SENIORS LEARNING WITH APPS; THE TABLET AS A MEAN AND END

The use of tablets and smartphones (Android or IOS based systems) is increasing by all the population. Senior citizens are not an exception, and they are now becoming owners of one of these gadgets (no matter if it was bought, or a gift). According to a survey carried out in the frame of the SenApp (Seniors Learning with Apps) project, senior citizens are interested in this technology, even if sometime they do not know exactly which are the benefits of using those gadgets. It is also becoming common amongst seniors to have a tablet or/and smartphone and use them in a simple way (only as a phone or as a book reader). Seniors are becoming adopters of the technology, but they are not taking fully advantage of it. It is necessary to go further to reach digital inclusion.

The above described findings are a first result of the project SenAPP. findings are . SenApp is a project of the Lifelong learning Programme of the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission (http://www.senapp.eu)

During the first phase of the SenApp project research and analysis has been performed with the aim to understand not only how senior citizens understand and use mobile devices but also which is their attitude towards these technologies, in order to anticipate their future use.

The outcomes of the survey have been analyzed in relation with existing theories as the diffusion of innovations curve (Everett Rogers) that proposes how a citizens adopt a technology and the timing and the hype cycle (Gartner) model, that shows the maturity, adoption and social application of technology over time.

54 senior learners were interviewed in 4 countries (including non-users, users and experienced users). The first aim of the SenApp project was to analyze and understand the requirements and present situation of the senior learners in front of this technology, but also their expectations, and attitudes (to later go deeply with the Tablet gadget). In this target is necessary also to have into account their social needs and requirements, to later relate their requirements to what the technology could offer.

In its second phase the SenApp project proposes a learning roadmap that could be applied to senior citizens, linking educational content, a learning app (embedded in the tablet) and a social platform (to increase networking among seniors). The first prototype has been created (including 10 learning units) and these results are included in the paper.

Learning through this App has raised new challenges (as learning a tool while using it), but also benefits (learners use the tablet as a learning tool at the same time as a content increasing motivation and interest). Three pedagogies are integrated in the conceptualization and design of the learning materials: instructivism, constructivism and connectivism. The last one, has been showed the most powerful, making possible to increase the support networks between learners and become independent learners while at the same time learn one of the most powerful characteristics of this mobile technology: share and networking, everyplace, at any time.