Multiplier based blended learning paradigm for
elderly people’s efficient adaptation to Information
and Communication Technology (ICT)
Helena Blažun, PhD, PhD1, Danica Železnik, PhD2, Peter Kokol, PhD3
1University
of Maribor, Center for International Cooperation, Slovenia
2University College of Health Sciences, Slovenia
3University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,
Slovenia
Demographic challenges and ICT
• The majority of elderly people are still quite ignorant about ICT;
therefore we have to seek for the solutions how to motivate elderly
to use ICT for their personal empowerment and higher quality of life
(QOL);
• ICT can play a major role in dealing with demographic challenges,
since the fact that ICT can positively affect elderly people’s QOL, in
particularly can support elderly people’s daily living so that they can
stay independent for longer, have better cognitive abilities and show a
lower level of depression, stay healthier, active in their own
community and socially included;
Project PRIMER – ICT: Promoting the improvement of ICT skills and
well-being of the elderly by inter-generational and multi-sectoral education
• The European project PRIMER-ICT started in January 2009 and lasted
for 24 months. The project was led by the Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Maribor, Slovenia and included three partner
institutions; Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Austria,
University College Dublin, Ireland and University of Surrey, UK;
• The basic aim of the project was to educate elderly in ICT
skills/practice using inter-generational and multi-sectoral approach of
education where facilitators educated nursing and computer science
students who later participated in the ICT education of multipliers
and elderly. PRIMER-ICT project also aimed to contribute to the
reduction of isolation of elderly people through the promotion of ICT;
Project PRIMER – ICT: Promoting the improvement of ICT skills and
well-being of the elderly by inter-generational and multi-sectoral education
• Potential connection between positive experiences from ICT training
courses gained by teachers and multipliers and their ability to affect
elderly people’s willingness to learn ICT skills and motivate them for
future participation in ICT training courses through organized
motivational workshops;
• Training of elderly people in ICT skills/practice using an intergenerational and multi-sectoral approach to training and decreasing
the degree of isolation of elderly people through the promotion of ICT
in Slovenia, Austria, Ireland and the UK;
Conceptual background of the personalized
teaching method (Figure 1)
Source: Blažun, Saranto, & Vošner, 2013
Conceptual background of the personalized
teaching method
• The developed personalized teaching approach based on the blended
learning paradigm and which combines a flexible e-learning method
with traditional forms of learning, such as face-to-face learning;
• The multipliers were instructed by teachers who were ICT and nursing
experts; therefore they acquired not only ICT knowledge and skills,
but also knowledge on health, gerontological and social care;
• The role of the teachers was only to prepare the multipliers and they
were never in direct contact with the elderly; moreover, the
knowledge transfer between teachers and multipliers was always in
one direction only; from teacher to multiplier;
Conceptual background of the personalized
teaching method
• Communication between the multipliers and elderly people took
place in both directions; multipliers became consultants, guides and
resource providers of ICT knowledge, who provided structure to the
work of the elderly and encouraged self-directed learning;
• In the long term, a highly motivated elderly person could even
become a multiplier and transfer ICT knowledge and skills to another
elderly person, thus becoming a real, evidence-based practice
example;
• In the personalized teaching method, the training for the elderly
people started two steps away from the actual ICT training courses
designed for them; with educating the teachers and multipliers;
ICT training courses for elderly people
• A total of 181 elderly people participated in the ICT training courses
which were implemented in Slovenia, Austria, Ireland; however 146
elderly people participated in the evaluation of the ICT training
courses. The majority of elderly people originated from the UK
(38.4%), 28.8% from Ireland, and 16.4% each from Ireland and
Austria;
• The ICT training courses commenced at different times throughout
the four partner countries (from September to December 2010) and
were delivered to groups of elderly people within the project partner
countries, among these were elderly homes, community groups, care
homes residents, people homes and a university premises;
ICT training courses for elderly people
• The training courses for elderly people lasted five days and were led
by multipliers who prepared written materials for elderly people, so
that the participants could make notes. The maximum group size was
5–8 elderly participants who worked in mobile e-classrooms
consisting of 5 - 8 portable computers;
• The content of the ICT training included basic information about the
information and communication technology and other ICT
equipment, logging in procedure, connecting with the Internet,
introducing the participants with the PRIMER-ICT web page and
portal, introduction of course materials, introduction to Moodle
environment, get to know how to send email, searching the Internet
for useful information, logging into the PRIMER-ICT portal;
Research questions
1. How the ICT training courses influenced elderly people’s ICT
knowledge and skills according to gender and age?
2. To what extend elderly people were able to enrich their life with the
support of ICT according to gender and age?
3. How the elderly self-evaluated fear before and after the ICT training
courses?
Elderly peoples’ experiences of ICT education
• To evaluate elderly people’s progress and to assure the quality of the ICT training
courses, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire at the beginning and at
the end of ICT training course;
• The questionnaire administered to elderly people for the evaluation at the beginning
of the ICT training courses included open-ended (n=11), closed-ended (n=16) and
open-close ended (n=1) questions. The first questionnaire included information
about demographic data, such as age, gender, current living condition, as well as
information about potential computer experiences, elderly people’s feeling about ICT
course expectations, and their awareness about the PRIMER-ICT project;
• The second questionnaire administered to elderly people after the ICT training
courses included open-ended (n=7), closed-ended (n=8) and open-close ended (n=2)
questions; The second questionnaire included information about experiences from
the ICT training course, potential computer anxiety, elderly’s expectations if ICT
training course met their needs, and about elderly’s future motivation to use
computers;
Results
• 181 participants attended the ICT training courses in the scope of the
PRIMER – ICT project. 146 participants (24 from Austria, 56 from UK,
24 from Slovenia and 42 from Ireland) completed all answers before
and after the ICT training course and these were included in the
analysis;
Figure 2: The participants’ distribution
by country, gender and age.
Results
Figure 3: The self-perceived improvement/decline of the
ability to use computer compared by gender and age
after the attendance on the ICT training course
Results
Figure 4: The self-perceived improvement/decline of the
perception that computer can enrich life compared by
gender and age after they attended the ICT training
course
Results
Figure 5: The self-perceived reduction/increase of the
fear about using computer compared by gender and age
after they attended the ICT training course
Results
Figure 6: The biplot of associations
between demographic factors
and participants perception regarding
variables about computer use after
they attended the ICT training course
Conclusion
• The results of this study prove that this innovative personalized
teaching approach where each elderly person learns from multiplier
(one-to-one teaching method) is useful from various perspectives
namely: elderly people can learn according to their own wishes,
needs, have constant support from multiplier, ICT training courses can
be adjusted to elderly people’s potential age related problems,
personal interests, etc;
• In this study mainly participated elderly people aged between 66 and
75 years, which mean that despite of their age they would still like to
learn new things, and want to keep pace with technological progress
and do not want to stay behind;
Acknowledgement
• Financial support for the PRIMER-ICT project was provided by the
European Commission under Agreement number 2008-4279/001001, project number 143665-LLP-1-2008-1-SI-KA3-KA3MP. The
authors of this article would like to thank all project partners for their
support and contribution and their permission to publish the data
collected during the project. Additionally, the contribution of the
facilitators, teachers, multipliers and elderly participants to the
evaluation process is much appreciated.
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Thank you for your attention!
Contacts:
Helena Blažun, PhD, PhD
Email:hblazun@gmail.com
Danica Železnik, PhD
Email:dekanica@vszv-sg.si
Peter Kokol, PhD
Email: peter.kokol@um.si