Serious Games for seniors: Learning safe behaviors on the web : Position paper

ICT-Mediated Learning as a Form of Socio-Emotional Support for Older Adults

“…Furthermore, this learning allows intra-generational socialisation among older adults [5], which is particularly relevant for those without family who find genuine loved ones among their cohorts. Sharing their experiences e-learning or blended learning [14] allows seniors to share their knowledge with others in society and feel useful, which gives them personal satisfaction [17,41,44,51,54]. Another important motivating factor for emotional well-being that seems associated with digital learning by older adults is that it enhances their digital inclusion.…”

“…Entertainment is also seen as a motivator of emotional well-being that can foster the use of e-learning among older adults and their interest in improving digital literacy [15,16,17,39]. Thus, it would be advisable to design courses for seniors that rely on gamification such as serious games, allowing complex and uninteresting concepts to be learned in a fun way [41,42].…”

“…To help people over 80 years of age in their digital inclusion and technological use, it is advisable to design organised, non-formal learning programmes that allow this group to socialise, acquire knowledge, increase their selfconfidence, and avoid isolation and anxiety [5]. Serious games seem to be a method that can work for older users in improving their digital capital by offering them pleasant learning experiences that facilitate the understanding of complex and unappealing technical concepts [41,42].…”

“…The pandemic has led to an understanding of the benefits of technology for older adults, which has enabled their learning in times of forced isolation [14], thereby helping to improve their state of mind [1]. Older audiences are increasingly using ICT to learn, as they consider that neither knowledge nor learning is limited by age, and they find it rewarding as well [41]. The number of older adults interested in participating in lifelong learning programmes is steadily growing, yet this offer must be adapted to the needs of each profile of senior learners [11,38].…”