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Learning about computers

By Jackie Grubb

Topics covered in this article include:

How people learn

Experience is the best teacher. To really learn you have to get your hands dirty. Simply reading or listening is not enough. You have to make it your own.

One of the best ways of learning something is to focus on getting some specific results. This applies to any learning - not just to computer learning.

Think about a project you have in store for you - perhaps for work, for an organization you belong to, or for your family. Then plan to use that project as a learning vehicle. Here are some suggestions:

• Produce an article or book for publication. (Learn to do word processing.)
• Plan a budget. (Learn to work with spreadsheets.)
• Set up a mailing list for sending newsletters or meeting notices. (Learn about databases.)
• Capture daily stock market quotes and analyze them. (Learn about communications software and spreadsheets.)
• Set up templates for the common types of word processing documents used in your office. (Develop additional depth in your word processing skills.)
• Produce a newsletter. (Learn desktop publishing.)
• Research inexpensive vacations using an on-line service such as CompuServe, America On Line or the Internet. (Learn to use communications software.)

Try to keep your learning project manageable. If the project is too large, you can easily get overwhelmed. If you have a large project in the offing, try developing an outline for an overall plan, and then find little pieces of the project to learn with.

What software to learn

I recommend that you spend your time learning software that is:

1. Of a type that is basic to your needs
2. A popular package - preferably one that is supported by a user's group
3. Up to date - the most current version

Following these suggestions will save you a lot of time and frustration. Let's look at each one in detail.

Type of software

First choose what type of software you need to learn. Most business people should have a basic understanding of word processing, spreadsheets and databases. These are basic business tools, and without an understanding of their capabilities you may be choosing a hammer to try and insert a screw. If you are not a part of the business world, then some other software may be more appropriate.

Choice of specific software package

Second, decide which software package you are going to learn. I think a software suite makes very good sense - easy exchange of data between the applications, and transfer of learning from one to the next are two reasons that come quickly to mind. Microsoft Office is the most popular Windows based suite - far outstripping Lotus Smart Suite and Novell's Perfect Office.

I recommend going with a popular product when making a software choice because the very popularity of the product will make your life easier. Other products integrate easily, and advice is easier to come by than for lesser used products - no matter how technically good or inexpensive the less popular product may be.

A user's group, either local or on-line can be a big help solving problems and stretching your skill set. A user's group can be an important addition to meeting your support needs.

Learn the current version

Third, learn on an up-to-date version of whatever software you choose. Again, getting support when you need help makes a difference here. It is very difficult for the support folks to remember what features an old version of the software did not have and at the same time stay current with today's version.

Of course, there are many other kinds of software packages out there in addition to the suite products. Drawing software, desk top publishing software, multi-media software, communications software, computer aided design - the list is endless. But the same three principles apply when making a choice.

Feelings and fear can get in the way

It turns out that how you feel about yourself and learning is the most significant factor in how well you learn. If you are repeatedly told that you are stupid you start to believe it and you lose respect for yourself. And if you have a fear of failure, you may be hesitant to take risks.

Learn to appreciate yourself and your abilities, and learning will become easier for you. You have to do this for yourself.

Fear of failure is a common problem. But successful people generally have experienced many failures on the road to success. Milton Hershey who created the Hershey Bar had four or five business failures before his success. So don't be afraid to take a learning risk, and learn to learn from your failures.

Don't let age be an excuse for you. Old dogs can learn new tricks if they really want to. Self-motivation is a highly important component of learning and can be developed at any age. I have seen seventy and eighty year old folks learn very well how to use their computers.

Negative feelings can be overcome, many have done it. If they are a problem for you, take immediate action to do something about them. They will keep you from progressing.

Using documentation

Most current software programs come with two types of documentation - tutorials and reference material. Both are useful and needed, but each should be used for different purposes. Reference material is usually on-line these days, but generally is also available in print. Tutorial material comes in a variety of media including on-line, print, audio and video tapes.

Tutorial material is designed to help the new user learn how to use and overview the product. Reference material is for locating answers to specific questions. The use of tutorial materials is more like reading a story while the use of reference materials is like using a dictionary. A story is read from beginning to end. Dictionary use is more like a commando raid - you jump into the middle of the book, locate the information you need, and get out as quickly as possible.

Tutorial tips

Careful, detailed attention is required to successfully use some of these materials, in particular those that require some interaction on your part with the actual software. Skimming these materials like you would a newspaper article will not do the job. Neither will watching a video tape like you watch your favorite situation-comedy program.

There is wide variation in tutorials, with some obviously better than others. However, there is also wide variation in how people use these materials. In an ideal situation, tutorial materials are designed for a focused audience. But, the people developing the materials can only make educated guesses at your particular needs.

