[plug] Re: Computer Bank - please dont give them away.

[tlang@freeway.apana.org.au (Tony Langdon)]

It's 07 Jan 99  09:15:44,
We'll return to dbuddrige@ozemail.com.au and All's
discussion of [plug] Re: Computer Bank - please dont give them away.

 db> 1. People are not stupid - if the training is aimed at the right level
 db> then most people  _can_ learn if they _want_ to... if they don't - well
 db> bully for them... having done Computer Training as a job within several
 db> organisations I am aware that from time to time, you _do_ get some
 db> persons who either will not learn, (or maybe can't), however they are
 db> in the minority, and they are vastly outnumbered by people who _have_
 db> got half a brain, and are willing to use it...

I work in the industry (behind the scenes though), and I only half agree
with this statement.  People do learn readily, but they often learn in a
piecemeal fashion, and require support afterwards.  I will add that many
trainers themselves get horribly lost when faced with something outside
the scope of the applications they know (like one trainer, not from
our company, I might add, that asked _me_ how to log into _their_
database! :) ).

 db> 2. My thinking (briefly) to do the training is as follows:
 db> a. Develop course material along the lines of LDP howto's - but
 db> structured such that they are broken into 1 hour chunks that a
 db> reasonably competent linux nut could basically follow through, and
 db> explain / answer questions.  The documents can then be submitted to LDP
 db> (i expect they'd be extrememly useful for anyone keen on getting people
 db> off windoze and into linux).

Yes.  Courseware development is somewhat time consuming, but pays off
big time in the long run.

 db> b. scope of training is focused on getting people up-and-running
 db> (from a variety of starting points) in the fundametnals of linux and
 db> computers so they roughly know enough to find out the rest of what they
 db> need to know via usenet or whatever other means.

It would make sense to concentrate on (to use my names)

"Intro to Linux" and "Conversion to Linux" (the latter being for users
familiar with Windows 9x).

 db> c. In terms of _who_ does the training... ok, training is still a
 db> skill that not everyone has - but I've done it for a living before, and
 db> would be willing to offer up an hour or 2 on a saturday morning  8-)
 db> I'm sure that we could find other's willing to offer their time (and
 db> others willing to donate their loungrroom for a few hours to run a
 db> small class????

Maybe, though I don't have a venue.  Might be something I could look
into down the track, once I've done my own "train the trainer" course,
which may happen this year. :)

 db> In terms of developing the course material... I am thinking there is
 db> no reason why these can't be developed using a GNU methodology just
 db> like software - if some-one posts a to-do list and/or a
 db> table-of-contents, all that need happen is people fill in relevant
 db> sections and submit to person responsible - errors, ommissions,
 db> wording, etc, can be worked out as a group effort by anyone/everyone
 db> interested ... I am putting together some proposal/discussion starters
 db> at present that will flesh out what I am... will submit url soon
 db> (expect about a week to prepare)...

I'm willing to get involved in the process myself.  I get to see enough
manuals to know the basic layout, as well as having the LDP stuff at the
top of my reading list at home and at work. :-)

.. "Needles threaded, Captain", "Then make it sew, Number One"
--
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