Jaye Chrystal, McLean Rebecca, Lin Janet, Beardsmore Kristen, George Debbie
Department of General Practice and Rural Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Department of Population Health, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
J Appl Gerontol. 2024 Dec 9;44(8):7334648241306941. doi: 10.1177/07334648241306941.
In contemporary society, where digital literacy is an essential skill, older adults can face disadvantages because they frequently have lower levels of digital literacy than younger cohorts. This research evaluated the effectiveness of a smartphone course developed by Age Concern Otago (a New Zealand non-government organization), with the aim of improving digital literacy among older adults. This was achieved using a pre- and post-course survey study design. A total of 98 participants, aged above 60, from thirteen courses (four two-hourly sessions) completed pre-surveys in the first session and post-surveys in the last session of each course. The results showed that participants' smartphone digital literacy was improved across all evaluated indices, and feedback for the courses was positive. These findings illustrate that the courses are an effective means of improving the digital literacy of older adults and thus fostering digital inclusion in New Zealand.
在当代社会，数字素养是一项基本技能，老年人可能会面临劣势，因为他们的数字素养水平往往低于年轻群体。本研究评估了由奥塔哥老年关怀组织（新西兰一个非政府组织）开发的智能手机课程的效果，旨在提高老年人的数字素养。这是通过课程前后的调查研究设计实现的。共有98名60岁以上的参与者，来自13门课程（四个两小时的课程单元），在每门课程的第一节课完成了课前调查，在最后一节课完成了课后调查。结果显示，参与者在所有评估指标上的智能手机数字素养都有所提高，并且对课程的反馈是积极的。这些发现表明，这些课程是提高老年人数字素养从而促进新西兰数字包容的有效手段。
