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Background

Amity's Computer Literacy Project was conceived in 1994 by Betty Cooper.  She saw the potential for the use of computers as an additional teaching resource for our Students.  In particular, she identified the potential benefits, particularly in terms of motivation which could be engendered through the use of modern equipment, which would not be out of place in an office.

Development of the Project

Amity researched the field and identified suitable machines; laptop computers (for portability - they have to be taken to and removed from our venues for every session), with TFT screens which can be seen easily by both the Student and Volunteers at the same time.

Exploration of suitable software is undertaken at the annual BETT show at Olympia, each January; the largest show of its kind in the UK.

The biggest stumbling block was the finance, laptop computers are expensive compared with their desktop equivilents, and even more so in the mid 1990's.  The first grant to get the project underway came from the Brixton Estates Trust.  This was followed by a grant from Thamesmead Town for software and from Coopers and Lybrand (now Price Waterhouse Coopers) for funding for our first machine.  This was  followed shortly afterwards by a grant from the Trust for London which enabled two further machines to be purchased.

In 1997, the National Lottery Charities Board awarded a grant which enabled us to double the number of machines deployed in the field, together with funding for a wide range of other activities, including funding which has lead to the creation of this web site.

The Benefits

Betty Cooper's original vision of the benefits of this project have been more than vindicated. 

Students have been motivated and stimulated by the use of the equipment.   Techno-fear is overcome by each Student having their own Volunteer who deals with the complexities of the operating system, leaving the Student to relish the benefits of producing clear, clean text.  If it's wrong, it can be deleted; no more messy crossing out!!

Furthermore, in the few short years since the Project has been underway, software has been transformed, multi-media CD-ROM's, specialist Literacy Software that talks back; and a huge and diverse range of material and topics at a wide variety of levels means that new stimulus is always available and at hand.

But let us not get this out of proportion; computers will not replace people at Amity.   Volunteers are our key resource and will always be needed.  However, computers do give them another important option; and they certainly add value to the learning environment; indeed some of our Volunteers find they are learning too.

The Next Steps