The world of technology can be awe inspiring, enthralling, vast and complex. Often all together at once. The same is true for the day in the life of a digital champion. On a good day, when your device is running well and your software is up to date, the internet can save you time and offer up a wealth of information to help and enrich you. The following day you can be bamboozled by error messages, slow running software and glitchy apps. Days like this present opportunities for our Digital Champions to practice problem solving skills and patience with learners.
The more you use technology, the better you become at problem solving. Computers can be challenging. We all have days when our devices are just not doing what we want them to. This can quickly become frustrating and off putting to learners who are new to the digital world. It’s so important for our Digital Champions to support learners through these rocky times and keep learners motivated.
The Digital Brighton & Hove team were faced with a mixed bag of tech tasks today such as;
- forwarding an email with an attachment
- transferring files from one laptop to another
- listing an item for sale on Gumtree
- connecting a laptop to a printer
- initial set up of a Chromebook
Often, when you’ve learnt how to overcome one hurdle with technology, you’re faced with a few more. Rather than hurdles, we prefer to think of them as learning opportunities, for us and for our learners.
Whilst tackling the tech task above, these additional learning opportunities that presented themselves:
- Using windows key to search computer
- How to check storage usage of device
- Drag and drop files from one location to another
- Understanding universal symbols, I.e., the 3 dots
- How to take and upload pictures with a phone
- Creating a strong password
- Discovering keyboard shortcuts
Our Digital Champions often find that they benefit sessions just as much as learners do.
“It’s amazing to work with so many different people in the city. When I don’t know the answer to something, I work with a learner to discover the solution together. I learn something new every day! I find being a Digital Champion really rewarding. Watching learners progress to do something they once struggled with feels very satisfying, as you can really see how chuffed they are.”
“One of our learners, Steve, shared his learning experience of using his laptop. Steve had to transition to use a computer for his job. He had found technology frustrating to use. Three sessions later, Steve’s confidence improved very much. He’s been able to use the skills he has learnt to update his CV and LinkedIn profile. Steve’s boost in confidence has even led to him developing his skills outside of sessions, using programs like Microsoft Excel to manage his pension. Steve talked about how he no longer feared using his laptop and described his learning journey, saying that: “The technology hasn’t changed, and I haven’t changed, but our relationship has.” Hearing amazing quotes like this from learners is a huge motivator and really brings to life the positive difference that working with a Digital Champion can make” – Alex Mahoney, Digital Champion Brighton & Hove
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