Teaching with Tablets

Bonkle Computer Club, one of our Challenge fund supported projects, used tablets/notebooks to support older people to get online & improve their digital skills. After several months of using the new technology they have given us some really useful feedback. The club found that the new technology was a big success, and overall 53 people benefited from the support and tuition on offer. Some attended the club regularly, whilst others took advantage of the short courses run on separate days to enable them to choose a suitable computer and operating system for their personal use. As a mixture of Apple and Android tablets had been purchased, participants were asked which operating system was preferred. 59% voted in favour of the Android system, stating that it was easier to use, with 41% choosing Apple IOS. When participants were asked what were the most important factors in choosing a computer, reliability came first, with manufacturer, cost and operating system all ranked highly. Other desirable features mentioned were variety of software/apps available, quality of camera, amount of memory and for a few the ability to obtain data via the mobile phone network. It was noted that whilst participants found it easy to tap on the icons to open the Apps, typing text and especially entering passwords caused problems. Having a keyboard attached to the tablet resolved some of these issues and the club concluded that this additional piece of kit would be almost essential for older people. By making the most of new technology available, Bonkle Computer Club has been able to reach out to some of those who are most digitally excluded and show them the fantastic benefits that can arise from learning digital skills and getting online.