To assure successful completion of on-line tutorials, some companies resort to controlling the environment so that it is difficult for the learner to make a mistake. This "controlled environment" does little for preparing you for actually coping with the product. At best, this type of tutorial provides you with an overview of product features - and some only partially do that.

The tutorials that do a better job of preparing you for actual product use provide step-by-step instructions for actually using the program. They may include a set of files for you to use and modify in the process.

This type of tutorial requires careful, detailed following of instructions on the part of the learner. It is most successful when there is a coach or other knowledgeable person available to help the learner over the inevitable "humps" that will occur.

Use of reference documentation

Reference documentation is usually organized by topic or command rather than by a sequence of operations. Detailed instructions on the commands along with pertinent examples are usually included.

Part of using reference documentation successfully is related to your familiarity with the terminology used by that particular program. For example, I have seen the following terms used to bring a file into memory by various programs: load, call, edit, open. To look up a term, you need to know what it is called. If you know what the term is, use the index or on-line search to look it up. If you are not sure, scan the table of contents for clues on what it is called. If you find no mention of a particular feature either you are using the wrong terminology in your search or the feature is simply not available.

Browsing the table of contents, or better yet, browsing the reference documentation can be very helpful in learning a product and in determining what it's capabilities are. I find that to learn a product thoroughly it is necessary to browse the reference documentation at least three times while learning the product.

The first time through is when just starting to learn the product. When I have a good command of the basic processes of the product I take a second tour of the reference book looking for things to try that I may have missed or forgotten. The third trip occurs when I feel like I know the product very well, again looking for detail that I am not using.

Commando raids supplement the documentation browses, or may replace them entirely. You simply look up instructions on the fly - as you use the product, as needed, and as quickly as possible. This will slow you down at first, but after two or three lookups, you will have the process memorized. You may not want to memorize infrequently used commands, but simply look them up as required.

Another source of help are books and tutorials that have been developed by third parties as supplements to the documentation provided by the software developer. It is not uncommon to find that many titles are available on a popular software product. One of my favorite places to evaluate these books is the fifth floor of the Boston University bookstore. Their comfy leather chairs allow me to research my current problem in a number of books to see which one makes the most sense for me to purchase.

Strategies for learning

Many of the strategies I am going to suggest require that the learner have a solid grasp on study skills, including the ability to read with understanding, follow written instructions, and look words up in an index, glossary, or dictionary if appropriate. If these skills are lacking, their development should be of higher priority than learning how to use a computer.

Choosing a project as a means of learning is the best strategy that I can recommend. This strategy can be enhanced by working with a mentor or coach - particularly if you feel at a loss as to where and how to get started.

Finding and working with a mentor

You will want to find someone who not only knows the software well, but who can also help you to understand the principles associated with the use of that type of software. For example, there are some very common mistakes that people make in setting up database software because they do not understand the basic principles of database design. Getting a good design going on a database from the start will avoid significant problems further down the line.

Your mentor should not be someone who wants to take over and do the project for you. Rather, he or she should be coaching you on how to do it. You should be running the computer, not watching the mentor doing it. You have to do the process yourself if you are going to learn it.

You will also need to be sure that it is worthwhile for the mentor to work with you. That, of course, depends on the situation. If you are working for a large company you will probably be able to find someone within your organization to work with you. If not, you may need to pay someone - just as you would pay tuition to take a class. There are many advantages to using a mentor over taking a class. With a mentor you can focus on handling your specific problems and learning the skills that will help you do your job. You will not have to go through the process of determining just what those skills are.

For busy people in today's fast paced world, a good mentor can help move you to where you need to be far more quickly than other methods will.

Taking a class

I often hear people say "I really need to learn about computers - I am going to take a class." But a class is frequently not the best way to learn. Think about it. Teachers necessarily have to pace the class for average students. If you are average you may do just fine in a class. If you are not, the class will move either too fast or too slowly for you.

In addition, the content in a class has to be broad enough to meet the needs of everyone in the class. In word processing, for instance, not everybody needs to know how to do footnotes - only those who will be writing academically oriented books and articles.

And finally, you will need to find a class that meets in a convenient location and at a convenient time for you. If such a possibility falls into your lap, and you are "average" then a class could meet your needs.

Use of tutorials

If you can locate a good tutorial that you feel comfortable using, it could be a good way of providing you with an overview of the product's capabilities. As you use the tutorial, keep a piece of paper handy to jot down the topic or process and page number or location for those things that are pertinent to your project so that you can refer back to that process when you get ready to do it in your project.

The biggest challenge for you as an individual who wants to use tutorials is in locating one that is appropriate for your situation . An appropriate tutorial is one that is focused on what you need to learn, and that matches your learning style. Ideally, you should be able to walk into a learning center, confer with someone on your needs, perhaps be tested to determine your current level of competence and preferred learning styles, and then be provided with the appropriate tutorial material.

