Training FAQ – Tom Burke, IT & Project Onboarding Trainer
About Tom
Tom Burke is the IT & Project Onboarding Trainer at St Mary’s University, supporting staff across all faculties and professional services. His role focuses on designing and delivering high-quality training for key university systems—including Curriculum Connect, WAMS, STEP, Microsoft Teams, and Copilot Chat—while helping staff build confidence, adopt digital tools effectively, and work more efficiently.
Tom specialises in clear, practical training with live demonstrations, real-use examples, and hands-on activities, ensuring staff feel supported before, during, and after sessions.
Training Overview
Tom currently delivers training in the following areas:
Curriculum Connect (CourseLoop)
End-to-end course and module management
Validation/Revalidation workflows
Editing, approving, and submitting course data
Understanding quality checks and governance workflows
WAMS (Workload Allocation Management System)
Allocator training
Academic-user training
Understanding dashboards and workload categories
Managing allocations and confirming workloads
STEP (Student Engagement Platform)
Overview of risk indicators and engagement categories
Understanding dashboards
Actions and notes
Supporting tutors and managing caseloads
Microsoft Teams & Digital Collaboration
Teams fundamentals for academic and professional staff
Managing channels, meetings, files, and notifications
Using Teams effectively for teaching support and internal comms
Copilot Chat (AI Training)
How to use Copilot Chat
Prompt engineering
Context strategies
Image generation
Security considerations
Hands-on practice with real University-based tasks
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Who is the training for?
Training is open to all St Mary’s University staff, including academic, professional services, new starters, and system-specific users (e.g., WAMS allocators, PTs for STEP).
How long are the sessions?
Most sessions run 45–60 minutes, with some specialist sessions lasting 90 minutes. Quick-start or refresher versions can be 20–30 minutes.
Where are sessions delivered?
Sessions can be delivered:
On campus (rooms vary)
Online via Microsoft Teams
Details are provided in the registration email.
Do sessions include hands-on practice?
Yes. Wherever possible, you’ll be invited to complete guided live tasks, test workflows, or try example prompts.
Registration & Attendance
How do I register?
Registration is usually through:
SMILE events page
Outlook invites sent directly to targeted staff groups
Tom will update the FAQ agent with upcoming dates as needed.
Will sessions be repeated?
Yes. Most trainings run several times per term, especially around:
Course validation deadlines
Academic workload cycles
Student monitoring points
Can I request a bespoke session for my team?
Yes. Departments can request custom sessions tailored to their workflows or system usage patterns.
After the Training
Are slides or recordings provided?
Slides are usually shared after the session. Recordings may be available for online sessions where appropriate.
Where can I find further support?
You can access support via:
The LDS Knowledge Hub
Helpdesk/TOPdesk
Follow-up drop-in sessions hosted throughout the year
Can I contact Tom directly?
If you cannot find your answer here, please contact the IT Service Desk – thehub@smu.ac.uk
System-Specific FAQs
Curriculum Connect
Do I need training before submitting a validation or revalidation?
Yes, all staff involved in validation/revalidation are required to complete or refresh training.
Can I edit a submission after it’s sent to governance?
Only if a workflow allows it. Otherwise, you may need governance to return it.
WAMS
What is the difference between Allocator and Academic training?
Allocator training covers allocating and adjusting workload. Academic training covers how to view and confirm your workload.
When are workloads normally published?
This varies by faculty; the FAQ agent can be updated with dates each cycle.
STEP
Do I need STEP access before attending training?
No—you can still benefit from the demonstration. Access can be granted after the session.
Is STEP integrated with attendance systems?
Yes; engagement categories are driven by multiple data sources including attendance, VLE activity, and library usage.
Copilot Chat
Do I need prior AI experience?
No. All sessions start with basics and build up gradually.
Does Copilot Chat store my conversations?
Copilot interactions follow Microsoft’s data-handling policies. Sensitive or student-identifiable data should not be entered.
(Refer staff to the St Mary’s AI Policy.)
Can Copilot Chat generate images?
Yes—image generation is demonstrated in the session and safe-use guidelines are provided.
Microsoft Teams
Will this help me manage my notifications better?
Yes—notification control is a core part of the Teams essentials section.
Can Tom visit my office to help set up Teams?
Yes—onsite support can be arranged depending on availability.
Upcoming Dates
16/12/2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm Curriculum Connect Fundamentals Training
16/12/2025 3:00pmm – 5:00pm Curriculum Connect Validations and Revalidations Training
17/12/2025 09:15am to 10:15am Curriculum Connect Fundamentals Training
17/12/2025 10:30am to 12:0pm Curriculum Connect Validations and Revalidations Training