Teaching Older Adults to Search for Reliable Health Information on the Internet by Sheryl Lynch

Teaching Older Adults to Search for Reliable Health Information on theInternet
An Introduction to the
National Institute on Aging’s Toolkit for Trainers

Name
Affiliation
Any experience working with older adults?
Any experience providing computer training?
Introduce yourself

Become familiar and comfortable with the Toolkit materials
Learn how to customize the training for different skill levels
Get tips on setting up a senior-friendly learning environment
Leave with specific ideas for starting the training with your patrons

Goals for today

www.nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit
Watch Video: “Introducing the Toolkit”(About 5 minutes)

What struck you most about the video?

A free set of 9 modules, including lesson plans, handouts, and training tools, which you can download to teach older adults how to access reliable health information on the Internet
What is the Toolkit for Trainers?

Introduce older adults to high quality health information on the Internet
Build older adults’ Internet skills at the same time.
Help older adults learn how to tell if health information is reliable or not
Three overall goals of the Toolkit:

NIHSeniorHealth www.nihseniorhealth.gov
MedlinePlus www.medlineplus.gov
National Institute on Aging www.nia.nih.gov
The training is centered around NIH websites and other federal health websites

34% of older adults are online, but 66% are not
There is a vast amount of health information online – some reliable, some not
As people live longer, they will see more health management functions occur online
Being web savyy about online health resources is becoming a must.

Why is this training important?

The toolkit materials were developed based on NIA’s cognitive aging and vision research
The toolkit materials were tested with older adults and trainers over a two year period.
How was the Toolkit developed?

To get the free, downloadable Toolkit materials, go to the Toolkit page on the NIHSeniorHealth website www.nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit

Introduction
Lesson Plan

Set-up activities
Core Activities
Practice Activities
Reinforcement Activities

Student Handouts (including a glossary)
Lesson Review Sheet

Let’s browse the materialsEach module contains:

Pages1 & 2 pertain to current lesson
Rest of Introduction is the same for all lessons.
Introduction

Type of Activity
Script Box
Steps
Icons
Trainer Tips
Lesson Plan

Clearly labeled
Large type
White space
Step by step
activities
Student Handouts

Basic computer and
Internet terms
Large type
Illustrations
(Also, there is a
stand –alone
glossary with all terms)
Illustrated Glossaries

Lesson Review Handout
Screen shots of web pages visited in class to help students with at home review of the lesson:

A separate, stand-alone , illustrated glossary with 37 basic terms…

Illustrated Glossary Terms

A flyer to recruit students…

A flyer to interest prospsective trainers…

Quick Tips for a Senior-friendly Computer Classroom

Questions for “students” to ponder:
What did you learn?
What did you like about the lesson?
How do you think your students would respond to this lesson?
Teach Participants a Sample Lesson – 10-15 minutesModule 2 pp. 15 – 16*

Pair participants up
Select Person A and Person B
Go to Lesson 2, page 19
Person A teaches Person B pages 19 and 21 (Skip page 20)
Then, Person B teaches Person A pages 22 and 23
Discuss using same questions as before
Participants teach a sample lesson 15 minutes

How to create a senior-friendly computer classroom(Refer participants to online “Quick Tips” document on Toolkit page)
Create an environment for learning
-- Ask about using first names
-- Make it easy to ask for help
-- Remind them of mastering ATMs,
microwaves, message machines, cell phones, remote controls, CD players

Present information clearly
-- Pause after delivering a short segment
of information to make sure students
are following you
-- Use priming, a preview of upcoming
activities, learning points, etc. to
prepare students for what they will learn
-- Use active rather than passive voice
How to create a senior-friendly computer classroom

Help students stay focused
-- Provide one way to perform a task, not a
multitude of ways
-- Keep discussions on track. Distinguish
“need to know” from “nice to know” info
-- Make clear verbal transitions between
parts of the lesson

Help students retain information
-- Be willing and ready to repeat info
-- Summarize frequently
-- Use visual and written information
to reinforce what is taught
-- Provide immediate hands-on practice
of skills taught

Accommodate physical changes
-- Vision
-- Hearing
-- Motor Skills
-- Other changes

Start small – Try one lesson, or part of one lesson
Have Help – An classroom assistant, or another (older) person who knows the Internet

How to approach the training

For beginners, START here:
Module 1  Internet Basics
Module 2  Introduction to NIHSeniorHealth
For Intermediate Students: START here
Module 6  Introduction to MedlinePlus
Module 9  Evaluating Health Websites
For advanced beginners and intermediate students, you can use
Module 5  Exercise on NIHSeniorHealth
Module 9  Evaluating Health Websites
Customizing the training

How to form a class
Print out this flyer from www.nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit
Fill in the pertinent information
Make copies and distribute

Training Checklist
Locate a classroom with computers and a computer projector.
Identify a trainer.
Setaside a time for the training.
Identify a classroom aide to provide one-on-one assistance .
Recruit students. You can download and distribute the recruitment flyer from www.nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit
Goto www.nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit
Select a module based on students’ skill levels.
Readthe Introduction and Lesson Plan.
Print outthe Lesson Plan and place it in a 3-ring binder.
Print outand make copies of the handouts for students.
Decidehow much of the lesson to cover in the first class session.
Re-readthe Lesson Plan. Use highlighting if you need it.
Hold the first class session.
Confer with your classroom aide afterwards to assess how it went.
Make adjustments for the next class.

Fill out the sheet individually (see next slide) and then and pair participants up.
Each person in the pair should mention one easy task and one hard task.
Each pair jointly discusses how to deal with the hard tasks.
Each pair reports out.
What Looks Easy/Hard to Do?

Finding a computer classroom with the right equipment?
Finding a trainer?
Finding an assistant?
Finding the time to teach?
Getting the authorization to do the training?
Recruiting students?
Printing out materials ( lesson plan, handouts)?
Making copies of handouts?
Finding time to prepare the lesson?
Using the lesson plan to teach?
Giving students one-on-one attention?
What Looks Easy/Hard to Do?1 = Very Hard 5 = Very Easy

What is the first step you will take toward using the Toolkit for Trainers?
Next steps…

www.nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit
Find the Toolkit for Trainers at