DigiMentor Statement: Actual Edition

Hi, I’m sorry, I don’t know what that was, please don’t fire me.

My name is Scarlett Foster and I began in the role of DigiMentor in April 2023. In my time working under the TEL team, I have gained new skills in interacting with the public and in technological communication, as well as honing pre-existing skills like video and photo editing for various TEL projects. Over the last year and a bit, I’ve learned to take pride in my work and to care about the people I’m helping.

Projects & Achievements

Badges Video

I worked on a video for the badge hunt at the start of the year, which was intended to familiarise new students with the layout and various faculties of Leeds Conservatoire. I created a video in an unnecessarily spooky retro style which was posted to the @lifeatleedsconservatoire account, garnering over a thousand views. In the process of making this video, I took several hundreds of photos and combined them in video editing software. I used extreme image compression to give it a more dated look, and added various sound effects, such as footsteps, spooky (ghost), and the thumbs-up sound. This was a fun project to contribute to, and even helped me get a better understanding of the college’s layout and many, many staircases. 

In addition, as I had laminated the vast majority of the badge posters, I knew what all the codes were. I wear the shirt I got as pyjamas sometimes.

The Halloween Post

When I went to check for this portfolio, I found out that the Halloween post never actually got approved. I think I tried to do some DigiMentor things this year that were a bit too conceptual – oops! The point of the post was to remind people, in an overly-protracted and dramatic way, that DigiMentor drop-ins existed. I’m also fairly certain that this birthed the idea of the Skeleton War against the DigiMentors, which may be why it can never be posted – the public must never find out about the real threats we face. 

The Skeleton War

I also dabbled a little with game development this year! In truth, this project fizzled out when I lost the motivation for it and  had something like ten assignments bearing over me, but it was a fun concept! The idea – as shown in a video – was to make a silly little LCon themed game. I don’t know if it would have encouraged people to use Drop-Ins, nor that they would have been able to run it (as it requires installing and using a GameBoy emulator), but it’s the thought that counts. Hopefully. 

Wi-Fi Videos

Last year, I worked with fellow DigiMentors Katherin and Tom to make a series of videos explaining how to connect to the LCon Wi-Fi (something I still struggle with). The videos feature sad-looking DigiMentors crying about how people aren’t on the WiFi, then joyfully explain how to connect. The hardest part of making these videos was the subtitling, which my video editing software did not make easy. In the future, I may look into alternate methods, such as the use of an actual subtitle file, auto-generated subtitling, or a different software entirely. The videos performed fairly well, garnering over a thousand views between them.

Other

I also helped by completing various feedback forms for different departments, including feedback on things like:

• The reading lists on module pages;
• Testing the new Space page;
• Name brainstorming for Show.

I also covered for a lot of library shifts and a single studio counter shift, both of which I was contacted for because I was a DigiMentor. What goes around, comes around, I guess!

Student Interactions

When a student was having problems with MyPortfolio, I made a great effort to diagnose and resolve the issue. The problem was that images were only displayed in a low resolution. I began by applying my own knowledge to the situation. I tried refreshing the page, because MyPortfolio sometimes has trouble with getting overloaded and struggling/being unable to add more content. I re-added the block, but the issue remained. I checked the pictures themselves, but the resolution was fine. Next, I messaged Courtney, who was my TEL supervisor that day. Courtney suggested changing the gallery display mode, and I tried that, but it seemingly didn’t work. I came over to that student, who was sitting not far from the DigiMentor table, several times, until – after my shift – I realised what the issue was and managed to resolve it. It turns out that they had all the experimental, back-end type settings visible on MyPortfolio, so the things that we had been changing hadn’t actually been doing anything. I found the correct section and changed it, and the pictures displayed in their full resolution.

Another time, a first-year student was struggling with MyPortfolio and Panopto. I think that they were encountering it for the first time at the end of the WiCI module. I talked them through the full process of making a page, uploading to Panopto (which I didn’t actually do because I didn’t have any videos to hand), and adding content, and that MyPortfolio example page still exists on my account. It’s very plain. The Placeholder block is where the video would go, if it existed. 

Students sometimes come to us for things that fall outside of our job description, such as tech support. Whilst I’m not an expert, I’m happy to help where I can, and set about doing so on many such occasions. For example, a student came to me with their laptop, mentioning a strange new folder on their desktop. This was a MacBook, so I was particularly unfamiliar, but I told them I’d look into it. I trawled through forum posts regarding similar-looking issues trying to find an answer and, toward the end of my shift, I was able to go over and tell them what I’d found: it was likely just a dump folder from a program installation which hadn’t been cleaned up correctly; either it needed a restart (which might cause it to clean up automatically) or it could be deleted without any risk. The student did this, and the issue was sorted.

