Computer skills help? Good. Free help? Even better!

Moraine Park female student working on laptop

Free Basic Computer Skills Course now available through a MOOC — Massive Open Online Course

Access to computers and internet is extremely important in today’s world. Often times computers and internet are a necessity in order to apply for jobs, complete schoolwork or pay bills. But for some it is a burden, due to the fact they are unsure of operating a computer or have no one to help them figure it out. There is now a free option available. Here is your chance to get the basic computer knowledge you need and learn at your own pace without going back to school.INTERFACE Logo

Moraine Park Technical College along with 15 other technical colleges in Wisconsin have created a free basic computer skills course. The course is available as a massive open online course to anyone with internet access worldwide.

The course work was created in modules allowing students to choose the skills relevant to them depending on their needs. Learners can explore how to navigate operating systems, input data, create documents, use email and the internet, manage files and more. The course work is designed to be interactive and includes hands-on activities. In addition to providing a student with a personal enrichment experience, students can gain skills needed for their job search and employment related tasks.

Community education faculty at Moraine Park are excited about the course. “This is great curriculum for a Basic Computer Skills class.  The curriculum is presented well and I think students will be able to follow along easily whether we as instructors use it as a resource in our classrooms or the students actually log in themselves. I like the method used to break down each section and the review material. As teachers, we still have the option to give additional handouts or supplements in chosen areas as we see fit in the classroom. This course provides the student with a nice way to be able to have information at their fingertips at home,” said Jan Peto, MPTC Computer Basics for Beginners Instructor.

The Basic Computer Skills Course can be accessed at www.wisc-online.com/courses/computerskills.

This project was funded by a $23.1 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant, INTERFACE is a statewide project with participation from all 16 colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System to strengthen computer skill competency and develop, improve and expand adult educational training pathways to careers in information technology-related occupations in multiple fields.

Written by Samantha Story