Self-help groups of seniors in practice our experience
Jozef Liptak, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University Bratislava
University of the Third Age, Comenius University Bratislava

There are many older people in Slovakia interested in learning about computers and Internet. But, they have not always opportunity to learn. It depends on many circumstances. One of them, for example is a capacity of computer courses in frame of U3A. At the present it is not sufficient to satisfy all seniors, who would like to learn. In consideration of that we decided to expand them in two ways:

1. To take courses directly at old peoples` homes (pensions).
2. To take courses in collaboration with some public libraries.

Our first attempt to solve this problem was held at old peoples` home in Bratislava Lamac. This home was chosen by taking in account that one of our colleagues is a resident of this home as well. She knows very well other residents of this home and she is able to organize our action for them. It was a big advantage for us. She had made a great deal of promotion about us, about our aims among residents. Due to her efforts there were 36 participants from about 260 residents of home. The meeting had taken place in the biggest hall of the home and was free of charge.

Advertisement - made by flyer and poster at the entry of the home

Learning methods - examples of computer lessons on CDs (CD " Internet made
easy" from our Scottish colleagues)

• short simple lessons of essential information about computers
• Internet and its potential data exploitation
• demonstration of some web-sites
• usage of Outlook Express, advantage of e-mail correspondence
• Discussion (at the end of lesson)

Learning materials - selected samples of some up-to-date Slovak e-news,
magazines, newspapers and others for them interesting web
- sides (we had prepared examples in advance)

• card games (usage of the mouse)

Duration - over two hours. In spite of a great interest among participants, we have an impression, that this action was not very successful. We think, there were some problems inside.

Detected problems:

1. low level of the education of participants
2. very low computer literacy of participants
3. high age of participants, many of them were over 70. They were interested in our appearance, but they did not know principles of computers, for most of them they were a miracle.

Conclusion: Inhabitants of old people's home prefer for fulfilling their own free time TV or books or newspapers, maybe walking. Not computers and Internet. They have reminiscenced times without computers when time flew slowly and human relation were better. Only 5 of them were interested in higher level of our program (3 men, 2 women). No one of them was able to cooperate with us as a tutor. They were relatively passive too.

Much better was our second campaign in collaboration with the Public Library Bratislava - Old Town. Management of this library had promoted this action among its senior clients a long time before we begin a course. We had given them proposal to make this action free of charge in the frame of free education. Interest exceeded our all expectations. Over 50 interested persons were applied for this course during first week. Because of classroom capacity - just 12 persons (12 computers for students and 1 for a teacher) - we were planning to make subsequent courses in the nearest future. The study took place in the specialized computers` classroom (all computers connected to Internet network) at the Faculty of Arts Comenius University Bratislava and they were organized in 3 days blocks for 3 hours daily. The syllabus of lessons consisst of:

1.day - Principles of computers. Hardware and software. Accesories. Operational system Windows 2000. Application program MS Office. Practice in using of a mouse. (during this lesson participants play card games implemented in Windows: Solitaire, Hearts, Free Cells).

2.day - Practice in using of a mouse. Internet - structure and possibilities. Using of browsers Google, Zoznam, Alta Vista. Searching in railway and bus timetables, e-newspapers, magazines, encyclopedies, etc.

3.day -Practice in using of a mouse. Introduction to MS-Word. Practice in writing of a text. E-mail. Creation of their own e-mail box. Chat.

The course have been led by our 2 tutors from the Department of Library and Information Science Faculty of Arts of Comenius University Bratislava and 2 tutors from the library. The principal goal was to obtain in students elementary skills with computer, sufficient for their next independent work. The course have been given in the simplest level, to make some new skills for users with using mouse, simple programs, Windows, Microsoft Word, e-mail, etc. After two courses experience we think, these courses have a much higher level than previous one. People are more active, they wish to know more about computers and Internet, they wish to write and read e-mails, they wish to read e-newspapers, magazines, etc. We plan to organize 3 or 4 courses during this year. At the Library they have prepared for that some new tutors from seniors` group.

Conclusion:

Results show, that there was research not only in the field of dissemination of information but sociological one too. We think, that was good idea to learn seniors about computers and Internet by using services and help of public libraries. Public libraries in Slovakia are noncommercial, nonpolitical, cultural and social institutions. There seniors can meet another people, older and young, there they can dispute and chat with them. There they can borrow some good books, read newspapers , journals and magazines. And in addition in comparison with pensions, libraries have computers and Internet, or they it will have. And the education level and computer literacy (not only computer) and interests of most library users are higher. That is an advantage of using library for our program. We recommend for practice this "route".