U3A resources

Connect & Learn with the U3A

This time we look at the range of resources that are available from the U3A - locally, nationally and internationally. Just read on and click or tap on any of the links that interest you. This is also available as a PDF document (Portable Document Format), which you can download, save and store on your computer or tablet if you wish - just click or tap on the image at the bottom of this webpage, or if you cannot see an image, try clicking or tapping on  this link:  PDF for U3A topic.

Local resources

Let's start with the website for our own Exmouth and District U3A - at https://u3asites.org.uk/exmouth/home. Hopefully you are familiar with this website already. There is a range of information under each of the tabs at the top of the website: Welcome, Member News, Hot News, Groups, Meetings, Admin, Contact, Links, Gallery, Newsletter and Social Events. 

The Member News webpage is at https://u3asites.org.uk/exmouth/page/54603 and the Hot News webpage is at https://u3asites.org.uk/exmouth/page/31640. They are constantly changing, and so it is well worth browsing though through these from time to time. They include some further opportunities for learning locally with details of local events or local places. And of course you can learn a lot when we are together for our monthly meetings in the Pavilion - details are at https://u3asites.org.uk/exmouth/events, and by joining our other local groups for learning from each other - https://u3asites.org.uk/exmouth/groups.

One of the items referred to on the Hot News webpage is Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).  This is a big and important subject and we will be returning to it as a future Topic of the Month. But if you wish to find out more right now, there are two links there - https://u3asites.org.uk/advice-on-moocs/home and https://u3asites.org.uk/files/e/exmouth/docs/moocnotice.pdf.

If you want to find out about U3A more widely, the South West Region has its own website at https://u3asites.org.uk/south-west/welcome  It has tabs at the top that take you through to Events, such as study days being arranged in the region at https://u3asites.org.uk/south-west/events (although there are none shown right now!), and Research Development and Shared Learning (under the SLP tab at https://u3asites.org.uk/south-west/page/58843). The Links tab (https://u3asites.org.uk/south-west/links) takes you through to further information, including the links to some other local U3A branches. 

Our neighbouring local U3A is Exeter, and this has a separate website and its website covers similar areas to ours. If you want to take a look, the link is https://exeter.u3asite.uk/. An interesting section relates to Exeter University Liaison, and there are some further learning opportunities here at https://exeter.u3asite.uk/u3a_groups/exeter-university-liaison/ . Its list of Links (at https://exeter.u3asite.uk/links/) is worth looking at because there are plenty of online resources here that may be of interest. They include:

• The South West Heritage Trust - https://swheritage.org.uk/

• Computing guide and help from Ravenshead U3A - https://u3asites.org.uk/ravenshead/page/43601 and https://u3asites.org.uk/ravenshead/page/43601

• Anthropology links

• Food matters

• Geology links

• Science and weather links

National resources

The National U3A website (The Third Age Trust) is https://www.u3a.org.uk/. There is an interesting national newsletter which you can sign up to (free) by filling in your details  at https://www.u3a.org.uk/newsletter. Previous editions of the newsletter are at https://www.u3a.org.uk/about/newsletter. Also there is a tab for details of National Events (Conference and AGM, Workshops, Summer Schools, and Educational events) at https://www.u3a.org.uk/events, so plenty of learning opportunities if you are willing to travel.

An especially useful section is the tab called Resources at https://www.u3a.org.uk/resources. This takes you through to:

• Subject advice (mainly for group organisers) - https://www.u3a.org.uk/resources/subjects

• Sources online ("the educational journal of the U3A movement) - it's the online version of the supplement we have been receiving up to now with our copies of Third Age Matters - https://sources.u3a.org.uk/, with PDF version of previously published editions at https://www.u3a.org.uk/resources/publications/sources. There are some very interesting topics and ideas here.

• Research network - https://www.u3a.org.uk/resources/u3a-research (including advice and support and research resources).

A fascinating recent report published by the U3A nationally is called "Learning, Not Lonely: Living Life, Extending Horizons, Challenging Conventions". It's free and you can read it at https://www.u3a.org.uk/about/news-archive/408-u3a-publishes-impact-report-learningnotlonely and you can also download it as a PDF from here (so you can read offline it on a tablet). It details a sustainable and positive approach to ageing built on group learning, skill sharing and volunteering. Very interesting and well worth a read.

International and virtual resources

Finally U3A is an international movement, and if you want to search even more widely, the link is https://u3asites.org.uk/international/home. A list of countries is at https://u3asites.org.uk/international/members and you can click or tap on the links there to find out more.

There is also a Virtual U3A at https://vu3a.org/. Details are at https://vu3a.org/index.php/what-is-vu3a. The Virtual U3A or vU3A is like a local U3A Group except that its activities take place on the Internet. An important target group for the vU3a is older people who may be isolated through location, illness or immobility - but all are welcome, and it has members from around the world. Members of the Virtual U3A are encouraged to form their own informal learning and discussion groups, choose their own topics and share their experiences in the social areas of the site. The vU3A's activities are carried out in writing using a secure, membership only, workspace. A list of topics is at https://vu3a.org/index.php/topical-list and a groups list is at https://vu3a.org/index.php/groups-list.

So what do you think?

Has this Topic of the Month been useful and has this been of interest to you?. Is there too much information - or too little? Any comments on these resources? Do you find them easy to access? Do you want to discuss this with other members? You can get in touch in the way shown in the Contact section of our website. Do let me know if you want to have a conversation over a tea or coffee. And of course you can always get in touch with each other!