Another time, far simpler, a student asked why their video wouldn’t upload to Panopto. I checked the file, and it was a 0 byte video file. Opening the file confirmed that it was corrupted. I told them such, and apologised for being unable to solve this, but suggested a few things that they could do to resolve it:

1. They could re-download the file if the source wasn’t corrupted.
2. They could get the original file from the camera it had been recorded on. 
3. They said that they didn’t have access to this camera, so I suggested that they should contact the person who uploaded it as soon as possible.

I also suggested that the reason for this was likely that the download or upload process had been stopped prematurely, for example by the connection cutting out. Trying it again should be enough to make it work. 

Looking back, I should have suggested using the LCon OneDrive on campus WiFi, if possible, and this can be very fast and reliable under the right conditions. Additionally, I should have suggested transferring the file using physical media, like a USB stick, but I don’t know if this was an option for this student.

Conclusion

This year was a bit more high-concept than the last. Despite that, though, I learned a lot and became a lot more comfortable in the role. I also ended up taking on other roles, too, covering a shift on the Studios counter as well as several in the Library. Working as a DigiMentor has given me confidence in interacting with people and helped me to be more comfortable in loud spaces, as well as with uncertainty. The other DigiMentors are kind and nice to interact with, as well as the staff, and I wish the best to the students who access this service.

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WORDPRESS EVALUATION

DigiMentor Portfolio

DigiMentor Statement: Silly Edition

Hi, my name is Scarlett Foster and I have served as a DigiMentor since April 2023. During the length of my service, I’ve trained and worked alongside the best, from the venerable Alistair Ross to the bold Courtney Noble, the newfound Robert Bruning – and, of course (God rest his soul) the now-fallen Cameron Hope.

DigiMentor Statement: Actual Edition

My name is Scarlett Foster and I began in the role of DigiMentor in April 2023. In my time working under the TEL team, I have gained new skills in interacting with the public and in technological communication, as well as honing pre-existing skills like video and photo editing for various TEL projects. Over the last year and a bit, I’ve learned to take pride in my work and to care about the people I’m helping. 

Projects & Achievements

Badges Video

I worked on a video for the badge hunt at the start of the year, which was intended to familiarise new students with the layout and various faculties of Leeds Conservatoire. I created a video in an unnecessarily spooky retro style which was posted to the @lifeatleedsconservatoire account, garnering over a thousand views. In the process of making this video, I took several hundreds of photos and combined them in video editing software. I used extreme image compression to give it a more dated look, and added various sound effects, such as footsteps, spooky (ghost), and the thumbs-up sound. This was a fun project to contribute to, and even helped me get a better understanding of the college’s layout and many, many staircases. 

In addition, as I had laminated the vast majority of the badge posters, I knew what all the codes were. I wear the shirt I got as pyjamas sometimes. 

The Halloween Post

When I went to check for this portfolio, I found out that the Halloween post never actually got approved. I think I tried to do some DigiMentor things this year that were a bit too conceptual – oops! The point of the post was to remind people, in an overly-protracted and dramatic way, that DigiMentor drop-ins existed. I’m also fairly certain that this birthed the idea of the Skeleton War against the DigiMentors, which may be why it can never be posted – the public must never find out about the real threats we face. 

The Skeleton War

I also dabbled a little with game development this year! In truth, this project fizzled out when I lost the motivation for it and  had something like ten assignments bearing over me, but it was a fun concept! The idea – as shown in a video – was to make a silly little LCon themed game. I don’t know if it would have encouraged people to use Drop-Ins, nor that they would have been able to run it (as it requires installing and using a GameBoy emulator), but it’s the thought that counts. Hopefully. 

Wi-Fi Videos

Last year, I worked with fellow DigiMentors Katherin and Tom to make a series of videos explaining how to connect to the LCon Wi-Fi (something I still struggle with). The videos feature sad-looking DigiMentors crying about how people aren’t on the WiFi, then joyfully explain how to connect. The hardest part of making these videos was the subtitling, which my video editing software did not make easy. In the future, I may look into alternate methods, such as the use of an actual subtitle file, auto-generated subtitling, or a different software entirely. The videos performed fairly well, garnering over a thousand views between them.

Student Interactions

When a student was having problems with MyPortfolio, I made a great effort to diagnose and resolve the issue. The problem was that images were only displayed in a low resolution. I began by applying my own knowledge to the situation. I tried refreshing the page, because MyPortfolio sometimes has trouble with getting overloaded and struggling/being unable to add more content. I re-added the block, but the issue remained. I checked the pictures themselves, but the resolution was fine. Next, I messaged Courtney, who was my TEL supervisor that day. Courtney suggested changing the gallery display mode, and I tried that, but it seemingly didn’t work. I came over to that student, who was sitting not far from the DigiMentor table, several times, until – after my shift – I realised what the issue was and managed to resolve it. It turns out that they had all the experimental, back-end type settings visible on MyPortfolio, so the things that we had been changing hadn’t actually been doing anything. I found the correct section and changed it, and the pictures displayed in their full resolution.

