If you bought a laptop but don’t entirely know how it works, Loyalist College is offering to help you out.
Barb Goodburn, Continuing Education Instructor at Loyalist, is teaching a tech class for people who are unfamiliar with the ins and outs of their new laptop or desktop. Goodburn says many people purchase a computer and only know how to use Google and Facebook. Many people, especially in the older generation that did not grow up with them, don’t know how to get the most use out of their gadgets. During the pandemic, computer usage increased due to people wanting to stay in touch with family. Goodburn hopes to educate people on what their computers can do to help them.
Topics include a range of computer uses, starting with simple stuff like saving websites, pictures, and using a thumb drive. Goodburn wants to show people how to save pictures to print later, what kind of accessories are on your computer, and how to use ease-of-access tools. She also wants people to learn how to keep their computer safe using antivirus software, how to clean up files on their computers to keep it running smoothly and to cut down on what they don’t need that may be bundled in with the software. From saving pictures of grandchildren to printing recipes off the internet, Goodburn hopes to teach people how to navigate through their computers.
To get started, Goodburn says to get in contact with Loyalist at 613-332-1743. The course will provide materials to follow along with. Notes will be provided in electronic and written forms and will have screenshots to make it easier for visual learners to follow along. She says post-pandemic, she wants to try to teach the course in-class.
Classes will begin on May 19th.