Ready to explore and enhance your digital skills? Follow the simple steps below to sign up for the Jisc Discovery Tool. This fantastic resource helps you identify your strengths, areas to develop, and ways to boost your digital capabilities. Watch the short video below to get started. 

For further support or guidance, please email the Academic Skills Hub 

Step 1: Login

• To login go to jisc.potential.ly
• Start typing the University of Bolton in the search box
• Click on the University of Bolton when it appears
• Select Continue

Step 2: Single Sign On (SSO)

The University uses SSO, therefore, you will be prompted to authenticate via this method.

Step 3: Create Your Account

• The first time you open the discovery tool you will be prompted to create an account
• If you haven't used the Jisc service before, select sign up

• You will then need to:

1. Enter your first and last name
2. Select your affiliation (staff)
3. Enter your email address
4. Create a unique 8 + character password (include at least one upper and lower case character, one number and symbol)
5. Click sign up

• You'll be sent an email link which you need to click on to activate your account
• Once verified, you will be able to sign in using your email and password

Step 4: Account setup

• The first time you open the discovery tool you will be prompted to create an account
• You may be asked to confirm your role (ie staff)
• You'll then be asked to provide some further information to complete your account setup:
  • You may or may not need to enter your name, based on your method of logging in
  • Select the area of work/role that best matches your position
  • If you select academic/training or research as your area of work/role you will be able to select a subject area

The discovery tool has several different question sets for staff.

The questions are designed to help you consider your capabilities in relation to your current role.

The questions also take into account digital skills and knowledge picked up in previous roles or acquired outside of work.

Once you've completed a question set you'll get a feedback report with tips and suggested resources on how you can develop your skills further.

To access the sets go to Question sets and reports for staff on the home page.

You'll find a number of different question sets, including:

1. Effective digital teaching
2. Teaching in HE
3. Library and learning resources
4. Accessibility and inclusion
5. Overall digital capabilities
6. Leading for digital change

Completing a question set

• Each question set is tailored to a particular sector and set of skills (mapped to the individual digital capability framework)
• Overall digital capabilities is general and therefore relevant to all sectors.
• Completing a question set should take 15 to 25 minutes depending on the chosen set
• Answers are captured in two ways: Multiple choice and slide bar.
• You can leave a question and return to it or change your answer using the next and previous buttons
• You can save and exit the questions at any point and pick up where you left off on your return
• All the questions need to be completed before the answers can be submitted, as this triggers the release of the report

Once you've completed a question set you’ll get a personalised report that can be downloaded and saved.

The feedback report aims to help you reflect on your digital capabilities in order to identify your key strengths as well as any areas you might consider developing further.

Rather than being an objective 'measure' of your digital capabilities the report offers guidance and tips based on your reflective answers.

Each report comprises of a graph, visual score, a confidence level, next step guidance and recommended resources. 

Saving your reports

You can download and print your report by clicking the pdf icon at the top.

Your report is confidential and only visible to you and those you choose to share it with, such as your line manager.

The discovery tool gives you access to over 950 curated resources.

Resources in the discovery tool can be accessed in two ways:

1. Resource bank for staff
2. Question set feedback reports

To enhance your digital skills, visit: Discovery tool: staff guide to get started and unlock your potential in the digital world.

For further support or guidance, please email the Academic Skills Hub