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Social Connection and Digital skills

Social Connection and Digital Skills: An evaluation of digital literacy training for diverse older people

Digital technologies are now so integral to our lives that not having full access limits our ability to lead independent lives and to participate fully in society. However, many older people missed the information technology agenda that is now part of mainstream education, resulting in a lack of confidence to engage with the Internet at a high level. This age-based digital divide is impacting access to many services, particularly given that, in Australia, the government currently prioritises access to information and services through its online platforms, including for aged care.

This Digital Literacy Project aimed at finding the best ways to facilitate the sustainable delivery of digital literacy skills training to support digitally inclusive communities by upskilling older people to be able to better access and use online resources and services confidently and safely, as well as enhancing their understanding of how to connect socially using digital means.

The project, was funded by an Age-Friendly Communities Social Connectivity Grant and led by the City of Wanneroo in collaboration with the City of Stirling and the City of Joondalup. Members of the SAGE Lab were engaged to develop, implement and evaluate digital skills training models and approaches that could facilitate the sustainable delivery of programs to support the digital literacy inclusion of older people in these three cities. This project was completed by Professor Loretta Baldassar, Dr Lukasz Krzyzowski, and Bronte Jones while working in the SAGE Lab at The University of Western Australia (UWA).

Funding agency

Department of Communities, Age-friendly Local Government Grant

Project duration

March – December 2021

Publications

  • Baldassar, L., Kryzowski, L., Dewey, B., Jones, B. and Bouhours, B. (2021). Social Connection and Digital Skills: An Evaluation of Digital Literacy Training for Ageing and Diversity. Social Care and Ageing (SAGE) Living Lab.

Researchers

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