Tech Tutor Process
There is a defined process Tech Tutors go through each time they start working with a new learner. The details below outline how volunteers should prepare for a call with a novice older adult user, how to structure the conversation and support offered, and the best practices for reporting the status of the assistance you provided after each session.
Check Your Inbox!
Good email communication makes certain that everyone on your organizational team is in alignment and up-to-date. Before supporting a new learner, volunteers connect for a call with their coordinator to receive personal contact details privately. This call is set up via email. After each support session, it’s the responsibility of Tech Tutors to report back on the success of the call and if additional follow up is required. Please be sure to confirm receipt of all emails ASAP, to ensure your team knows their message was received.
Phase 1
Volunteer Position Confirmation Email
When someone has consumed all of the training materials contained on this website and has completed any organizational onboarding procedures required, it qualifies them to be a Tech Tutor. A confirmation email will be sent to successful candidates.
Along with this email, new Tech Tutors will be invited to connect with the volunteer coordinator via phone or video call to receive details about the first learner they will support. After this initial call, regular correspondence about individuals to assist and reporting the success of each session will be done over email to ensure there is a record of everything accomplished and attempted.
NOTE: Candidates must receive a confirmation email in order to solidify a Tech Tutor position. If you completed all prerequisites and have not received an update, email the volunteer coordinator you’ve been corresponding with to ensure everything is in order.Phase 2
Sign up for Zoom and Schedule a Meeting
All Tech Tutors host Zoom Meetings regularly. Each volunteer needs their own Zoom account to do so, which is free and available at www.zoom.us. The Zoom application should also be installed on the computer or tablet being used to conduct video calls with new learners, so it’s set up and configured ahead of time.
With an active free Zoom account, volunteers should schedule a practice Zoom Meeting to use when assisting a new user before phoning them for the first time. This is to ensure that the invite link is ready for a test video call when it’s needed. Be prepared.
The overall goal is to help novice seniors use their devices to participate in virtual community programs. This means that the support you provide should resemble the experiences that will likely occur throughout the entire process. As a result, you should also be set up to show new learners how to register for Zoom-based events, which will be the case most of the time. Volunteers need to organize practice video calls using the Zoom website to turn on the Registration option that will prompt a registration page for the learner to submit.
Phase 3
Phone the Learner
Volunteers are provided specific instructions about who they will support and when the assistance is scheduled to occur. As it was communicated to you, call the Learner and introduce yourself. Use the First Call Script linked below if needed.
It’s important to phone those you’re supporting on time, as scheduled. Learners will be expecting you. Please do your best to not be late. Each support session should be approximately 60-minutes. If there are still several tasks to complete at the one-hour mark, it’s recommended that you stop and schedule a follow-up call.
If you do not get an answer on the first try, call back again immediately. If there is no answer on the second attempt, leave a voicemail if possible letting the individual know you will call back soon. Wait 10 minutes before calling back a third time. If there is still no answer, the support session needs to be rescheduled. If voicemail is available, suggest that they contact the organization you represent again to establish another time to connect.
NOTE: Any scheduled session that does not occur as planned must be reported back to the volunteer coordination team for investigation. Tech Tutors should not independently call learners unannounced.Phase 4
Confirm Device is Working and Online
When Tech Tutors make first contact with a learner and introductions have been made, the first step is to determine if their device is working properly and is connected to the Internet. This is also when Tech Tutors learn how much the learner already knows about technology, which should dictate how to approach any guidance offered.
Ask the user what they currently use the device for to gauge their experience level. Try to determine if they are controlling the device in the appropriate way by requesting descriptions about what they see and do on the screen. For example, if there is a passcode set up on their tablet, can they easily type it in, or do they require a few tries before it works? Similarly, do they know if the device is online, or are they unfamiliar with the Wi-Fi status icon?
