Four online learning activities for retirees
Fast broadband is allowing retired Aussies to pursue a range of learning opportunities.
With retirement comes extra time, shifting priorities, and renewed focus, allowing one to discover fresh passions and learn new skills.
With access to fast Internet via the nbn™ network, many retired Aussies are able to do so from the comfort of their own homes.
As technology continues to evolve, exciting areas for digital exploration are at our fingertips.
So whether you're living the retired life or dreaming about hanging up your boots soon, check out some of our suggestions to make learning in the golden years a breeze.
Languages
Before jetting off to a European resort, a Caribbean island, or on that around-the-world cruise, how about learning a new language?
From French to Indonesian – online language tutorials are available through engaging apps, interactive websites and pre-recorded or live streaming tutorials.
Read about some of our favourite online resources to learn languages here.
Yoga
Find your inner Zen without needing to leave the house. Yoga is generally suitable for all shapes, ages and sizes, with gentler practices perfect for the seniors who might be beginner level.
Take Seniors Yoga - it claims to "improve cardiovascular health, aids digestion and elimination, improves sleep and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol."
Alternatively, the fitter ones can fast-track their fitness from home with a range of online workouts available to stream.
Baby boomers embrace digital pathway to lifelong learning
Aussie baby boomers have entered a golden age of lifelong learning, driven by an appetite to up-skill and assisted by growing access to fast broadband.
New nbn research* reveals tech-savvy baby boomers are taking advantage of super connectivity to fulfil their learning potential from the convenience of their own home.
Over a third (35 per cent) of baby boomers say they have an unmet study ambition and of these almost half (48 per cent) say that with access to faster internet at home, they would fill this void via online courses and 30 per cent via distance education.
Key findings from nbn’s research show Aussies baby boomers are harnessing:
- New year goals – when thinking about ambitions for 2016, baby boomers are most likely to: learn more about a particular topic of interest (49 per cent), learn a new skill (29 per cent), take up a new hobby (25 per cent) and gain a new qualification (11 per cent);
- Loungeroom lectures – of those baby boomers who are interested in one of the above, almost half are harnessing tools such as online videos (44 per cent), YouTube (36 per cent) and TedX talks (10 per cent);
- High-tech homes – more than half of baby boomers have now equipped themselves with a laptop (69 per cent), desktop computer (68 per cent) and tablet or iPad (49 per cent).The majority also agree that technology at home makes it easier to learn at their own pace (73 per cent), and levels the playing field between different locations (67 per cent).
Cooking
Becoming a digital-age MasterChef is only a few clicks away.
From virtual libraries filled with famed recipes by the likes of Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, to online cooking classes - there are resources aplenty to get you started.
The best part? There's no need to worry about having to keep up, with YouTube you can pause the tutorial as you please and sauté at your own leisurely pace.
Check out our list of online resources to help anyone with an Internet connection learn how to cook delicious dishes.
Photography
Be holiday-snap ready by sitting back and watching esteemed photography vloggers share tips on their YouTube channels.
Ted Forbes’ The Art of Photography channel is amongst the best produced, however for those who aren’t yet too tech-savvy, B&H will have you feeling like a pro in no time.
Find out how fast broadband is allowing Aussies to learn from home in our special series School of the Screen.
The consumer research included here was commissioned by nbn and developed by Colmar Brunton, with an Australian sample size of 1000 Australians across every state and territory in November 2015. The research in this document focuses on Australians aged 55+.