Since COVID-19 has greatly impacted the ordinary way of life, Tech Coaches mission to boost digital literacy in the community has become increasingly important. Here is a closer look at Tech Coaches’ partnership with PROBUS, virtual sessions and what’s in store for 2020.
Chris, Chief Learning Officer, explains that Tech Coaches exists to communicate technology well. People, who want to increase their digital literacy, can receive that information effectively and quickly directly. If somebody is 75 years old, they don’t need a two year learning curve. They want to pick things up fast, so they can start getting value out of it right away. Tech Coaches specializes in designing that kind of educational experience. That’s what they do with Probus.
To learn more about PROBUS visit their website: https://www.probus.org
How It All Started
Tech Coaches worked with Probus since the company started, which was in early 2018. Chris did work with Probus for over a year before that, under a different arrangement. Their relationship started when Probus was looking for someone to provide their existing Computer Group with relevant insight into technology. Since Tech Coaches specializes in making the content fit the needs of the group they work with and look to share information with value, it was a perfect fit.
Each month Tech Coaches and Probus get together. Tech Coaches puts together a themed presentation, with emphasis on active conversation, and dives into a specific topic or device chosen in advance. This is done to make sure the session is easy to follow.
In real life, Chris stands in front of a screen. There is a projector hooked up to a device. A small group of 15 people have their computers, phones and tablets in front of them. Tech Coaches guides them through the basics such topics as Windows 10, file explorer navigation, different privacy configurations. In the following session, the lesson might be about smartphones: essential apps, different location services to disable or enable, etc. Chris likes to entice people to talk frankly about technology, understand it. That’s what lets you get comfortable with it. You first need to understand how to drive a car to feel safe behind the wheel. It’s the same with technology - ones who are uncomfortable are the ones who don’t know how to use it. Once you get it, you are actually upset once someone tries to take it away.
Tech Coaches ultimate goal is for the members of the Probus club to have confidence in their own digital literacy. So much that they have extra to share with others. What does that do for Tech Coaches? It extends the company’s ability to boost digital literacy for many people with a willingness to learn. If 15 Probus members understand how to identify an Internet scam, then those 15 people can share that information with their friends and loved ones. This helps to push digital literacy forward.
Meetings Post COVID-19
COVID-19 brought a huge change. Everybody was forced into video conferencing. Probus members gracefully handled the switch, since they had foundational digital literacy. That's the snowball effect. When you become comfortable with the basics of technology, your willingness to learn increases. Doesn’t matter what the technical change is anymore, you’re open to it. You will be able to figure it out. Because of that foundational literacy Tech Coaches were able to completely virtualize the Probus program, which improved the effectiveness of it. Not only everybody is at home, sitting comfortably with all their devices 2 feet away from the monitor, Chris can also more intimately communicate with the participants.
Average session in a virtualProbus meeting starts with Tech Coaches providing a Zoom link. Everybody dials in at the same time with their video turned on. Chris gets into the planned topic, which often requires him to share the screen of his computer. Depending on the topic, he might have a camera beside him to demonstrate how to operate a device closely. After, the participants ask questions. A lot of the session has to do with active conversation. If some aspect of the lesson was unclear, Chris always encourages people to tell him. Then, he explains the issue in a different way. Sometimes, Chris and the participants have to find out the answer together. Tech Coaches leads the way so you don’t have to, you can just watch and learn.
The number of participants increased virtually compared to in-person. It is because of the logistical differences. People no longer can't come to the meetings because they went to Florida, for example. Now, they can just tap into the Zoom link wherever they are.
During the last meeting, which was virtual, Tech Coaches and Probus were setting the agenda for the year. They were just chatting as a group about all the different topics that they want to cover in the following months. There are topics that Tech Coaches always go over: email, calendars and contacts - the essentials. Tech Coaches break each topic down as they go, to make sure people understand a certain technology as much as they do.
What’s in Store for the Upcoming Year?
Tech Coaches is currently working directly with the Mississauga South Chapter. In the upcoming year, they would like to expand by inviting members from different Probus Chapters to the existing meetings. The goal is to see if the Computer Group would be of value to other Chapters as well. If they would like to start up a club in their own Chapter, it can be done quite easily since Tech Coaches has been doing it for a long time.
Initially, this wasn’t the plan for the year. Tech Coaches in February of 2020 were not talking about expanding the Probus Digital Literacy Club the way they are now. Before it was limited by geographic reach - it wasn’t possible to drive everywhere, so they couldn’t reach out to all the other chapters the way they want to now. Virtual sessions removed the issues of space and time. They allow for a greater amount of people to boost their digital literacy and learn new technologies. That’s the goal for the year: to expand into other Probus Chapters.
An ideal future client for this program is any group of adults who identify as basic and intermediate users, and are interested in boosting their digital literacy. Tech Coaches don’t offer advanced web development, they do not specialize in that. What they are very good at doing is helping any average user advance their technological skills. Tech Coaches is a resource that curates information for you. They have their finger on the pulse of technology and if you stick with them - you will have your finger on the pulse too.
- Anna Povorozniuk, Virtual Communications Developer