Senior Citizens Learning On-Line; Needs And Expectations
Escuder-Mollon P, Lipphardt AM (2017)
Publication Type: Conference contribution, Original article
Publication year: 2017
Pages Range: 10110-10116
Conference Proceedings Title: INTED2017 Proceedings
Event location: Valencia
ISBN: 978-84-617-8491-2
Abstract
Educational institutions are increasingly offering virtual learning
spaces to students to acquire competences and skills regardless of time
and space. The most common configuration is the blended learning
(virtual and physical teaching mixed) but it is being increasingly
offered completely virtual teaching, mainly to adults in very specific
subjects in specialization course, or other job-skills subjects. This
kind of learning is not advised in children, neither in senior citizens
as some of the competences they have to reach require a face-to-face
contact and real group interaction or when social contact is one of the
priorities.
Even we are aware of the limitations of full virtual
learning, it is necessary to acknowledge the enormous advantages it
provides, increasing the access of people to education (mostly if those
life in rural areas, or disabled). Furthermore, it is also worth
mentioning that nowadays, because of the great extend of technology in
everyday life, the virtual socialization deserves as much attention as
the real life socialization.
Senior students are enrolled in
educational institutions mainly because of personal motivations (not
because of job skills or competitiveness) and they attend to courses
because they want to keep active and up-to-date, sharing the time with
other classmates, enjoying and learning from this experience. This
interaction is reached thanks to physical learning environments, for
this reason it is not usual to offer full virtual learning spaces for
senior learners. Furthermore statistically senior citizens are not so
computer skilled as younger, therefore, they prefer face-to-face
learning.
In the EHHLSA project we analysed the expectations and
interests of the senior citizens about virtual learning, and the
preferred topics. We also wanted to know their preferred method for
learning and if they had experience on ICT mediated education, we wanted
to know their experience.
From previous results and data
analysis it is possible to conclude that their involvement in on-line
learning is a result of a decision originated mainly from their cultural
context and social environment, that is the life-long learning attitude
and the use of Internet because it is a social duty. Success on the
first steps on on-line learning environments is based on course topics,
the skills of the facilitator, the environment and an appropriate
methodology. After this barrier is overtaken, there is an increase on
the involvement on on-line learning platforms. This can be seen as a
virtuous circle based on senior citizens experience and with a three
dimensional aspects: learn and use of technology, learn new things and
topics, and enjoy being part of the virtual community.
The
results of this research are framed in the “European home learning
service for seniors association” (http://ehlssa.odl.org/) KA2 Erasmus +
Strategic partnership project.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
How to cite
APA:
Escuder-Mollon, P., & Lipphardt, A.-M. (2017). Senior Citizens Learning On-Line; Needs And Expectations. In INTED2017 Proceedings (pp. 10110-10116). Valencia, ES.
MLA:
Escuder-Mollon, Pillar, and Anne-Marie Lipphardt. "Senior Citizens Learning On-Line; Needs And Expectations." Proceedings of the INTED2017, Valencia 2017. 10110-10116.
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