Digital literacy of older women with smartphones: a dialogic approach to overcoming barriers

Abstract

The scientific literature provides evidence that the use of mobile devices with internet access by older adults contributes to their autonomy, capacity for independence, and staying connected, impacting a better quality of life and health. There is also evidence that digital exclusion in smartphone use mainly affects older people, especially women with low academic skills. However, there is very little research on successful dialogical experiences in digital literacy for older women with smartphones. This case study will help fill that gap by collecting the perceptions of female participants (aged 74-90) and female educators of a digital literacy course with smartphones that ran for two academic years. The impact on autonomy and social relationships in the framework of dialogic learning is analyzed, in addition to identifying characteristics that could be transferable to other contexts. The main results show that the dialogic approach of the course has contributed to creating a learning environment based on interactions of mutual support, overcoming the initial fear of using smartphones, developing essential skills for their daily use, and allowing participants to be more connected with family and friends.