How to create a Google (blogger.com) blog, from signing up for an account to understanding the user interface, adding posts and content including text, images and videos, adding supporting pages and managing and previewing the blog.

Create a Wix Blog | 20 minutes
How to create a Wix blog, from signing up for an account and selecting a blog template with supporting pages to understanding the user interface, adding content including text, images and videos and managing and previewing the mini-website and blog.

Create a Basic Google Sites Website | 30 minutes
How to create a Google Sites website, from signing up for an account and understanding the user interface to building the website structure, adding content including text, images and videos and previewing changes.

Create a Basic Wix Website | 30 minutes
How to create a Wix website, from signing up for an account and understanding the user interface to building the website structure, adding content including text, images and videos and creating a menu and links.

Introduction to Creative Poster Design | 30 minutes
Introduction to technical design considerations when creating an A3, A1 or A0 size Creative Poster using Microsoft Publisher, from planning and layout to using colour schemes, backgrounds, shadows and online images. Create a basic Creative Poster example from start to finish incorporating a title, text boxes, layers, shapes and an outline border.

Introduction to Academic Poster Design | 30 minutes
Introduction to technical design considerations when creating an A3, A1 or A0 size Academic Poster using Microsoft Publisher, from planning and layout to using colour, images and Excel charts. Create a basic Academic Poster example from start to finish incorporating a title, subtitle, text blocks, local and online images – includes shaped text areas, cropping images to shapes, colour schemes, alignment, layers, borders and more.

Learning Edge guides

We have a range of guides about using Learning Edge on our Online Learning webpages.

Ask Us knowledge base

You can find hundreds of frequently asked questions regarding such topics as Wi-Fi connection, Blackboard guides, referencing and software support in our Ask Us knowledge base.

If the answer you require isn’t included in our knowledge base you’ll be invited to submit your question to Learning Services. Our average response time for enquiries over the last 12 months is less than two hours.

If you’d prefer to call, text or start a live chat with one of the team you’ll also find these options under the more ways to contact us section on the front page of Ask Us.

University apps

You can find out about the apps Edge Hill University IT Services Department have developed by visiting IT Services.

You will find information about all the new apps which will support your teaching and learning, including the Blackboard Mobile Learn app and a mobile version of our library catalogue.

We aim to improve the experience our users have when using our systems and resources via a mobile device and will announce developments on our blog and news channels so please look out for updates.