An Easy-to-Read Guide to Computer Basics

by Diane McCargar

Computer Basics 2000 is a guide for literacy students wanting to learn how to use computers. This comprehensive resource starts with very basic information about the parts of a computer and continues on to cover using a mouse, the Windows desktop, word processing, file management, the Internet and e-mail. The word processing section focuses on WordPad which is the simple word processing program that comes with Windows. The file management section is probably the most difficult section. It explains how you can use Windows Explorer to organize files saved on disks. The Internet section looks at Internet Explorer and the e-mail section covers Outlook Express.

The information contained in this resource is easy to read. It is organized into short sections which are accompanied by lots of graphics. The thoroughness of this resource is one of its strengths, but this may be too much information for some new readers. Fortunately, the way the information is presented makes it easy to pick and choose and perhaps reorder the sequence of the sections.

This guide was written by Brian O’Rooney for Literacy Nanaimo. The entire resource can be viewed online in NALD’s Literacy Collection at: http://www.nald.ca/CLR/basics00/cover.htm

DrugStore Pharmacy CDs
Free Health-Related Information

by Diane McCargar

A series of free health-related CDs has been made available to customers of pharmacies located in major grocery stores across eastern and central Canada. The series is made up of four CDs: Diabetes, Nutrition, Women’s Health, and Men’s Health. Each CD contains in-depth information on common ailments. For example, the Women’s Health CD covers Cardiovascular Health, Osteoporosis, Menopause and H.R.T., Breast Cancer, and Depression. The causes, symptoms, management, prevention and treatment of each ailment are discussed in detail.

The information is presented in a series of slides that contain text, graphics and audio. The thoroughness of the material means that some of the text is fairly technical but there are certainly large portions that are within reach of the average advanced literacy learner. The Causes and Symptoms section is probably the easiest to read. It contains practical material such as shopping lists and recipes. The Treatment section is likely the most difficult to read, but be sure to look for the Internet links and contact information listed at the end of this section. The fact that all of the text is read aloud to the user extends the usefulness of the CDs to a wider literacy audience. The CDs also include dictionaries for help with vocabulary.

The layout of the material is simple, making it easy to use with the exception of a few technical glitches and spelling mistakes. The commercial aspect of the CD is not distracting, because information related to sponsors is tucked away in one section of the CD and easily avoided.

The CDs are free of charge but their availability may be limited. If you are in the Atlantic Provinces or Ontario, look for the CDs in the pharmacies of major chain stores such as Loblaws, Zehr, and SuperValue. The rest of Canada can still access the content of the CDs, minus the audio, on the website: www.drugstorepharmacy.ca.