SPRINGDALE — Billie Vandervort learned to turn on the computer.
That’s a big step for the Winslow resident who attended Northwest Technical Institute’s “Introduction to Computers for Seniors” class. The class is open to adults 55 and older.
Vandervort said she had no basic knowledge of computers before taking the class.
“I’ve never had a computer until I’ve had this one, so I needed the basic knowledge,” Vandervort said.
Technology classes help seniors learn to use computers to communicate with their families, said Sandra Sawyer, assistant director of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arkansas, an organization offering classes and workshops for adults 50 and older. The institute offers classes in use of Excel, Word, Windows 7 and Google Picasa, she said.
Sawyer said a student at the institute once told her he was able to use Facetime with his 21-year-old grandson on his iPad because of the skills he learned. Facetime is a program allowing individuals to see one another while conversing through a computer.
“It just helps them keep up with the next generation,” she said.
Before taking the class, Vandervort said she would play with the computer until she could make it do what she wanted.
Linda Davis, a Springdale resident and another student in the class, said if she had trouble with her computer she would call her son to help. She hasn’t had to call him very often since taking the class, she said.
“I was afraid to push buttons and do this and do that and now I’m not afraid,” Davis said.
The gap between generations with technology is huge, said Patty Hall, community education director at Northwest Technical Institute.
There were no computer and keyboarding classes when older generations were in school, she said. It wasn’t an integral part of every job like it is now.
“It’s changed a lot and it’s changed quickly,” she said. “We’re trying to play catch-up with
these folks.”
By The Numbers
Computer Owners
Percentage of American adults by age group that own computers:
Desktop Computers
• Ages 47-56: 65 percent
• Ages 57-65: 64 percent
• Ages 66-74: 48 percent
• Ages 75 and older: 28 percent
Laptop Computers
• Ages 47-56: 49 percent
• Ages: 57-65: 43 percent
• Ages 66-74: 30 percent
• Ages 75 and older: 10 percent
Source: 2011 Sudy By The Pew Research Center’s Internet And American Life Project
Americans 65 and older have doubled their computer use in the past 10 years while the same age group has more than tripled their Internet use in the same amount of time, according to a 2011 study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, a project that explores the impact of Internet on groups of people.
Computer skills can help seniors with online banking in situations where only direct deposit is available, said Leslie Smith, chairman of the board for Senior Net, a nonprofit organization which promotes the use of computers among adults 50 and older. Internet skills can also help seniors find information on medicines they take, he said.
Northwest Technical Institute offers 11 technology-based classes for seniors, including keyboarding basics, Internet basics and introduction to email, according to the school’s spring schedule. NorthWest Arkansas Community College’s Bella Vista Center offers four computer-oriented classes for seniors, said Steven Hinds, executive director of public relations and marketing for the college.