Abstract:

The world's population is aging and most countries around the world are seeing an increase in the number of older people. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the digital literacy gap between the younger and older generations is widening. Computational thinking has established itself globally as an effective problem-solving strategy, minimizing the digital divide, generating new ways of thinking and skills that contribute to digital literacy. These competencies not only allow them to take full advantage of digital technologies, but also keep their minds active and prevent age-related cognitive decline. Implementing computational thinking and developing critical thinking in older people have proven to be effective strategies.

Because of the need to implement strategies to effectively achieve digital literacy in older people, we developed this project with the objective of demonstrating: "How computational thinking and especially critical thinking are tools that improve digital literacy in older people".

The project was carried out with a population of 54 elderly people between the ages of 60 and 85, belonging to four associations of older adults in Panama City. Based on the identification of their needs in learning the use of technologies, in a first phase, individualized training was developed, whose only requirement was to have a smart cell phone with internet access. The distribution of the population was as follows: 87% were female and 13% male; the average age of the participants in the 60-69 age range was 41% and 34% corresponded to a range of 70-79 years; 15% corresponded to a range of 80 years and over; 10% corresponded to a range of less than 60 years. Among the results obtained, it stands out that 95% of older people showed a more open and curious attitude towards learning and exploration using digital media; 99% are even willing to continue updating their knowledge in the use of technology. This behavior is reinforced by a generalized positive attitude of acceptance of digital technology, which allows them to have a greater ability to adapt to changes and new situations. In addition to representing an improvement in the ability to communicate effectively and persuasively to discern and make informed decisions. The population of older adults is characterized by having academic and professional training and the skills valued for critical thinking were satisfactory, which facilitates the process of digital inclusion. The study showed that computational thinking and critical thinking are valuable tools for improving digital literacy in the elderly. These skills enable them to take advantage of the potential of technology, keep their minds active and communicate effectively in an increasingly digitized world.

Keywords:

Computational Thinking, Older Adults, digital inclusion, digital literacy.