Jolanta Ratyńska

trainer at the PCKK Teacher Training Center, leading specialty - the use of digital technologies in didactic processes

expert in the international project "Geragogy methodology - Building Digital Age-Friendly Learning Community"

Digital technology in the education of seniors. How can educators of seniors support the development of digital competences of elderly learners?

Introduction

Nowadays, more and more aspects of our lives are moving online. Therefore, it is extremely important that we understand the concept of digital citizenship and know how to navigate in this environment. This is extremely important for the generation of seniors who also want to participate in the digital society.

In this module we will focus on a few key topics. You will learn how to accommodate the diversity of seniors' experiences and needs by creating an engaging learning environment using technology. We will also broadly discuss the subject of digital citizenship and use various learning situations to develop these competences.

In addition, we will show how, through reflection and showing additional learning opportunities, help seniors actively join the digital society.

Learning objectives

Improving the competences of educators in the use of digital technologies in the organization of senior education.

Increasing the knowledge of participants about the concept of a digital society as a basis for designing education for seniors.
Increasing the ability to use selected digital tools useful in the education of seniors.
Getting to know the DigCompEdu framework as a tool for the development of educators.

Learning outcomes

After completing the training, the participant will:

understand the concept of Digital Citizenship
be able to choose appropriate working methods and teaching aids for seniors
understand European policies for the use of ICT in education.

In the first part we will look for answers on 3 questions:

Why do we have to use ICT in our classes?
What competencies do we want to develop?
What tools can we use?

Digital society and its consequences and new opportunities for seniors

Let's ask ourselves a basic question: What are the consequences and opportunities of participating in the digital society for seniors?

Please pair up.

Please find answers for a question about the consequences, about the opportunities.

You have 4 minutes for discussion in pairs, after that upload your answers to common Padlet, please

Survey - Why? (menti.com)

Building digital competences of U3A students

What digital competences do digital citizens need?

ICT can enable active ageing, facilitating access to information and healthcare, public services and culture, and many other aspects of everyday life.

Digital citizenship is an ever-evolving norm for the appropriate, responsible and legitimate use of technology. Also note that the virtual world is just an extension of the real world, so social behaviour must remain the same.

A senior digital citizen has the skills to use technology and the internet in a responsible, ethical and legal, sustainable and safe way.

Acting to strengthen the potential of seniors as digital citizens, developing development programs appropriate for seniors, we rely on 9 elements that characterise digital citizenship.

The second pillar on which development programs for seniors can be based is the relational concept of digital competences.

The relational concept combines the use of digital technologies with various activities of everyday life (social relations, leisure and hobbies, health, everyday affairs and finances, civic affairs). In this approach, the use of digital technologies by seniors is included in various spheres of their activity. This pragmatic approach increases the chances of seniors being highly motivated and building an attitude of openness to learning new things and using new technological solutions that are constantly emerging.

Check if you know the elements that characterise the digital society.

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