Carol Adams writes the prescription for a successful Internet health course for aging patrons.
By Carol Adams April 15, 2001The population in America is graying. As baby boomers age, they are increasingly seeking health information for themselves or as caregivers for their elderly parents. Typically, they may need help finding a good doctor, hospital, or nursing home or be looking for more information about a particular medical condition, procedure, and medication or about wellness generally. The web has a wealth of consumer health information in all of these areas, but they vary in timeliness and quality. An important role for the library is teaching these users--sometimes relatively new to the Internet--how to locate and evaluate this information that may be of truly critical importance. Libraries may choose from a number of options to fulfill this role. For homebound users a library might maintain selected links with annotations from a homepage; similar information on brochures or bookmarks can give those in the library a chance to review possible sites before going online. Libraries can offer presentations that highlight selected web resources and offer tips for evaluating health information on the web. Often the most useful method of engaging users is to provide hands-on training.
| Link List Finding A Doctor
Wellness/Fitness/Nutrition
Teaching The Trainer
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Making plans
The role chosen may depend on the training space. If your public library already has a well-outfitted computer lab, then you are ready to start planning your classes. Few of us are that lucky, but there are some other options to consider. If your public Internet computers are grouped near each other, it is possible to teach a class at the public computers. Of course you will need to choose the times when classes will be least disruptive but still useful to the target audience; be sure to post class schedules so that regular users know when the computers will be unavailable. Another option would be to offer classes in the morning before the library opens.
If it is not feasible to use the public Internet computers, consider a demonstration in the library's meeting room using a large-screen TV or projector and follow this up with individual practice on the public Internet computers. Make sure that instructors are available during a fixed practice time, again posted, so that the students do not have to worry about interrupting staff and patrons.
Once the training site is selected, planning for the classes can begin. Classes that last between one and two hours are usually preferred, so there will not be room to cover everything there is to know about health and wellness information on the Internet in one session. And too much information can be intimidating; consider multiple tiers of classes, depending on your community's needs. Some level of general computer and net proficiency should be a prerequisite. Patrons might be steered toward a general Introduction to the Internet course before signing up for such a subject-oriented class.
Choosing the teacher is as important as identifying the student base. Trainers may be library staff members or volunteers. It is best to schedule two trainers for each session. This allows the person not doing the presentation to offer individual assistance should a student become lost or a machine freeze. Also, using two trainers is an excellent way to break in new trainers. A good trainer is a balanced person, not just a technical whiz. Characteristics to look for in a trainer are comfort with the technology, patience, and genuine rapport when working with people. If at all possible, provide training to your trainers. You can have them teach an after-hours version of the course to staff, providing practice with a tough audience and familiarizing other librarians with material that may lead to reference desk questions in the coming weeks.
Know the objectives
Clear objectives are essential to drawing up the agenda for your particular course. Sample objectives could include becoming familiar with types of web sites that offer consumer health information; understanding that the information on the web varies in accuracy, timeliness, and quality; and learning to evaluate information.
Once you have identified the target audience, the teacher, and the objectives, the next step is developing the class outline. An outline should include topics to be covered and the time allotted to each. The sample outline (see below) covers a full range of subjects that may be impractical for a slow class or for patrons not already well versed in the Internet, but sections might be extracted and expanded for separate classes. Handouts should cover the agenda (again including the amount of time planned for each section, so the students can try to stay on schedule) and an annotated list of sites.
In choosing sites for classes, be very selective. There are many excellent sites. Lists or webliographies to a fuller range of sites can be provided, with those you plan on visiting highlighted. It is not necessary to visit all or even most sites during training, and remember to be careful not to overwhelm participants.
Marketing
Scheduling and advertising classes is the next step. Choose a schedule that is convenient to your target audience. Older boomers who are retired may prefer a morning or early afternoon class. Working boomers may enjoy a 'brown bag' lunch series of shorter classes. Deciding how many classes to schedule may be difficult. Offering too few can cause long waiting lists and too many can waste staff time if classes are not well attended. Try not to schedule more than two people to share a computer. Consider offering some demonstrations off-site such as at a retirement community, assisted-living complex, or senior center.
Broader advertising will lead to better turnout. Advertising should be similar to that for other library events. Consider bookmarks, posters, and brochures in the library and at local businesses frequented by your target audience. Press releases should be sent to the local newspaper. Include an article in the library newsletter as well as information on the library's web page.
All promotional material includes information on how to register for the classes. It is probably a good idea to include on promotional materials a description of the prerequisite skills. Novices could be encouraged to come early for a basic navigation clinic before the class starts or to attend a basic web class first. Think about promoting some classes for seniors only or even for specific conditions. Seniors may be more comfortable learning in a class of peers, while a group of people all concerned with heart disease allows for more detailed focus on that subject.
Final preparations
As the training day approaches, develop a back-up plan for what to do if your Internet connection is not working. Some web sites can be cached on-disk before the session. Computer programs such as HyperSnap can be used to capture web pages into Power Point Slides.
The day before training, before making copies of the final set of handouts, check all the sites, as even good sites do move or shut down. Check your space; be sure that there is enough room to walk around to provide individual help. Since many boomers wear bifocals, keep the screens as low as possible.
On the day of training, trainers should pace the class and be flexible with the class outline. Take breaks as needed. Despite all efforts, skill levels will vary. Many students may not have been in a class setting for years, so try to make participants comfortable. The roving trainer should avoid taking the mouse away and doing it for participants who are having trouble. Early in the class, demonstrate how to adjust the font size. Remember to encourage questions. And, most importantly, be patient. Finally, use anonymous forms as well as a few minutes of the concluding Q&A time to get feedback.
| Author Information |
| Carol Adams (CAdams@lva.lib.va.us) is a consultant at the Library of Virginia, Richmond, where she has taught librarians from around the state to conduct healthcare training sessions for libraries. |
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