Abstract
Several studies have found that elderly people have a difficulty in using social media platforms and smartphone apps due to a number of barriers that discourage them from engaging with technology. This study presents older women’s views regarding a two-month blended (synchronous and asynchronous) learning course on using apps and social media on smartphones in their daily life. The design of the educational course was based on older adult women’s needs. The findings of the qualitative research indicate that older people’s educational needs are better met when they participate in an asynchronous e-learning environment, where they are given the opportunity to proceed at their own pace. Moreover, the results suggest that designers and educators can incorporate video tutorials (narration and subtitles) in the learning programs as an effective educational mean and use Facebook as a learning platform so as to engage learners and facilitate communication between educators and learners.
Highlights
The development of technology and the subsequent advent of smartphones can potentially improve the quality of older people’s lives in a number of ways (Carpenter & Buday, 2007; Chen & Persson, 2002; White et al 2002)
3.1 The Study This study is a part of a post-doc research focusing on the educational needs of the elderly and, the design, implementation, and evaluation of an educational program on the use of smartphones along with the possibilities they offer in improving older adults’ daily lives and promoting communication and social networking
For the reader's convenience, the answers to the main research questions are presented in figures/tables containing the basic codes and themes that emerged from the thematic analysis, while quotes from the interviews are provided
Summary
The development of technology and the subsequent advent of smartphones can potentially improve the quality of older people’s lives in a number of ways (Carpenter & Buday, 2007; Chen & Persson, 2002; White et al 2002). An expanding number of studies suggest that the use of social media and internet training may enhance older adults’ psychosocial well-being (Cotten, Ford, Ford, & Hale, 2012, 2014; Shapira, Barak, & Gal, 2007; White et al 1999). Social media use and internet browsing have been shown to have a potentially positive impact on the psychology of older adults, it seems that they are still reluctant to adopt the technology. With the development of touchscreen technology in smartphones and tablets - which older people might find easier to work with - various useful and handy applications (apps) are running on smartphones. Given how older adults are likely to want more frequent communication with their children via social network apps and how younger adults are keen on using them (Zhou, Rau, & Salvendy, 2014), it is vitally important to deal with the perspectives, impacts, and learning needs of older adults, who only have limited internet experience and skills
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