Assistant Professor's Outreach Boosts Seniors' Computer Literacy

A faculty member in Pennsylvania College of Technology's School of Business and Computer Technologies recently helped a regional computer club traverse the often-overwhelming terrain of technological innovation.

Daniel W. Yoas, an assistant professor of computer information technology, met with members of Susquehanna SeniorNet during one of their meetings at James V. Brown Library. The organization was formed in the late 1990s as a means of educating area seniors about the Internet, e-mail, word processing and other computer programs.

"I presented information to them on the types of personal computing that are available today; including the iPhone, iPad, "˜smart phones,' laptops, desktops, dual-screen computing, Web books, Kindle, tablets, etc.," he said of his May 19 session. "My presentation focused on understanding the best use for today's devices and their capabilities."

The program, followed by open questions, also included a discussion of purchasing equipment and presenting a user's needs instead of a set of specifications to the computer salesperson.

Yoas earned a master's degree in information technology from Rochester Institute of Technology and a bachelor's degree in computer information science/computer science from Clarion University. He is a Ph.D. candidate in computer information systems (with a concentration in information security) at Nova Southeastern University.

Susquehanna SeniorNet is part of an international organization with locations in 33 states, Sweden, Malaysia and Japan. Sponsored by the library and headquartered on its fourth floor in the Art Kline Senior Computer Center named in honor of the former chairman of the club's advisory board it provides one of four SeniorNet locations in Pennsylvania.

For more about academic majors in the School of Business and Computer Technologies, including the bachelor-degree major in information technology: information assurance and security concentration, visit www.pct.edu/schools/bct or call 570-327-4517. For general information about Penn College, visit online , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.