If it’s determined that the device is not connected to Wi-Fi, guide them on how to do so. If the learner indicates that they do not know the password or it is wrong, then the process must stop here. Likewise, forgotten device passcodes prohibit moving forward. Volunteers cannot support these issues as they require either in-person assistance or virtual support beyond the scope of this project. Let them know that a family member or friend should be consulted to find a solution to these problems. Encourage them to request Tech Tutor help again from the organizational contact that sets it up once they know they are online and their device works.
Learners that can sign into their devices without trouble and can confirm Internet connectivity are ready to proceed to Phase 5.
NOTE: Tech Tutors must email the volunteer coordinator with an update about what was determined if the session ended at this stage. Provide them with any useful details you observed on the call so that can help them follow-up with the learner in the near future to offer a volunteer's support again.Phase 5
Verify Email Access
All average technology users need an email address to connect with other people around the world and in their community. Additionally, email is the most common and accessible way for organizations to invite participants on mass to virtual programs and events. To attend virtual programs, individuals must be able to access email invitations. It’s not sustainable for organizations to phone a list of seniors to provide Zoom Meeting IDs and passwords. In order for learners to join Zoom video calls like their peers, they require an email address too.
Ask the learner if they have an email address already and whether or not they use it currently. If they do, request that they provide you with the address. Also, try to establish how they typically access their email account. Do they open the Microsoft Edge web browser and visit the Outlook.com website? Do they use the Mail app that comes with all iPads to check an address linked to their Internet service provider? Are they using the Gmail app on a Samsung Galaxy tablet?
Providing accurate descriptions and instructions to learners is essential. Understanding how a user views their email is important for Tech Tutors to visualize the experience. The location and color of buttons, the words and icons used, and the application controls are just a few elements that change slightly with each email platform. Have a working knowledge of the main options available so you can speak about them comfortably.
Learners that can successfully access their email inbox in order to receive new messages are ready to proceed to Phase 6.
If the learner does not have an existing email address or cannot gain access to it, they need to sign up for a new one. Due to confidentiality concerns around passwords and mandatory telephone number registration often required by email account providers, setting up a new address is beyond the scope of support that Tech Tutors can provide. Recommend to the learner that a family member or friend can help complete this quickly and easily while in person. Ask them to contact someone they trust who can help sign up for a free email using Outlook.com or Gmail.com. The helper should write down all important details (address/password) and also ensure the account is signed into the appropriate application on the learner’s device.
NOTE: If you are unable to support the learner due to a lack of email access, report back to the volunteer coordinator that this is the case. They will follow up with them to establish when an email address is acquired and they're equipped to meet with a Tech Tutor again.Phase 6
Time Check - Follow-up Call(s)
If it has taken an hour to complete the phases above, consider completing any additional tasks on a follow-up call. Check in with the learner and gauge their capacity to continue. It’s common for some new users to feel overwhelmed when learning many foreign technology concepts at once. Although they may desire to push forward and accomplish a Zoom call during the first Tech Tutor support session, the learner may not truly retain what you have taught them if they are overloaded with information.
Some learners will require more calls than others, which is no problem at all. Older adults should not feel rushed through their technology literacy journey. When it’s determined that a follow-up call is fitting, Tech Tutors should organize it with the learner while currently connected. Establish a date and time within the volunteer schedule you have set with your organization and provide the specifics of your plan to the volunteer coordinator leading the project.
Whenever you do call back, whether it be for the second, third, or fourth time, pick up where you left off after a brief recap of what was discussed the last time. Feel free to conduct shorter support sessions (30-40 minutes) to accommodate the learning preferences and tendencies of the older adults you’re helping.
If a Tech Tutor has accumulated 4+ hours working with the same learner and has not yet successfully connected for a zoom call, a progress assessment should occur. If you think the learner cannot progress due to technical issues that require in-person assistance from a family member or friend, let your volunteer coordinator know so that they can make the recommendation on behalf of the organization.
