Preparing Elderly Adult Communities for the Digital Culture
Understanding the Role of a Mediator for Data Privacy
22.08.2023
This is the abstract of our conference presentation at ECER 2023 in Glasgow together with Daniela Thomas about the CrossComITS-Project. Find this contribution at the ECER Conference Abstracts Database
The everyday life is becoming increasingly interwoven with digitally shaped practices. Digitalisation meanders through every part of society by connecting people, building networks and offering opportunities for social participation (Klenk et al 2020). In order to prepare the society for fruitful and safe digital practices, the development of digital competences must be complemented with issues of data privacy and security. Especially elderly people are supposed to be vulnerable in this concern, as they are often untrained and show security-related reservations (Rathgeb et al., 2022). This vulnerability leads to reduced social participation and quality of life, as well as it increases isolation and loneliness (Rathgeb et al., 2022; Chopik 2016). Related to other demographic developments, like a growing number of chronic diseases and singularisation, preoccupation with digital vulnerability becomes more relevant. But typical educational offerings for data privacy are not focused on the particular demands of elderly adult communities (Doh et al. 2018).
A few educational design projects address digital competences of elderly adult communities, emphasising peer learning mostly in Germany. Projects like “FUTA” (Doh et al 2015), “KommmIT” (Doh et al 2021), “QuartiersNetz” (Stiel 2021) and “Gemeinsam in die digitale Welt” (Barczik 2020) are all characterised by an indirect and mediator resp. peer oriented approach, but without a deep reflection on the particular role of mediators resp. peers for this community. These projects use metaphors like ambassadors or companions to describe the particular role of persons mediating aspects of digital culture in elderly communities. Beside other issues, they provide and evaluate workshops to prepare mediators to act as agents of a digital culture in their communities. Interestingly, the workshops are often complemented with textbooks or handbooks. Further, the underlying concept of cultural ambassador resp. educational companions is returned to the educational psychology of peer learning, or to the methodology used in the project “Medienscouts NRW” (Kerres et al 2012), which was one of the first informal educational projects to address digital competences in Germany, here with a focus not on elderly persons but on school kids. But what it means for an elderly peer to be a mediator for aspects of the digital culture often remains uncertain and imprecise. This conceptual gap is of importance because beside developing digital practices, these projects also aim at preparing elderly adults for being mediators.
In order to introduce elderly adults into a digital culture and to prepare for secure digital practices, the understanding of being a mediator within that specific community is of importance. To develop a deeper understanding of that role, the current study follows both a conceptual as well as an empirical approach and is embedded in the project “CrossComITS”, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project aims at training mediators for data privacy of elderly adults and develops a digital platform for their mediating practices in their communities. Beside drawing on similar projects, the conceptual part consists of an analysis of media philosophical and theoretical educational concepts of mediators. Here, Sybille Krämers ideas of a messenger-model (Krämer 2016) has been superimposed with the perspective of educational psychology and here especially with Kolb’s theory of experiential learning (Kolb 2015). The empirical part consists of analysis of 4 interviews with adults acting as mediators in different contexts. The analysis aims at developing typical characteristics of being a mediator in order to derive design principles for workshops to prepare elderly adults to act as mediators for secure digital practices in their communities.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used
The research question focuses on the development of a conceptual and evidence based understanding of mediation with regard to an educational design project to develop data privacy of elderly adults communities. Therefore, the methodology comprises 1. a conceptual analysis of mediation, 2. an analysis of similar educational projects and 3. guideline-based interviews with elderly mediators in different contexts about their motivations and understandings of the role of mediation. We analysed 4 similar projects and conducted 4 interviews so far. The findings are incorporated into the development of a pedagogical concept. Furthermore they lead to a deeper understanding of a theoretical framework on peer education and the notion of a mediator.
The conceptual analysis (1.) draws on concepts from educational psychology and media philosophy. Krämer's messenger model and Kolb's multi-contextual understanding of the role of the educator were analysed. Krämer classifies media as heteronomous and aims to shed light on the conditions and contexts of media and the phenomenon of transmission (Krämer 2016). Kolb's holistic model of education discusses various roles of educators in everyday life as well as their community aspects (Kolb 2015). Both emphasise, among other things, trustworthiness and the ability to bridge a difference through the adoption of an individual's abilities as key messenger characteristics.
The literature review of similar projects (2.) revealed 4 projects in Germany. "FUTA" (Doh et al. 2015) and "KommmIT" (Doh et al. 2021) focus on elderly people as users or potential users of digital devices with peer learning in private communities. "QuartiersNetz" (Stiel 2021) aims at describing a profile of media-savvy volunteers and developing media training for elderly communities. "Gemeinsam in die digitale Welt" (Barczik 2020) aims at the mediation and enhancement of digital competences of older people through peer-to-peer learning. The literature provides insights into the content structure of mediator training, different mediator metaphors (technology ambassador, facilitator) and descriptions of mediator characteristics such as trustworthiness, credibility and the ability to adapt input to the individual needs of the recipient. A deeper reflection on mediator and peer education approaches is missing.
The guideline-based interviews (3.) are selected with respect to adults with experience of volunteering as mediators in informal adult learning communities. Following an interpretative approach to unveil the mediator role, experiences and understandings of mediating in informal contexts, the results sketch their understandings of being successful, of disseminating innovations into a community and motives for being a volunteer. Further interviews are planned.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings
Peer education seems to be in principle a suitable format to develop digital competences and to minimise digital vulnerability in communities of older adults. However, the analysis of similar projects shows that there is a lack of general conceptual understanding and reflection on the role of mediators and peer education in the field. Peer education still seems to be an umbrella term as mentioned by Shiner (1999). In order to deal with the concept of the mediator in depth, the reflection from a media philosophical (Krämer) and pedagogical (Kolb) perspective has proven to be supportive. It aligns the empirical findings as analysed projects and interpreted interviews to theoretical concepts and hereby constitutes a deeper understanding. This leads to the conclusion that mediators take on different roles while mediating. In order to increase digital literacy in elderly communities, it is necessary to be responsive to individual needs and to be seen as trustworthy and reliable. On the other hand, it enables the mediator to create a learning environment that meets the individual's daily needs and to moderate, facilitate and empower older adults in order to introduce them to a digital culture and prepare them for safe digital practices.
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