UK Online Centres
Encyclopedia
UK online centres is a UK-based government-funded organisation which aims to provide millions of people with all the skills and confidence they need to use computers and the internet.

The organisation delivers this by providing free or low-cost access to computers and the internet, as well as help and support, via a network of centres across England. They also provide people with the skills and confidence they need to get started with computers and the internet with a number of free and easy to use courses designed for beginners.

UK online centres was set up by the UK Government in 2000 and their head office is in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

.

Online learning

In April 2011, UK online centres launched a brand new learning platform – Go ON (www.go-on.co.uk). The website was developed by UK online centres with the aim of bringing together all of the resources on the market for internet beginners, including those developed specifically by UK online centres, and from other providers including the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 and Digital Unite.

The new website contains four main sections:

Get started, which includes fun, engagement resources to help get first time learners started.

Online basics, the course that was developed in conjunction with BIS and Becta to provide learners with all of the skills they need to get started with computers and the internet.

Learn more, which includes a number of popular courses including Facebook and socialising online, Shopping online and Using a computer.

What’s next, which contains resources to help learners progress, including details on volunteering opportunities.

myguide

myguide, the original learning platform that was developed by UK online centres is being wound down and will no longer function from September 2011. Over the course of its life, myguide helped 500,000 people to get online, but due to wider technological developments it has not been able to keep up with the needs of learners.

The most popular courses that existed on myguide have been moved across to the new website, Go ON.

Community Capacity Builders

In April 2011, UK online centres announced a new funding stream, Community Capacity Builder funding. 50 UK online centres were provided with large grants to recruit Digital Champions and work with partners in their local area to help get whole communities online.

Digital Champions

UK online centres work closely with Martha Lane Fox and Race Online 2012 to support the Digital Champions programme, which aims to encourage people to help their offline friends and family to get started with computers and the internet.

Get online week

From 18 to 24 October 2010, UK online centres ran Get online week
Get online week
Get online week is an annual campaign from UK online centres the UK-based Government-funded organisation. Get online week took place from 18–24 October in 2010, and is set to run again on 17–23 October in 2011....

, getting nearly 80,000 people started with computers and the internet. Many organisations partnered with UK online centres to help make this week happen, including the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

, Race Online 2012, Post Offices, BT
BT
BT may stand for:* Baal teshuva, a Jew who became Orthodox * Babylonian Talmud, a central text in Judaism* Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium which forms Bt toxins...

, Three Mobile, Google, Sky, and Facebook.

Get online week is an annual event and will take place again in 2011 on 30 October – 6 November, and will follow a “Give an hour” theme.

Digital Inclusion Statistics

There are currently 8.7 million people who don’t use computers and the internet, and these people are likely to be socially excluded as well as lacking in online skills. UK online centres, along with their partners, are aiming to combat this digital and social exclusion.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK