1. Quick Introduction to IT Services, for inductions
We are here
December 18
We are here
Quick Introduction to IT Services, for inductions
We look after the whole computing infrastructure for the University but colleges have their own IT service
You probably have an IT officer for your college, and/or for your dept, so please start with them
Hand out ITLC course schedule
Some thoughts from Jill last year:
I know the aim is to ‘keep it clean’, but perhaps we could insert a few more URLs/info on relevant pages … of course I will do it for myself for this year…
Wi-Fi: m.ox.ac.uk next to the mobile image
Help Centre: phone (6) – helps for them to see it, as well as hear it
Virus checking: ‘Sophos’  (I always have to spell it out for them)

2. IT Services 13 Banbury Road
IT Services is based at various locations around the city, but you can visit us at 13 Banbury Road
Come to IT Services for courses, the help centre and more
You’ll have a local IT support person in your dept or college, so start with them
IT Services 13 Banbury Road

3. One way to explore the variety of ways that IT services can support you is to think of a day in the life of a graduate student
Let’s call him Sam. Let’s see how he uses IT at Oxford University
A day in the life...

4. December 18
We’ll talk about some technology you might find useful, as well as services offered by IT Services
Let’s follow Sam through a typical (!) day

5. Nexus nexus.ox.ac.uk “At Sam’s flat.
Sam gets up and checks his .”
As a member of the university, Sam has an Oxford account on the system called Nexus.
He can access his s directly on the web via Outlook Web Access or have his own client installed such as Outlook or MacMail.
In a web browser: OWA tool is web-based (so use it anywhere)
We recommend Outlook as the client, because it also does shared calendaring, groupware features
Check your University account frequently, even if you have your own commercial
Do switch on your spam filter - we filter 1.5million spam messages a day Out of office replies Automatically backed up
2GB quota
a Global Address List to find people across the university
Nexus is more than ! – shared calendars are great for your own schedule, plan meetings etc, shared filespace in SharePoint
Nexus nexus.ox.ac.uk

6. SSO Single Sign On
Have you found out your Oxford username/password SSO?
Do sort out and memorise your Oxford username and password – SSO – it’s the way in to Nexus , WebLearn course materials, SOLO account, IT Services, even getting your exam results sent to your mobile
All new University members will be automatically registered for Nexus service and their account details will be sent to their usual address – first you need to Activate your account (follow instructions on the letter)
That gets you into Nexus , but also (even when not at Oxford, and even without VPN)
ejournals
- e-bibliographies
- Your SOLO account
- Oxams
- Download site licensed software eg Sophos, VPN

7. Solo and OxLIP+
“Still at Sam’s flat. Sam uses SOLO as a starting point to find material relevant to his field”
SOLO looks in:
the union catalogue of Oxford’s holdings
other archives such as ORA the research archive
connects to OxLIP+ to search international online databases of journals, books etc
Some databases even provide full text articles (e.g. Web of Knowledge)
If Sam needs any help he can online chat with a Bodleian librarian
iSkills sessions are run by the university librarians to teach you all about subject-specific electronic resources and how to use them more effectively
(was WISER series)

8. December 18
We’ll talk about some technology you might find useful, as well as services offered by IT Services
Let’s follow Sam through a typical (!) day

9. WiFi
“At the library.
The RSL is wireless so Sam decides to take his laptop to work in the Library
Sam has options for internet in Oxford. In his college accommodation he can connect to university network with an ethernet cable, but if he wants to work in the library for example (or as in the earlier photo sitting on a bench somewhere) he can do it wirelessly in many different locations.”
Many locations have WiFi
IT Services, colleges, part of Uni-parks – wherever you see the symbol
Different buildings offer different WiFi services at present:
OWL needs VPN software and is in many shared buildings such as IT Services
Eduroam is flexible and works in lots of places (and some other universities) Needs a remote access account, so set that up before you go travelling
Libraries also have their own WiFi service called Bodleian-reader