I have seen one such center in operation and doing a good job, but the idea while a good one has not been popular and has not caught on to any great extent. Having set up a self-paced program myself, I know that extensive work is required to get such a program going as well as to maintain it and have come to the conclusion that it could only be cost effective for a large company or school with many people needing training.

Another possibility for this type of training may be emerging along with the increased use of on-line services. This medium may be the place where self-paced instruction comes into its own.

Learn as you go

Another strategy once you get beyond the bare-bone basics of a software program is to try to do something new with the software each day. However, don't try something new when you are under a deadline. When under pressure, it is best to get something done the way you know for sure you can do it. But when the time pressures are relaxed, take a few minutes to learn something new. That new thing may be just what saves you much time in a deadline situation later.

Computers can save you time, but there needs to be an up-front time investment on your part to make that happen.

The importance of repetition and timing

Learning computer software is a lot like learning a foreign language. Repetition and timing play an important part in the learning experience. Trying to learn it all in one three-hour session is unthinking fantasy. Computer learning just does not happen that way.

Think about your last all-day training session. Was not your brain nearly fried after about an hour of intensive concentration? For most people anything beyond an hour and a quarter for one session is overload. Only so much can be absorbed in one session.

From my experience with one-to-one training of more than 300 people on their computer software I have found that it takes three successive days of repetition to ensure that a process is remembered. This is due to the fact that on the second day of training about 99% of them will have forgotten around three-quarters of the software mechanics that were covered on the first day. This is in spite of the fact that many of these people are highly talented individuals. It seems hard for people to accept the need for this repetition, especially if they are talented but let me repeat - it holds true for 99 out of 100 people. I can only think of 2 people that I have worked with that are exceptions to this rule.

The mastery of a computer product will include learning new concepts, new vocabulary (jargon), and new mechanics. The term header, for instance is new to many people learning word processing for the first time. A header allows you to put a title on every page of a document without having to type it in on every page. Once you grasp that idea, you will have little trouble remembering the concept. Remembering what it is called and the mechanics of how to set one up is harder.

In particular, remembering mechanics can produce much frustration in the learning process. You can reduce this frustration by proper repetition and timing.

Repeating the mechanics of a task several times during the same session is not enough. It is very important to allow some time to pass before trying the task again. Three or four hours is minimum, a day or two is good, a week is too long a time between sessions. During the second or third session on a particular task, work very hard for a few seconds to remember how to do it. If you can't remember, look it up or ask for help.

You will spend a fair amount of time looking things up at first, but this will soon taper off. Then you will need look up only tasks that are not often used. I like to use the temporary yellow stick-on notes to mark important instructions during this process.

Learning your first word processing program is the hardest because you are having to learn both concepts and mechanics, plus some jargon as well. The second program will not be as hard, because you will understand the concepts. But you will trip over the mechanics as you learn different ways of doing the various tasks. It's like getting a new digital watch, the method of setting the time probably will be different from on the old one.

So the useful baggage you carry with you from one piece of software to the next one tends to be mainly conceptual, unless you are using strictly Macintosh or Windows products. Some jargon will be the same, but not always - don't forget that our language allows for multiple terms for the same things. Do you have carpets or rugs in your home?

Learn the jargon

Don't let computer jargon intimidate you. Learning jargon is nothing more than learning new vocabulary. The meanings of the words and acronyms will come gradually as you work more and more with computers. These meanings are very important. They are language shortcuts which eliminate long explanations. They have been developed by experts working in the field.

Don't be afraid to ask if you don't understand something. People that know the jargon tend to forget that others do not. Other helps on jargon are computer dictionaries (available in book stores) and software documentation glossaries (frequently in an appendix.)

Mentoring - a learning mode for today's rapidly changing technology

Technology is rapidly changing the way we work and live our lives. Keeping up with technology is critical for remaining viable in today's workplace. It takes time to keep up with what is available and then to integrate the appropriate technology into your business operation. It takes time to figure out how even user-friendly hardware and software works. There are many facets to computer technology. And the facets have facets.

Learning on your own can produce haphazard results, especially if you do not understand the design principles for the use of the software you are working with. In other words, gaining an understanding of the best techniques for the use of the tool is more challenging when you are inexperienced with a new type of software.

How do you cut through to something that is workable and cost effective for you?

A good mentor can be a valuable help by

• Working with you or a staff member on a computer related project - so that the project gets completed competently, and so that you or the staff member become proficient using the software.
• Optimizing your learning time. Only topics essential to your needs are covered. (If you are never going to need to produce an index, why learn to do indexes?)

Author's note: I am a mentor, and have been for 20 years. I am a mentor by choice, because this is the mode of helping people to learn that I believe to be most effective.
You can contact Jackie Grubb at jgrubb@world.std.com.