What is 23 Things?
23 Things Oxford first ran in 2010 and is based on the original 23 Things program which ran at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County in the USA in 2006. 23 Things Oxford is a self-discovery programme which encourages you to take control of your own learning and to use your lifelong learning skills through exploration and play. You are encouraged to work together and share with each other your discoveries, techniques and tips both in person and through your blogs. 

How long do I have to complete 23 Things?
The aim is for you all to work through the 23 Things and complete them by the end of July.  On completion of the programme you will receive a certificate.  The original programme allowed for an average of doing 2 Things per week, so there should be ample time to complete the programme.  We recommend you do the work during Wednesday afternoons when no other sessions are scheduled as part of the trainee programme.  

How do I register to take part?
As part of the 23 Things programme you will set up a blog to record your progress (Thing 3) and the Thing 4 post will include instructions on how to register your blog.  Each participant’s blog URL will be added to a separate page on this blog so that you can easily find each other's. 

How do I know which Things to do and when?
The full list appears on the 23 Things Oxford blog.  You are encouraged to work through it at your own pace.

How do I track my progress for each of the 23 Things?
Each trainee will keep a blog to track their progress.  Each time you complete a task, write a short blog post about it and tag it with e.g. ‘Thing 12’.

May I refer to Web 2.0 tools I’m already using?
Some of you may be familiar with social media already and you can refer to tools you are using already - just don’t forget to post about your experiences each week and use the appropriate tag(s).  If you are already familiar with a resource, such as Flickr, this is a good opportunity to use the further exercises to develop your knowledge.

What do I do if I need help?
If you feel you need assistance with an item, you are encouraged to be resourceful and to find a co-worker or another trainee who can help. Reading other participants’ blogs can help too, both from other trainees this year or from last year's participants. Since this programme is self-directed and is being completed by other trainees simultaneously, you are encouraged to work with colleagues along your discovery journey.

I would like take part but don't feel comfortable with my co-workers reading my blog, may I participate anonymously?
Yes and no… since you control all the information that you share on your blog, you can choose to use a screen name that does not identify you personally.

Tips
  • You will be setting up some new usernames and passwords during this programme.  Record these somewhere discreet (e.g. in a notebook) so that you don’t forget them.
  • If you find expressions such as ‘SEO’ that you don’t understand, try this in Google: define=SEO to find a list of definitions

Once you have completed 23 Things you may be interested in the posts about synchronisation, which involves linking your Web 2.0 sites and services.

This is the first year we have run the 23 Things programme for the trainees so we are keen to hear how you get on and hope to run it for trainees in future years.  Feel free to send feedback to Emma Sullivan. Hope you enjoy it, to get started go to Thing 1!