The second half of the year brings back some of our most popular computer classes, plus a few brand-new and topical ones to explore! These short courses range from one-off sessions to six-week programs, so there’s something to suit everyone’s schedule.
Spots fill up fast, so don’t forget to pop a reminder in your calendar when you enrol. Keep the times free, and be sure to join us for that all-important first session!
Click on the link on the course codes below to see the full description on the Courses page of the website or download the booklet.
Term 3
25COM301: Alternatives to Windows 10. 4 weeks commencing 29 July. Tuesday 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 4. Leader Helen Smith.
Windows 10 will no longer be supported from 14 October 2025. While Windows 10 will continue to work, the security risks will increase. What should you do? We will discuss the issues with continuing to use Windows 10 and explore the pros and cons of alternatives including changing the computer; changing the operating system or ditching a computer altogether.
25COM303: Android Smartphones for Advanced Users. 4 weeks commencing 22 August. Friday 1 pm – 3 pm. Studio 3. Leader Tom Wong.
This course is for those who wish to learn more about preventing the Tech giants like Google, from tracking you when using your mobile. Users will learn to turn on/off certain settings in their mobiles. We will attempt to assist users of all Android mobile makes and models but be aware, class attention will focus on the common mobile functions, namely those related to Samsung models.
25COM305: Discovering Free Google Tools. 4 weeks commencing 25 July. Friday 1 pm – 2:30 pm. Studio 3. Leader Andrew Ip.
When you sign up to a Google account, you open up a whole lot of online tools besides sending and receiving emails. These tools range from Office essential software to entertainment platforms, and most of these tools are free. This course will show you a number of tools available from the Google platform. You will have the opportunity to try out these tools and find out how they can help with your digital learning adventure.
25COM307: Keep Safe Online. 4 weeks commencing 26 August. Tuesday 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 4. Leader Helen Smith.
Going online can seem like a separate world, with “baddies” lurking around every corner. Learn the key ways to keep safe, so you can enjoy the wonderful new things on offer online. We’ll talk about strong passwords and why you need them; two-factor authentication and why you need it; how to read a web address so you know when the baddies are misdirecting you; settings you should turn on and more.
25COM309: Making a digital photo album (T3). 5 weeks commencing 23 July. Wednesday 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 5. Leader Meg Lowery.
A photo album is a beautiful way to show off your photos to friends and family. It also makes a wonderful gift.
Find out how to use the popular program ‘Albumworks’, which is free to download and not difficult to understand. In five weeks you will be guided step by step on how to arrange your photos and ways to personalise your album. Your finished album will be reasonably priced, on average about $70 for size 20cm x 20cm (40 pages) or about $90 for 30cm square (also 40 pages).
In this course you will be guided through making a practice album in class using your own photos and experimenting with ways to layout your photos and adding personal touches. We’ll think about who the photobook is for and choose the photos and layout to suit. We’ll explore using various backgrounds for the pages and designing a theme to make a professional-looking album.
25COM311: OneNote – share notes across your devices. 3 weeks commencing 4 September. Thursday 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 3. Leader Tony Widdows.
OneNote is Microsoft’s free but very capable note-taking App which works on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Use it for simple to-do lists or to keep track of many aspects of your life. Have separate notebooks for personal, finance, hobbies, U3A courses you attend, or anything else. Each note can hold web clippings, text, handwriting with a stylus or finger, videos, photos and voice recordings – almost anything. Make a note with your finger on a phone and access it on your computer or tablet later.
25COM313: Scams. Single session – Tuesday 22 July. 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 4. Leader Helen Smith.
Australians aged 55 and over lost almost $160 million to scammers in 2024. While this is down on 2023 figures, this is still alarming. People aged 65 and over reported the highest losses, and these losses steadily increased with age. Scammers use all types of sneaky tactics to trick you into parting with your money, but knowing what to look out for can help you spot the signs. In this session, we’ll share examples to illustrate these sneaky tactics and draw some general rules for keeping safe from scams.
25COM315: Windows Refresher-the Basics and Beyond. 6 weeks commencing 24 July. Thursday 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 3. Leader Tony Widdows.
This course is for those who have previously used a Windows computer but are now “rusty” and wish to update their skills. We will emphasize what you can use your PC for, including its safe use for accessing websites, emailing and storing your photos and documents. If you have previously attended a recent related course, you are welcome to enrol as we will be extending our knowledge further.
Term 4
25COM401: Android Smartphones for Beginners (T4). 4 weeks commencing 10 October. Friday 1 pm – 3 pm. Studio 3. Leader Tom Wong.
This course is for those who have been struggling with their Android phones and who want to learn more on how to use the very basic functions. We will cover basic phone setup, internet browsing, downloading apps, email, text messaging, setting up contacts and how to use the camera etc.
Users who wish to learn more about other mobile functions (e.g. understand scams, data backups, minimise internet tracking, reduce battery drain etc) are encouraged to enrol in the ‘Android Smartphones for Advanced Users’ course being offered in Term 3. Attendees in this class in Term 4 will be shown or taught the very basic common mobile features, so please choose your course preference carefully.
25COM403: Artificial Intelligence (AI) (Term 4). 3 weeks commencing 9 October. Thursday 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 3. Leader Volker Ankenbrand.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is discussed often in media. In this course we will discuss the original ideas, the current state of development, and perspectives the future may bring. Further, we will talk about the application of AI and its various components. We will talk about benefits and risks of this new technology. We use chatbot as a tool to show examples of how this new technology is used. After the course you will understand what AI is, and what components it has. You will be able to use chat bot to play with this new technology and understand the benefits and potential risks.
25COM407: Internet and E-Mail (Term 4). 3 weeks commencing 30 October. Thursday 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 3. Leader Volker Ankenbrand.
Internet and email are the backbone of modern digital communication. We use them daily, but do we really understand and control these technologies? This course aims to explain in simple terms how these technologies work and based on this understanding we will discuss how to best use the Internet functionalities, what rules should we follow to use the Internet safely, what risks should we be aware of when using the Internet, and what are the options to maintain privacy.
A section of the course will be dedicated to email functionality, which is a basic component of the Internet. Options to manage your emails will be explained and ways how to organise and classify emails will be discussed. After the course you will have the awareness of risks related to your Internet activities, you will understand different Internet protocols, data encryption methods and how to maintain privacy.
25COM408: Making a 2026 Calendar with Albumworks. 5 weeks commencing 8 October. Wednesday 2 pm – 4 pm. Studio 5. Leader Meg Lowery.
Ever wanted to make your own calendar using your own photos? Calendars make wonderful gifts and can be personalised with family information. The cost varies between $33 and $43 depending on size, with extra for postage. (There are generous discounts for a first-time order.) Go to the Albumworks website for sizes, styles and pricing information.
25COM409: Travel Apps – Smartphones & Tablets(T4). 2 weeks commencing 12 November. Wednesday 2 pm – 3:30 pm. Studio 5. Leader Wayne Henry.
There are many Apps available for smartphones and tablets that can make your device a very useful, even indispensable, travel companion In this short (two-week) course we will talk about travelling and briefly explore a range of Apps available for both Apple and Android devices that can help you:
- investigate travel options, plan an itinerary and make bookings.
- find and manage accommodation and transport
- navigate around unfamiliar places
- communicate (language need no longer be a barrier) and keep in touch with family and friends back home
- manage your money
- keep a record of your adventures – diary, photos and videos, etc.
- relax – (music, movies, books and magazines, or your favourite game)