Abstract
Modern technologies surround people every day, including seniors. The aim of this pilot study was to create a maximally user-friendly mobile application in order to meet older users’ individual needs. The research sample consisted of 13 older individuals at the age of 55+ years with a mean age of 67 years, living in the Czech Republic. The key assessment tools of this pilot study were the developed application and usability testing. The findings confirmed that the newly developed mobile application for teaching English met the needs of cognitively healthy seniors, and was acceptable and feasible. In addition, it indicated what technical (e.g., visual interface or easy navigation) and pedagogical (e.g., an instructional manual or adjusting to seniors’ learning pace or clear instructions) aspects should be strictly followed when designing such an educational smartphone application. In addition, the authors of this pilot study provide several implications for pedagogical practice. Further research should include more empirical studies aimed at the exploration of educational mobile applications for older generation groups with respect to meeting their individual needs in order to enhance their overall well-being. However, such studies are, nowadays, very rare.
Highlights
Many years have passed since the Internet became available to the public
The results of this study show that the participants improved their vocabulary, as well as persisting in learning for 17 weeks since they were intrinsically motivated to learn English
The findings of this study show that at the end of the course seniors improved their vocabulary in English
Summary
Many years have passed since the Internet became available to the public. Today, it is more of a rarity that the household does not have at least one personal computer or laptop.It is used to store memories in the form of photos and videos, communicate between family and friends, work or just to spend free time watching movies, listening to music or playing computer games. Many years have passed since the Internet became available to the public. It is more of a rarity that the household does not have at least one personal computer or laptop. It is used to store memories in the form of photos and videos, communicate between family and friends, work or just to spend free time watching movies, listening to music or playing computer games. Modern technologies surround people every day, including seniors. Older adults spend around 27 h online per week [1]. Most frequently, they use search engines to find information on topics of their interest, such as checking weather, reading news, or shopping discounts.
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