Computer Training or Taming?

Forgive the title, I was at a low point with my wit. But anyway the reason for it to be read aright is that I have been busy the past month or two perusing Australian library websites in an attempt to find how much they are using emerging technology, and how they are passing these benefits on to users in the community. This locating information is where the taming aspect of the title comes in, where as some are more compliant with your requests, others require a little more coaxing to divulge the information required.

So after my analysing of whats on offer, it would seem that the majority of Libraries are content to offer basic courses running from introductory computer lessons, through to browsing the internet, word processing, and email. These I feel are always going to be a necessary component of any computer assistance that you offer, whether it be a one on one consultation, or a group class booking.

Some Libraries are taking it a step further, Such as Yarra Plenty in Victoria, Brisbane City Library in Queensland and Sutherland Library in New South Wales to mention a few exemplary forerunners. They have continued the learning experience with value added courses that provide skills using technology in everyday lives, such as digital photography & scrap booking, Social Networking, Vodcasting and pod casting to mention a few.

But then I thought 'how does one run all of this?' I found a great article from Tame the Web: Ten Tips for Technology Training. Sure its a little old, but I do like the ideas that it suggests, not to make it a rigid structure but to have fun with the learning process, and to always keep a keen eye out for new ways to improve content. It's definitely something to think about when implementing new courses. This is reinforced by some succinct comments on David Lee King's blog.