NOTE: Tech Tutors should not inform learners that support with a volunteer will stop at any point. Always let your coordinator speak to their older adult clients about suggestions that involve navigating in person assistance beyond the scope of the Tech Tutor initiative.Phase 7
Send a Zoom Link and Support the Installation of the Zoom Application
For most new learners, the Zoom application will be missing from their device. Although it’s available, we do not recommend using the Internet browser option for ongoing Zoom use. The easiest way to initiate the install is to simply launch a Zoom call using an invitation link received by email. The link should prompt the Zoom installation process if it’s not already loaded.
Send the Zoom meeting link you set up before the call to the learner via email and coach them through the process of accessing it. Generally speaking, you should be able to follow the device-specific instructions provided as part of this handbook, included for download in PDF format below.
Steer the individual you’re helping towards downloading and installing the Zoom application. This can involve but is not limited to, accessing a downloads folder on a computer, navigating an app store on a tablet, and signing into an account to grant the appropriate permissions for adding new software to their device.
If you encounter issues caused by missing or incorrect passwords that prohibit the installation of Zoom, you will not be able to proceed and need to advise the learner that a family member or friend is needed to overcome the problem in person. Tech Tutors cannot agree to or offer in-person support to any learners as part of this support program. Doing so is beyond the scope of volunteer qualifications and does not comply with privacy and safety protocols in place to protect everyone involved.
Phase 8
Help Master the Basics of Zoom Controls and Registering for Zoom-Based Events/Programs
Once new learners can access their email inbox and have the Zoom application installed successfully on their personal device, you’re ready to help them connect for a Zoom video call. Please remember to stay connected via telephone throughout this phase to ensure that the learner can take your instructions without interruption.
Guide the learner back to the original email message sent that launched the Zoom installation process. The same link will now work for connecting to the video call you will start soon. When you are confident that the new user is experiencing everything as expected, based on their description of what they see on screen, you can start the Zoom meeting on your end. It’s helpful to mention the concept of a Zoom Waiting Room to any new learners, even if you do not employ one yourself during your support sessions. Wait Rooms are common when participating in community programs, so older adults should have the idea on their radar screen.
As you support the learner with joining their first Zoom video call, mention to them that the name they enter will be displayed on screen for others to see during every Zoom call they participate in. They should take time to enter it as they would like it to appear.
Take a moment to pause when providing guidance about connecting their device to audio. Let them know that once they do so, it’s likely that you’ll need to end the telephone call because of the feedback noise created by having both Zoom audio and phone audio engaged at the same time on the same call. Also before hanging up the phone, make note of what’s next, which will be enabling the device camera.
If all goes to plan, you will be connected with the learner for their first Zoom call with both their device microphone/audio and camera turned on. Remind them about adjusting the volume to make sure they can hear you clearly. When everything looks and sounds good, provide new users with a tour of the Zoom controls they will typically use. These include mute/unmute, start/stop video, reactions (thumbs up), how to submit a message using the chat feature, and how to leave a Zoom meeting. Printable instructions to help with this are included at the link below.
For people learning any new skill, practice is important. Offer new learners the opportunity to join you for multiple short Zoom calls, even within the same support session, so they can try again and solidify the process required in their own minds.
When someone feels comfortable joining a Zoom call via an emailed link, you should move on to providing instructions about how to interact successfully with a Zoom registration page. More often than not, participants of Zoom events/programs are asked to register beforehand, so all users need to feel comfortable and confident going through that process too.
At the end of the support sessions with a learner, they should feel good about completing the various Zoom related tasks you practiced together. It’s not necessary for new users to feel masterful with the application install and app store component of things, as this was not the intention of the assistance Tech Tutors provide. When the final session is done, don’t forget to report the learner’s Zoom success to your volunteer coordinator so you can get started helping someone else :)
NOTE: It's important to do at least 2 practice Zoom calls with each learner. Ensuring that you have helped the new user navigate a Zoom event registration page and corresponding email is also essential. Both of these topics should be covered with every older adult learning the basics about Zoom!