NIA Offers Training Guide to Help Navigate Online Health Information
To help older adults search for and find credible health information online, the
National Institute on Aging (NIA) has developed a free training curriculum for people who teach and work with older adults.
The Toolkit for Trainers, which is now available on http://nihseniorhealth.gov/, can be an addition to computer training programs at public libraries, senior centers, community colleges and other learning centers. Instructors can use the curriculum to teach older adults how to find accurate and timely online health information on their own. To make sure the training curriculum meets the learning needs of older adults, NIA developers based its design on cognitive aging and vision research and field tested the materials with older adults and instructors in computer classes, according to a press release from the NIH.
The curriculum features health and wellness information from NIHSeniorHealth and MedlinePlus. Users can access NIHSeniorHealth for short, easy-to-read segments of information in various formats, including large-print type sizes, open-captioned videos and an audio version. MedlinePlus is NLM's more detailed site for consumer health information.
Trainers who download the toolkit will receive lesson plans, student handouts, Web searching exercises and illustrated glossaries. An introductory video provides a quick overview of the curriculum and a glimpse of Internet classes in action. The toolkit also provides tips on how to set up a senior-friendly computer classroom.