Technological Learning Environment for the Elderlies

In our lectures about education during aging, we were taught that to foster a good environment for older people that are willing to learn there should be a slower paced and supportive environment that emphasizes visuals and audio learning. However, after I wanted to gather more information on how elderly adults learn to utilize technology. When I read this article, I started understanding that it may not just be about the environment these older people need to be placed in (2012). Instead, we should also focus on other aspects such as the people who are teaching the uses of technology should be third-party individuals instead of family members. This gives a different perspective on whether or not intergenerational contribution to the learning process is necessarily beneficial. The article suggests that by having family members in the technological learning process it provides too many emotional ties and extra stress that could be harmful not only to the older adults, but also the younger family members. The authors of Older Adults' Training Preferences For Learning To Use Technology reflect that the benefit of older adult technological learning is that there are more open to having a whole variety of people as their instructors for technological learning (2010). They also noted that the content is not the most indicative of their effective learning, but rather it is the "trainer" that makes the experience for elderlies most effective. Oftentimes, research reveals that elderlies have negative attitudes towards adopting this technology, but they do understand the importance and benefits of doing so. Thus, Mike Waites presents research on how technology can be learned in an easier fashion through MAAVIS (Managed Access to Audio Visual and Information Services), a touchscreen piece of technology that combines the two aspects (audio and visual learning) that the lecture covers is important to successful elderly learning (2008). It can be seen as a form of jumping over the painful process and stress that the elderlies may feel during the learning process. From all this research, I learned that measures are being taken to ensure a proper learning environment for the elderlies that are willing to face this problem; on the other hand, technological measures are also being taken for the elderlies that are fearful and hesitant about technology.

References

Maltais, M. (2012 March 21). Seniors and their iPads, iPhones: keeping up in the computer age [Electronic version]. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 24 March 2012 from Los Angeles Times.

Mitzner, T., Fausset, C., Boron, J., Adams, A., Dijkstra, K., Lee, C., Rogers, W., and Fisk, A. (2008). Older adults' training preferences for learning to use technology [Electronic version]. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 52 (26), 2047-2051. Retrieved on 24 March 2012 from SAGE Journals database.

Waites, M. (2010 August 8). Technology giving care-home elderly window on the world [Electronic version]. Yorkshire Post. Retrieved on 24 March 2012 from Yorkshire Post.