Ayrshire Electronic Community: Initiatives

‘FIRST STEP' SESSIONS

Adoption of AEC methodologies can potentially help with the ‘first steps' back into learning and assist with the uptake of ICT which is recognised as a core skill in Adult Literacies, with suitably trained staff ‘spotting and referring' those with literacy and numeracy difficulties.

i) Promotion of ‘First Step' classes , offering a variety of ICT based topics, were carefully scripted to attract those who would not otherwise attend. For example:

•  A ‘Café Menu' approach was developed – ICT Taster Sessions - offering ‘Starters' such as Computers Made Easy – an introduction to computers, right from the start; ‘Main Courses' such as – eMAIL: Learn to use email and share messages, pictures and jokes with friends and family all over the world; and ‘Desserts' such as Making the Most of Your Digital Camera: learn to use a digital camera and how to create great digital photos from you old photos.

•  ‘How To' sessions offered a range of subjects including ‘How to email your relatives abroad'; How to shop online'; ‘How to use your mobile phone'; ‘How to use the web to improve your health' and ‘How to surf safely and protect your child'.

•  ‘Try IT' sessions were successfully incorporated into Community Information Days featuring the popular ‘Digi Bingo' and encouraging participants to get to grips with a mouse and then venture onto the Internet and try email. Also ‘Family Photos' as a ‘prize' for successfully accessing the Internet where participants could see first hand the capture and production of their own photos which showed that using computers was not all about word processing classes.