10. Courses at IT Services - save time and frustration
“Still at the Library. So many references to read and make notes on. There is a solution – citation software. Sam downloads it all straight into his EndNote library on his laptop. At Oxford we support several such resources.”
EndNote – software you pay for and install
RefWorks is web-based and free (“EndNote Online” is similar)
LaTeX users may wish to use BibTeX
Tools such as Zotero and Mendeley may be supported by libraries staff
Start early, building up your personal academic library of citations
EndNote:
Build a list of references that interest you
Import references from a variety of sources include direct import from OxLIP+
Edit, sort and share them
Select references to cite in a word-processed document
Format them automatically
Courses at IT Services - save time and frustration
References

11. “Still at the Library. Sam remembers to back up his chapter immediately on his portable hard drive just in case.
And makes a mental note to do a full backup to other media when he gets home”
use the University Automatic Desktop Backup service (HFS)
Automatic desktop backup service / Tivoli or HFS
You register, then you install “client” Tivoli software on your machine. Then the server visits your machine at a scheduled time (e.g. every Wednesday 2a.m., remember to leave your machine physically connected to the University network) and makes a copy of designated folders such as My Documents
The Backup Service is intended to secure your current work so it keeps up to two versions of any particular file from your local system : the current version and the previous version
If you have a disaster, you can ask to get your previous data back
Backup, backup, backup!
Most people use this service via a wired connection on university premises; it is possible via Eduroam wireless but likely to be slow; or from outside Oxford via VPN
Backup

12. December 18
We’ll talk about some technology you might find useful, as well as services offered by IT Services
Let’s follow Sam through a typical (!) day

13. Software “At his Department.
Sam converts his chapter into a PDF and s it to his supervisor for comments, ready for their next meeting.”
2015: Microsoft deal for students is “Office 365”, a free copy of Office for Windows or Mac. Find it via IT Services website: when you give single sign-on it knows whether you are a student who qualifies and offers the details.
If you would rather not follow the Microsoft route there are good alternatives. Can save you £100’s
Open Office - much of the same functionality as Microsoft Office
Can use online apps such as GoogleDocs or DropBox but some University research cannot be stored in this type of commercial cloud environment
(beware that Dropbox is known to mangle EndNote libraries)
Lots more useful tools online
Shareware, freeware

14. Frustration! “Sam is now ready to do some work at his department.
He starts working on his chapter only to discover that all formatting and pagination has gone up the creek -
He books himself online on Word: Managing Your Thesis and EndNote (citation management) courses.”
==================================
For example…
Everyone knows how to use Word But your thesis will need …
Table of contents
Index
Cross-references
Headers and footers
Bibliography
- do you know how to get Word to do all that for you?
Frustration!

15. Courses courses.it.ox.ac.uk
“In order for Sam to use all this technology for research with confidence he also has access to over 200 IT courses which we offer at IT Learning Programme every term.
These are transferable skills courses which will help him with his research and improve his chances of getting a good job once he leaves Oxford.”
IT Learning Centre – bring your IT skills up to speed
Courses for your research, work and future career
Lively teacher-led sessions
Low cost
3 hour modules or lunchtime byte-size
Courses courses.it.ox.ac.uk

16. Online courses courses.it.ox.ac.uk/lynda
lynda.com provides a vast online library of instructional videos covering the latest software, creative, and business skills. Taught by accomplished teachers and recognized industry experts, lynda.com is a high-quality resource for students, faculty, and staff looking to develop skills in Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, project management, social media, and a wide range of other topics.
It is FREE to all University members and available 24/7.
You can login and sign up at courses.it.ox.ac.uk/lynda and all you need are your SSO credentials.
lynda.com will sit alongside the IT Learning Centre’s classroom-based courses; it is intended to reach new audiences (especially undergraduates) and cover those topics for which we don’t have in-house expertise.
Online courses courses.it.ox.ac.uk/lynda

17. December 18
We’ll talk about some technology you might find useful, as well as services offered by IT Services
Let’s follow Sam through a typical (!) day

18. Help Centre Also print shop for posters and special tasks
“At the Help Centre at IT Services. If all else fails he can consult our Help Centre.”
Go first to your local IT support person (in dept or in college)
You can use the Help Centre if you have a valid University card
Phone or
Appointments with experts 9-5 weekdays
User registration, password problems
Advice on using your technology in your work
Also print shop for posters and special tasks
13 Banbury Road
Call in, or phone (6)12345 (24/7), or
But first: get your computer fully patched and updated

