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Module 08 — Seniors & Late Adopters Track

Duration: 4 sessions Audience: Elderly, first-time computer users, anyone who needs a patient on-ramp Prerequisite: None

A dedicated track designed for participants for whom computers are genuinely new, or for whom the existing modules move too fast. Pace, repetition, and dignity are the design principles.

Learning objectives

By the end of Module 08, a participant can:

  • Use their Second Boot device for everyday personal tasks with confidence
  • Make video calls to family on a tool they actually use
  • Bank online with awareness of the safety steps
  • Access their health portal (or get help doing so)
  • Recognize and decline common scams targeting older adults
  • Stay connected — email, messaging, simple social media

Session breakdown

Session 1 — The device, slowly

  • Tour the device physically
  • Turn on, log in (with a password chosen with the participant — written down on paper if that helps)
  • Desktop tour
  • Mouse / trackpad practice — as much as needed
  • Basic typing — what letters live where
  • Lock and unlock the screen

Session 2 — Connecting with family

  • Set up email in Thunderbird (or in their existing account)
  • Send an email to a family member
  • Set up at least one video call tool the participant's family uses: WhatsApp, Zoom, Signal, FaceTime (via browser)
  • Make a real video call during the session if a family member can be available
  • Take and share a photo

Session 3 — Practical online tasks

  • Online banking — log into their actual bank, just look around safely
  • Health portal — if they have one, log in; if not, set one up
  • Telehealth: what it is, how to use it, when to use it
  • Setting up auto-pay or recurring bills (optional, only if participant wants to)

Session 4 — Scams, safety, and staying connected

  • Phone scams: "your computer has a virus," "your grandchild is in trouble," fake IRS, fake Medicare
  • Email scams aimed at older adults
  • Romance scams — without judgment, with honesty
  • Privacy basics: what to share, what not to share
  • Social media basics, if the participant wants: Facebook with family, nothing required
  • "What to do if something feels wrong" — the human contacts to call before doing anything

Hands-on assignment

By the end of the module the participant has:

  1. Successfully made a video call to someone they love
  2. Sent and received at least one email
  3. Logged into at least one important personal account (bank, health, or other)
  4. Identified one scam tell they can describe in their own words

Design principles unique to this module

  • Buddy system. Every participant is paired with a volunteer who sits next to them, not in front of the room.
  • No test. Completion is based on engagement and the four practical milestones above, not an assessment.
  • Paper is okay. Written-down passwords (stored safely at home) are better than passwords that lock the participant out. Bitwarden is offered but not pushed.
  • Repeat without judgment. Asking the same question across multiple sessions is expected. The facilitator's job is to make repetition feel normal.
  • Award includes a setup visit. Module 08 graduates get an in-home or in-community setup visit, not just a device handoff. This is a design commitment.

What this module deliberately does not cover

  • Advanced productivity, coding, creative tools — out of scope; participants can come back for other modules later
  • AI tools — covered lightly, mostly in the context of detecting AI-generated scams
  • Smartphones (unless directly tied to a video call setup) — out of scope; refer to other community programs

Caregiver / family involvement

[HYPOTHESIS] Module 08 outcomes are stronger when a family member or caregiver is also briefed — even one 30-minute conversation about what the participant learned and how to support it at home. This is a design hypothesis to test as the cohort grows.

Assessment for award eligibility

A facilitator confirms (no written test):

  • Did the participant attend 4 sessions (or arranged equivalent)?
  • Did they complete the four practical milestones with their buddy?
  • Did they receive their in-home / in-community setup visit?

If yes to all three, Module 08 is complete.