As the John Lewis Christmas ad lands on our screens, older people around the city are learning how to get online and tick off their festive lists
Older people in Cardiff are getting ready to shop for their Christmas presents thanks to free computer lessons that are helping them to get online.
In addition to learning all about spreadsheets and online banking, the project that runs in the Bute Town community center is helping them to tick off their Christmas lists online.
“I’ve given them a pretend £500 and they are going to use that to buy different items on the John Lewis website. And then we are going to show them how to put that into an Excel sheet.”
The course is also helping students to discover more about their own city. We show them how to have a look at What’s on in Cardiff, so they can see what’s going on around corner,” Nicole said.
This is a six to eight week course with a complete teaching plan. After completing the course tasks, students will undergo a qualification assessment, and those who pass will receive a certificate.
It is mainly based on self-directed learning and supplemented by teacher explanations. The teacher will provide one-on-one teaching guidance to students to ensure that each person completes the task before proceeding to the next step.
The aim of the free computer class is to help elderly people learn computer skills, enabling them to better understand and explore the world around them through computers.
Nicole said:” what we are finding some of the older generation don’t actually have the computer skills. So we teach them how to get online and also teach them how to find out information of various things.”
This week’s class is about using excel. Nicole uses shopping on the John Lewis website as an example to teach them how to use excel spreadsheet.
She asked the students to find ten items on the website and fill them in excel and then teach them how to use formulas to calculate their sum.
Computers here are provided by the community center, and students only need to bring paper and pens. The course lasts for three hours, and the community will also provide thoughtful tea and desserts.
The class is very useful and you can learn something new and can also improve your skills.
Robert Stephens said :”I am using the laptop all my career, but I have never used an Excel spreadsheet before. So the class is going to learn some new things and enhance that understanding.”
Whether or not you have been exposed to computers, you can learn new knowledge here.
In the future, the community may plan to offer mobile phone class, to help the elderly better connect to the world around them.