19. Anti-virus
“Still at IT Services. The Help Desker suspects a virus on Sam’s computer and helps him download new virus definitions and scans his disk all in one go”
Install anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date – this is essential:
The University has a site licence for the Sophos anti-virus software.
Most colleges will check your Sophos registration, install Sophos and scan your computer for viruses, before allowing your computer to use the College and University network
You can get Sophos free from IT Services Online Shop
Sophos antivirus software
Free / Easy to install / Self-updating / Free technical support through IT Services
Available for MS Windows, Apple Mac OS X and Linux
But first: get your computer fully patched and updated (run Windows|Update or Mac|Update)

20. Welcome to IT welcometoit.ox.ac.uk
“Still at IT Services.
The Help Desker mentions that he could have found all this out from IT Services help pages”
Sam is new to Oxford and has lots of IT related questions. He can read our web pages (Welcome to IT is a good starting point) where we have detailed descriptions of our services and instructions on how to use them.”
If you need to talk to someone, go to your local college or departmental IT staff first
IT Services website is our principal method of providing University members with quick and effective answers to frequently asked questions such as connecting to the network or setting up .
Setup instructions Anti-virus advice Courses Data backup service … and much more
and welcometoit.ox.ac.uk
Welcome to IT welcometoit.ox.ac.uk

21. “Still at IT Services. What if Sam’s hardware fails
“Still at IT Services. What if Sam’s hardware fails? This is not uncommon. Sam has wisely subscribed to IT Services Computer Hardware Breakdown service. An engineer will arrive within 8 hours to take his computer away for repairs and may give him a temporary replacement.”
What if your own equipment fails?
This is cheap breakdown insurance – sign up, before your machine fails!
The Hardware Breakdown Service insures common items of computing equipment against hardware faults (not accidental damage). It is available for your own equipment
PCs and Macs
Desktops and laptops
Printers, scanners
iPads
Next-day onsite repair or collection for workshop repair
Cost (2016):
Standard desktop (students) - £42
Laptop (most makes) - £48
Breakdown

22. December 18
We’ll talk about some technology you might find useful, as well as services offered by IT Services
Let’s follow Sam through a typical (!) day

23. WebLearn weblearn.ox.ac.uk
“Sam can catch up on the handouts from recent lectures, and sign up for a time slot to see his tutor, via WebLearn.”
WebLearn is Oxford’s VLE – virtual learning environment
Depts and individual academics are offering course materials, written, recorded etc via WebLearn. ITLC for example.
You may find tutorial sign-ups, discussion boards, a place to upload course assignments etc all online.
Access is (mostly) controlled, so give your Oxford SSO credentials to log in
WebLearn weblearn.ox.ac.uk

24. Podcasts podcasts.ox.ac.uk
“On the way back to his flat. Sam can listen again to lectures that are available as podcasts.”
=================
Material is added regularly from great speakers on hot topics such as the Environment/Globalisation/ Economics/Philosophy etc etc
See what research is going on in the department/college next door
Free to download & Free to subscribe
ITunes U
free to download for Mac or PC or smart phone
also the normal website podcasts.ox.ac.uk
and now talks are on the mobile web! -> m.ox.ac.uk

25. December 18
We’ll talk about some technology you might find useful, as well as services offered by IT Services
Let’s follow Sam through a typical (!) day

26. “Finally, back at his flat, he puts all the latest photos from last night’s party onto Flickr where all his friends can find them!”
Sam like many other students uses social networking software extensively
at IT Services we can also teach you how to use it for educational and research purposes. We run lunchtime courses on digital photography, podcasting and many others
Use your current favourite tools to support your work
Flickr your photos
Furl or deli.cio.us for bookmarks
Academia.edu to build your academic profile
And use your mobile/iPod – m.ox.ac.uk, with library holdings, exam results, person search, webcams, even bus movements
* Regs on file-sharing and streaming: lovely explanation at or see Robin Stevens at IT Services
Social media

27. so did you realise quite how many services IT Services provides for you?
hand out leaflets if you did not do it at the beginning
Thank you