Another time, a first-year student was struggling with MyPortfolio and Panopto. I think that they were encountering it for the first time at the end of the WiCI module. I talked them through the full process of making a page, uploading to Panopto (which I didn’t actually do because I didn’t have any videos to hand), and adding content, and that MyPortfolio example page still exists on my account. It’s very plain. The Placeholder block is where the video would go, eventually. 

Students sometimes come to us for things that fall outside of our job description, such as tech support. Whilst I’m not an expert, I’m happy to help where I can, and set about doing so on many such occasions. For example, a student came to me with their laptop, mentioning a strange new folder on their desktop. This was a MacBook, so I was particularly unfamiliar, but I told them I’d look into it. I trawled through forum posts regarding similar-looking issues trying to find an answer and, toward the end of my shift, I was able to go over and tell them what I’d found: it was likely just a dump folder from a program installation which hadn’t been cleaned up correctly; either it needed a restart (which might cause it to clean up automatically) or it could be deleted without any risk. The student did this, and the issue was sorted.

Another time, far simpler, a student asked why their video wouldn’t upload to Panopto. I checked the file, and it was a 0 byte video file. Opening the file confirmed that it was corrupted. I told them such, and apologised for being unable to solve this, but suggested a few things that they could do to resolve it:

1. They could re-download the file if the source wasn’t corrupted.
2. They could get the original file from the camera it had been recorded on. 
3. They said that they didn’t have access to this camera, so I suggested that they should contact the person who uploaded it as soon as possible.

I also suggested that the reason for this was likely that the download or upload process had been stopped prematurely, for example by the connection cutting out. Trying it again should be enough to make it work. 

Looking back, I should have suggested using the LCon OneDrive on campus WiFi, if possible, and this can be very fast and reliable under the right conditions. Additionally, I should have suggested transferring the file using physical media, like a USB stick, but I don’t know if this was an option for this student.

Conclusion

This year was a bit more high-concept than the last. Despite that, though, I learned a lot and became a lot more comfortable in the role. I also ended up taking on other roles, too, covering a shift on the Studios counter as well as several in the Library. Working as a DigiMentor has given me confidence in interacting with people and helped me to be more comfortable in loud spaces, as well as with uncertainty. The other DigiMentors are kind and nice to interact with, as well as the staff, and I wish the best to the students who access this service.

WordPress Evaluation

• How did you find using WordPress to create this portfolio? 

It was nice! MyPortfolio can be very slow and clunky, but WordPress felt more responsive. It may be my lack of experience, but there were times where it felt particularly difficult to customise layout compared to myPortfolio, especially when arranging the layout of blocks. The overall interface reminded me a lot of Notion. 

• Are there any aspects that you preferred in WordPress to myPortfolio?

The overall smoothness was good and the way you add blocks is a lot quicker. Some of the settings are obfuscated slightly, but I think that’s just it trying to be user-friendly. 

The roll-back/revisions feature is good, and may help with proving/disproving claims of plagiarism/AI usage. 

• Are there any features that you miss from myPortfolio? 

I think that galleries were a little better in myPortfolio than WordPress, but I may not have experimented enough yet. 

• What support do you think students will need when using WordPress? 

I don’t think it’s too complicated, and a lot of people probably already use Notion which is quite similar. I think a combination of maybe a single SYNK-type lecture and then optional further reading/viewing/etc on specific features might be useful, or perhaps something more like the studio induction where it’s a self-guided online thing with a little test at the end. 

• What do you expect to see in the user-interface¹ when complete? 

More blocks – currently feels like it’s missing some options, such as video integration. I vaguely remember something about phasing out Panopto embeds in favour of direct submissions from Panopto, so this might be why, but it could be useful still for things like YouTube videos as sources in assignments. I’m not sure if this could be achieved through the “inline code” feature instead. 

• Which device(s) and browsers did you access the site on? How well did they work? 

I used Firefox on Windows 11. I had no issues.

• Which content blocks did you find useful?

I mostly used the Paragraph and Image blocks. I think Gallery just automatically creates multiple Image blocks instead of a myPortfolio-style Gallery. I don’t have strong opinions about any of the blocks, really.

• Do you like the name Show?

I think it gets the point across and is short and memorable, although I do miss the days when we were considering weird, obscure names. 

• What would you call it? 

I think that Show works well.