Evaluating the impact of a peer-education digital literacy course on older adults' digital skills and wellbeing

A mixed-methods study protocol

Bibliographic Data

ID13076296
AuthorsDario Pizzul (0000-0001-9765-4163, University of Pavia, corresponding author), Emanuela Sala (0000-0003-2988-579X, University of Milano-Bicocca), Alessandro Caliandro (0000-0002-1168-882X, University of Pavia), Daniele Zaccaria (0000-0002-0909-9663, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland), Simone Carlo (0000-0001-7440-8904, University of Milan)
Year2024
Volume9
Pages1432607-1432607
Publication date2024-07-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2297-7775 • E-ISSN: 2297-7775
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fsoc.2024.1432607
PMID39045388
OpenAlexW4400455663
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited33

The digital transition poses relevant challenges and opportunities for older adults in aging European societies. To unleash the potential of the digital transition in old age and avoid the risk of exclusion, digital education for older adults seems to be a valuable solution. One of the most suitable approaches to digital education for older adults appears to be the peer-to-peer approach. However, not much literature is available on this topic. Within the ACTIVE-IT project, we aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a digital peer education course for older adults, focusing specifically on the use of smartphones and daily utility apps, such as mailing, e-Gov, and e-commerce. The purpose of this contribution is to document the protocol adopted to evaluate the course. The course involved 32 participants aged 65 or older, who, between March 2024 and June 2024, divided into three groups, attended a 10-lesson weekly course taught by a peer. We aim to measure the effect of the course on participants' digital skills and their perceived wellbeing. To do so, we will adopt a mixed methods approach, employing: digital methods by collecting and analyzing data on participants' smartphone use (i.e., log data on smartphone use before/during/after the intervention); a quasi-experiment, collecting information on course participants' wellbeing before/after the course attendance using a questionnaire survey; ethnographic observation conducted during the course, observing interactions between subjects during the course. The study has been approved by the Ethic Committee of the University of Milano Bicocca (prot.nr. 167541/2024)

Attendance · Digital Literacy · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Protocol (science · Aging and Gerontology Research · Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development · Medicine · Psychology · Technology Use by Older Adults

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