Building Digital Literacy In The Older Adult North Nashville Community

TL;DR

An 8-week digital literacy program improved older adults' ability to use technology, especially for finding community resources and managing calendars.

Contribution

An evidence-based digital literacy program was developed and tested in a low-income African American senior community.

Findings

Participants showed significant improvement in 17 digital tasks after the program.

Finding community resources and managing calendars were among the most improved skills.

The academic-community partnership model proved effective for delivering the program.

Abstract

Digital literacy (DL), the ability to understand and use digital technology, is crucial for older adults’ mental and physical well-being. Using an academic and community partnership model, investigators developed an evidence-based, 8-week, in-person digital literacy program (DLP) for low-income older adults in an African American community to examine effects on participants’ DL abilities. Participants were recruited from two senior centers. The DLP curriculum was based on the Mobile Device Proficiency Questionnaire (MDPQ) subscales (e.g., mobile device basics, communication, date/file creation and storage, internet access, software management). All participants received a personal electronic tablet. Reinforcement of the DLP curriculum and social support was provided through weekly engagement with volunteer student nurses. Pre/post digital literacy was measured using the MDPQ. Forty older adults participated in the program and completed an initial baseline survey on digital literacy tasks. Compared to baseline assessments, statistically significant improvements were noted for 17 tasks, which participants felt were “very easy” or “somewhat easy” to perform. Tasks with the strongest improvements included the ability to find information about local community resources (pre: 9, 25% vs. post: 20, 50%, p<.001) and about hobbies and interests (pre: 11, 27.5% vs. post: 19, 47.5%, p<.001), and the ability to enter events and appointments into a calendar (pre: 6, 15% vs. post: 16, 40%, p<.001). Digital literacy programs for older adults are wise investments for both private and public funding sponsors. The academic and community partnership model is an effective way to support nonprofit organizations that lack resources.