[Web4lib] Classes for Seniors

Wed Aug 16 22:15:42 EDT 2006

My point was that as Baby Boomers (for lack of a better term) become
seniors libraries need to rethink the concept of computing classes for
seniors.

________________________________

From: Carol Bean [mailto:beanworks at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 9:04 PM
To: Sloan, Bernie
Cc: Michele Haytko; Web4lib at webjunction.org; publib
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Classes for Seniors

As someone who teaches primarily seniors (in this case, adults over 65)
to use computers, and who has extensively researched gerontology and
older adult learning on computers, I would have to disagree.

First of all, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project
<http://www.pewinternet.org/> , only about 32% of adults over 65 go
online (the number is up from less than 30% a few years ago).
Historically, the number that use computers but don't go online has been
slightly higher than those that do.  That's a big percentage of older
adults who do not use computers.  

There are people who retired from the workforce just as desktop
computers were becoming mainstream.  Until recently they had very little
incentive to join in the technology revolution.  Now they are left out
of communication, excluded from resources, and sometimes excluded from
basic services if they cannot use a computer and get online.  

But there are significant barriers to adopting the technology, and one
of those significant barriers is the lack of effective computer training
for them which takes into account the aging factors which intefere with
their learning.  For a discussion, see <shameless plug> Meeting the
Challenge: Training an Aging Population to Use Computers
(http://sela.jsu.edu/SoutheasternLibrarian/Fall2003.pdf, also available
at http://dlist.sir.arizona.edu/259/) and Techniques for Enabling the
Older Population in Technology
<http://www.jelit.org/archive/00000040/01/JeLit_17.pdf>
(www.jelit.org/archive/00000040/01/JeLit_17.pdf)</shameless plug>

But even when we are past this group of older adults, there will be the
next generation, who, yes, will have experience with computers and
technology.  From *yesterday*.  They will need to learn the new
technology that we can see coming down the pipes.  But the older they
get, the more incentive they need to learn new technology.  They pretty
much go with what's comfortable (what they know now).  As an example, my
dad is 80 years old.  He has been using computers since 1978.  He had an
Adobe program he had been using for 15 years to do some very simple
graphics manipulation on documents (something word processors have been
doing for almost 10 years now).  I couldn't get him to switch to Word,
or Open Office for anything.  Finally he was forced to find something
else because the program he was using wouldn't run on his new computer.
I was able to get him to try iWorks, with a lot of cajoling and
hand-holding. He's satisfied because it does what he wants, but not
happy because he's having a hard time relearning everything. 

Senior classes will not be artifacts until there are no more Seniors, or
there is no new technology.

I'll get off my soapbox now... :-)

Carol Bean

On 8/16/06, Sloan, Bernie <bernies at uillinois.edu> wrote:

As someone old enough to qualify for AARP membership and all kinds of
senior citizen benefits I feel the need to make a point here.

Back in the early days of personal computing, the Internet, the Web,
etc, it made sense to focus on seniors as a group with limited computing

experience. The seniors back then had grown up in an age without
computers. Now we are sliding into an age where a lot of nascent seniors
have dealt with computing for most of their lives. As an example, I've
worked professionally with computing/IT for 30 years.

Anyway, at some point in the near future (if it hasn't already happened)
a person's age will no longer be a reliable indicator of computing
background/experience. 

Folks who develop training courses will need to consider this. It has a
lot more to do with a person's level of experience/comfort with
computers than it has to do with a person's age. "Senior classes" may 
become an artifact of the early days of computing.

Bernie Sloan

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
<mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org> ] On Behalf Of Michele Haytko
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 4:38 PM
To: Web4lib at webjunction.org; publib
Subject: [Web4lib] Classes for Seniors 

What do you call your classes specifically for seniors or, if you
don't have a special name, what would you call them?  We are creating
a special, 4-part series, and want to come up with something better
than "Senior Track".

Thanks in advance!

~michele~

--
**************)0(**************
Mrs. C. Michele Haytko
Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library
MC-NPL Computer Lab
1001 Powell Street 
Norristown, PA 19401
610-278-5100 Ext. 141

Just because I am paranoid doesn't mean they are not after me....
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