Computer training for senior citizens

[Blackbird]

Mrs B and I have just offered ourselves up as volunteer tutors for Coromandel Senior Net as they were in danger of folding. My background is engineering, not IT but I've used computers for an awful lot of years. The hard copy material for Introduction to Computers (all the basics of using your mouse, navigating around the computer, using email etc) were apparently purchased from Wellington Senior Net 4 years ago. Without wishing to be uncharitable, I'd bet money that it was all written by an IT nerd with eff-all connection to real people, and certainly not newbies of pensionable age. It gives Microsoft a run for its money in terms of useless support manuals and would overwhelm people rather than enthuse them. (I suppose that I've now offended at least 90% of the members of KB who are connected with I.T )

The club does have a very good South African beginners book but it's expensive and I won't breach copyright by copying it as support notes - it's fine to use as a teaching aid. I'm happy to write some material of my own but does any knowledgeable person happen to know of any free soft copy sources of support material for really simple introductory computer material? Even stuff that that I can cut and paste to make one document from?

Would love to hear from you if you're able to help. It's for a great cause.

Cheers,

Geoff

[Vgygrwr]

I feel sure you would have looked but I have found a lot of really good material just by doing a search for a tutorial in the area I wanted. Some on "pay" sites but plenty that is quite genuinely free, published for "not for profit" organizations. What particular areas are you looking for.

[Blackbird]

I feel sure you would have looked but I have found a lot of really good material just by doing a search for a tutorial in the area I wanted. Some on "pay" sites but plenty that is quite genuinely free, published for "not for profit" organizations. What particular areas are you looking for.

Yes, I have looked thanks and the areas which I mentioned above are what I'm looking for. There's some good on-line stuff such as BBC training but that pre-supposes a connection to the internet and a certain level of skill already. I have found some soft copy stuff but in general, it's poorly written.

[oldrider]

The biggest problem for "senior's" is ''retention" of what they are trying to learn.

Most people over 60 have probably suffered a series of "mini" strokes.

They are probably not even aware that they have had them, makes it hard to learn new things.

My grandkids are teaching me to txt, so that they can check if I am still alive!

They worry that I might not live long enough to learn how to do it!

[Blackbird]

The biggest problem for "senior's" is ''retention" of what they are trying to learn.

Most people over 60 have probably suffered a series of "mini" strokes.

What a ray of sunshine you are John. So at 61, that's the probable cause of me going gaga when I was sure it was the Merlot!

You're right about retention though which is why I wanted to make the hand-outs as straightforward as possible with lots of pictures (As opposed to what I've already seen which look like the space shuttle's pre-flight checklist).

I think I'm just going to have to write my own reference stuff.

BTW, I could text before my kids, but my thumb won't move at the speed of light like theirs, hehe.

[The Stranger:Me]

The biggest problem for "senior's" is ''retention" of what they are trying to learn.

And by the time that is sorted Micro$oft will have changed everything and you will need to start all over again.
It's going to be like pushing shit up hill with a hot needle.

[Slyer]

Honestly, people don't need to use tutorials for this sort of thing.
They say us youngins are so much better at learning new things like this, but it's not just the fact that we're young, it's just that we have so much more initiative.

Everyone should learn computers by trial and error, playing around and exploring.
Difficult questions can be answered, but most they should figure out for themselves.

This is the best way to learn, as you're more likely to remember.

[Ixion]

And by the time that is sorted Micro$oft will have changed everything and you will need to start all over again.
It's going to be like pushing shit up hill with a hot needle.

So teach them Linux like real people use.

[Ixion]

Honestly, people don't need to use tutorials for this sort of thing.
They say us youngins are so much better at learning new things like this, but it's not just the fact that we're young, it's just that we have so much more initiative.

Everyone should learn computers by trial and error, playing around and exploring.
Difficult questions can be answered, but most they should figure out for themselves.

This is the best way to learn, as you're more likely to remember.

Start by compiling the kernal. Then change the code around a bit and recompile and see how it goes.

That the way I do it.

[trumpy]

My father, at 86 is just coming to grips with the internet. I just used the "filing cabinet" analogy and he was away and generally works out solutions himself (or uses Mr Google) and I very rarely have to help him out.
He started doing a locally available course for "seniors" but it was pretty much the opposite of your problem Geoff. It was made so simple that it was just downright patronising so he gave it the biff in favour of working it out himself.

[Number One]

They say us youngins are so much better at learning new things like this, but it's not just the fact that we're young, it's just that we have so much more initiative.

Everyone should learn computers by trial and error, playing around and exploring.
Difficult questions can be answered, but most they should figure out for themselves.

This is the best way to learn, as you're more likely to remember.

I've taught IT stuff to young and old (basics and specific programmes for their work). In my experience unfortunately 'young' people aren't always able to just pick this stuff up by just playing around....not even when it's as simple as figuring out how to use their mouse. Some people young or old have no experience with computers and so they are daunted and worry about doing things wrong or 'breaking it' LOL I would love to break a PC - I keep trying anyway what I am saying is that some need the structure and support of tutorial material and direct instruction...some people don't learn by just having a go and instead like to read the instructions etc etc + for some, having a hard copy resource to refer back to comes in VERY handy later.

