Building digital literacy skills to improve their access to health services, seniors in towns and villages across New England, North West region of NSW embraced the 30th anniversary of Adult Learners Week in September 2025.
In partnership with Central Northern Regional Libraries, local non-profit HealthWISE piloted a series of six free TechWISE workshops in Nundle, Barraba, Manilla, Kootingal and Tamworth after recognising a gap in knowledge and confidence with smartphone and tablet use among adult learners.
Developed with vulnerable populations in mind, the two-hour sessions aimed to help older people feel comfortable using their phones for everyday health and wellbeing needs.
Participants learned essential skills in cyber security, accessing telehealth, using health apps such as Medicare and HotDoc, and setting up emergency contacts. They learned how to use their devices to keep track of medications and appointments, developed familiarity with QR codes and smartphone basics including navigation, connecting to Wi-Fi safely and adjusting settings such as font size.
“Everything I learned has helped me feel more confident,” one participant said.
“Very informative session and handy knowledge,” another added.
The flexible, hands-on nature of the workshops meant they could be tailored to the needs of those taking part. This included setting up health information on a device to support a partner in an emergency, discovering practical shortcuts like using widgets for better visibility and understanding tech terms such as cookies to improve confidence using new websites. One participant was completely new to smartphones, only upgrading due to the shutdown of the 3G network.
Adult Learners’ Week recognised the value of the skill-building sessions, awarding HealthWISE one of their Early Bird Event prizes for TechWISE. The organisation used the funds to purchase portable projection equipment, allowing them to take the workshop on the road to libraries without their own technology.
Initially stating very low confidence in accessing telehealth via apps such as Zoom and the ability to use devices for appointments and medication reminders, participants reported marked improvements in these areas. They also highlighted greater confidence in linking MyGov and Medicare, using the Health app, and general device functionality.
HealthWISE has now taken TechWISE beyond the pilot stage, embedding the workshops into existing programs and groups in their rural and remote footprint across North West NSW and southern Queensland.
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