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about the future of education for elderly. Although
the details on how to manipulate the technology
itself seems much easier and adapted, in terms of
accessibility and usability than the available ones
nowadays, the basic concepts behind stay the same,
added to other new ones involved.
Therefore, we call attention to the point that
concepts are important issues to be taught to elderly
in their learning process, with simplicity. That is our
suggestion for computer courses. Otherwise, each
time the paradigm of interfaces and interactivity
changes, the learning process needs to re-start again.
6 CONCLUSIONS
The present study intended to discuss important
aspects of the computer learning process for elderly,
based on users’ declarations.
The willingness of being digitally included is
changing the elderly habits, and working as stimulus
to them to become computer literate. In addition,
they are specially becoming users of online media,
such as Instant Messaging, in order to communicate
with remote relatives. This fact has been changing
the classical user profile of those popular
technologies, broadly considered for youth.
Furthermore, this changing in elderly behaviour can
possibly contribute to increase the digital inclusion
in this users’ group.
The participants’ declarations pointed that
nowadays the learning process, as well as the simple
technologies are still not adequate to this group,
since the inadequacy of teaching was pointed as the
main reason to give up the courses.
Furthermore, the obtained results remarked an
important connection between learning computer
and the social wellbeing in elderly lives.
As a general conclusion, and in accordance with
respondents’ feedback, the elderly people expressed
their willingness to feel healthy, alive, and integrated
in society by learning computers.
In addition, the paper discussed and proposed
that accessibility, usability and education together
could work as a trio to improve and support an
adequate learning process for elderly.
Besides, a futuristic scenario was presented to
illustrate one remote interaction between family
members. This scenario takes in consideration some
accessibility and usability aspects. This illustration
wants to emphasize the suggestion of an education
process for elderly, more based on concepts, in order
to bring more sustainability to deal with the
introduction of new paradigms. Otherwise, each
time the paradigm of interfaces and interactivity
changes, the learning process needs to re-start again.
For last considerations, nowadays, children learn
computers, technologies, electronic games, as part of
daily life, as a natural process of learning and
growing. The next elderly generation possibly will
have different needs related to other new
technologies. Many people, that will enter the
elderly group in 10 to 15 years from now, are highly
skilled in computers today. Therefore, under those
considerations, teaching computer technology to
elderly in 50 years probably will not be the same of
teaching today.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to elderly that kindly accepted to give
so valuable information.
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