BTW - I LMAO at your statement that 'young uns' just have 'so much more initiative' fuck that really did crack me up!!!!!

Mr BlackBird....what email programme are you instructing on? I have something for yucky old Lotus and something also on Outlook too.

Will hunt through my soft copy training stuff and see if there is anything useful for you. PM me your email address if you are still looking for something.

Cheerio and good on you! Older people can be a bit slower on the uptake but they are far and away more conscientious students and are always soo grateful for the effort of their teacher...un like us pesky younguns who think we should be teaching the class whether we know what we are on about or not

[Slyer]

Maybe initiative wasn't the right word, I mean willingness (and time)to give it a go. My dad sat me in front of our family computer at a young, he taught me how to turn it on and use the mouse and said "Go for gold".
It wasn't too long before I was teaching him how to use it. But this is me we're talking about, I've never taken a computer course in my life except for 3 years of IT class in school where I went basically to eat lunch and make cartoons.

The ability to solve your own problems is a big one, if you can do that you can figure anything out.
Ixion: I wasn't suggesting it works for anything that advanced, programming etc is very advanced compared to what we are talking about where everything is designed to make it as easy as possible.

I work for a software company, my job is support and also training new users in a piece of software they have never used before. Some pick it up quite quickly, others take a lot longer to get a grasp on things.

I've noticed that the people who start at the manual, read through it and then try to follow what the manual says in the program take longer to learn the program than other approaches. This is also the sort of person who creates step by step lists on how to do anything, this works most of the time but as soon as they have to do something slightly different or there is a change in the program, they are then completely stumped. (And call me, usually so that they can modify their own instructions sheet, sigh)

However, people who jump straight into the program and figure out how to use it themselves master the program a lot faster, they figure out most all of the basic functions and then use the manual (or ask me)to help with anything they can't figure out. This method is also superior as they can overcome changes in the program by themselves, they are also much more likely to remember how to do it again as they figured it out by themselves the first time.

This second approach is more common with the younger staff that I'm training, but not always.

So what I am saying, is set up a computer so it's functional and then let them at it. If they manage to stuff anything up, let them try to figure out what they did and fix it themselves, help them only when they give up. But don't let them give up easy! This is the way I learn and I recommend it to everyone else.

Obviously this isn't recommended when dealing with mission critical data etc...

[Ixion]

..

Cheerio and good on you! Older people can be a bit slower on the uptake ..

Speak for y'self , granny.

Personally, I'm cynical about the whole "I'm old, I can't use a computer" thing. I'm old, and I can. I can break 'em, too.

I mean, computers have been around for like, about 1000 years. Bloody loing time, anyway. And they're everywhere. If somone hasn't decided to have a go by now, it's probably because they don't really want to.

In my experience some people, young or old, when confronted with a shiny thing with lights or dials or such like (eg, a computer) , will go "Ohhh . Shiney. Cool. Whats it do? What happens if I press this? How about this? Oh, cool. What if I type something here ? Can I make it make an even bigger bang ?" . And in no time will be happily driving the shiney. Others, go "Oh. Ah. shiney . I DON'T LIKE IT. MAKE IT GO AWAY" And all attempts to show them how to use it will likely be fruitless.

Give me a 100 year old with the right attitude and I'll have him or her clicking away within a day. Without any training at all just an occasional, "Hey, try this". Except that said 100 year old (cos he has the right attitude) will already have learned it all about 50 years ago . Eh, Mr Dabster?

[Number One]

Slyer - agree completely and indeed fair call. MY IT training experience was within a large live banking system bit more important to 'hold hands' with some people through it

Ixion - what I should also have said is that older learners of anything (and in fact people of any age) can be are more patient and open throughout the process as well as not overly cocky - which is sometimes what us younger people can get caught out doing. These more patient and prepared to wrestle with and question their 'not knowing' are far more likely to more fully understand and produce a better result than their younger compatriate...and they don't tend to get bored as quickly either........

[Ixion]

Ixion - what I should also have said is that older learners of anything (and in fact people of any age) can be are more patient

I'm old (sort of) but I ain't patient

and open throughout the process as well as not overly cocky - which is sometimes what us younger people can get caught out doing.

I is cocky, but. (insert dirty joke here)

These more patient and prepared to wrestle with and question their 'not knowing' are far more likely to more fully understand and produce a better result than their younger compatriate...and they don't tend to get bored as quickly either........

I don't get bored, cos once I've figured out how it works, I ignore the instructor (why is there no word instructrix, there should be if we follow the Latin - like aviatrix ) and start trying to break the shiney. Breaking things is never boring.

Best of all is when you can surreptitiously reconfigure the shiney so it does something really weird, then ask inn ocently "Excuse me, is it supposed to be doing this ? ". Noone ever suspects a sweet innocent old man.