Abstract:

The aim of this research was to present a Pedagogical Architecture (PA) for cybersenior multipliers in distance education (DE) to assist them in the development of digital educational materials (DEMs) aimed at seniors. In recent times, technological advances have been happening rapidly and in different areas such as, for example, in transportation, health in education and also in the area of ​​information technology. The number of elderly people has undergone significant changes over the years, due to a better quality of life in the course of aging. Thus, the possibility of education offering more courses aimed at the elderly can expand the inclusion of the public in the current context, especially in the Distance modality. However, even offering DE courses for the elderly increases in recent years, the materials and content, most of the time, are not yet adapted to the elderly public. Unfortunately, the materials do not even contemplate the needs and characteristics of the elders, allowing many questions about the theme and new prepositions. An alternative to meet this demand is the possibility of training cyberseniors, that is, seniors with more advanced knowledge on the use of digital technologies, to be multipliers in the DE. The multipliers, based on Sales (2009), are those seniors that allow the sharing of experiences and contents previously learned with other seniors, in order to disseminate the knowledge acquired by them during their lifetime. Thus, the methodology adopted in this study was qualitative and quantitative, of the multiple case study type. The subjects of the research were elderly Brazilians aged 60 or over who have experience in virtual courses and in the use of digital technologies. The following instruments were used to collect data: questionnaire, interview and participant observation. The results point to some pedagogical strategies that can be adopted in training courses for elderly multipliers for DE. Among the elements mapped are: the need for training on how to use the tools of digital virtual environments to foster social interaction, training on how to build DEM for DE, ways to plan and organize classes, characteristics needed to be a multiplier in the DE, etc. The cybersenior, although they had insecurities in being multipliers in the DE, showed themselves engaged to the courses. It was also possible to observe that the seniors felt valued and self-valued with their experience. Therefore, it is understood that the resulting PA could enable greater digital and social inclusion for the elderly, both cybersenior and seniors, as it will provide the construction of targeted materials and the exchange of experiences among the participants.

Keywords:

Cyberseniors, Distance Educacion, Pedagogical Architecture, Multiplicators.