Support for senior citizens in our digital world Bernhard Jungwirth Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications (OIAT) jungwirth@oiat.at, www.oiat.at

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF LABOUR, SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION

With support of

Digital Inclusion for Senior Citizens

The internet is an integral part of modern life, and its competent use is an important aspect of social participation.

Our aim is to motivate and assist seniors to become competent, safe and confident internet users.

Best Agers

=

the fastest-growing

group of Internet users

Very heterogeneous

target group =

more diverse than ever

before

2008

2015

Issues relevant to seniors

• Senior citizens are not famliar with terms and concepts related to digital media („What is an app?“, “Isn't the Internet closed at night?“…)

• Age-related limitations (e.g., issues concerning eyesight and hearing, or problems with fine motor skills), need to be considered.

• Seniors have different motivations for 'going digital' (e.g., wanting to keep in touch with friends and relatives who are far away, perhaps getting a mobile device as a present from a relative, etc.).

• Seniors need particular support at the beginning, e.g., with device set-up and first steps.

• User guides should be easy to use and provided or e.g. seniors could make their own individual manuals as part of a course.

• Safety concerns focus on Internet fraud and data privacy issues

What the group needs

• Promotion of the internet has to focus on how digital media is relevant to older persons’ individual lives and daily routines and how it can enhance their social activities (e.g., they can learn from each other).

• Policies aimed at familiarising seniors with the internet need to reflect seniors’ different lifestyles and learning approaches. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for this target group.

• Also, learning activities should focus on building confidence and dissolving mistrust of working with new technologies i.e., “You can NOT delete the Internet”.

• Neutral and sympathetic sales advice on the most suitable devices and packages as well as educational support is needed.

Offers for users

Brochures for seniors and guidelines for trainers

www.saferinternet.at/fuer-seniorinnen

Safety support (fraud, privacy)

• www.watchlist-internet.at • www.ombudsmann.at

„

Offers for multipliers

Forum

Quality standards in educational programmes

Learning: content is co-defined by learners, transferable to daily life situations, and strengthens life skills.

Teaching: Informed, motivating, flexible and sympathetic approach to the diverse needs of senior learners .

Organisation: Provides a diverse range of sustainable, low-threshold opportunities for learning, and shapes its curriculum according to the input received from learners.

Learning

Teaching

Organisation

Curriculum for trainers dealing with seniors & digital media

A curriculum is being developed according to the quality criteria, and aimed at enhancing the professionalism of trainers working at the interface of digital literacy and learning in later life, including modules on: • Basic principles of senior education (geragogics), including needs and

challenges as well as digital media topics relevant to seniors. • Training skills and methodology for teaching IT skills to older people;

overview & specific knowledge of digital developments. • Know-how: organization, marketing, financing, development of

different learning settings and formats.

Research study on measures for senior citizens in the digital world

What still needs to be done

• Further media campaigns to reach the target group as they cannot be reached online – cost-free information events, senior cyber cafés, etc.

• Expand the range of initiatives at local and regional level;

• Establish innovative learnsettings;

• Promote older persons as target group for businesses;

• Develop target-group related course content;

• Establish device-testing points for seniors;

• Launch a “CEO-coalition”: telecom providers or Internet service providers offer support for potential future users;

• Carry out development-orientated studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the policies.

• …

Senior citizens & digital world …

once they know it,

they love it!

Thank you! Bernhard Jungwirth Austrian Institute for Applied Telecommunications www.oiat.at jungwirth@oiat.at