Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together: Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital Support
In later life, digital support is predominantly received outside of formal education from warm experts such as children, grandchildren, and friends. However, as not everyone can rely on this kind of informal help, many older adults are at risk of being unwillingly left without digital support and ne...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cogitatio
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Media and Communication |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6742 |
| _version_ | 1797777798412107776 |
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| author | Viivi Korpela Laura Pajula Riitta Hänninen |
| author_facet | Viivi Korpela Laura Pajula Riitta Hänninen |
| author_sort | Viivi Korpela |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In later life, digital support is predominantly received outside of formal education from warm experts such as children, grandchildren, and friends. However, as not everyone can rely on this kind of informal help, many older adults are at risk of being unwillingly left without digital support and necessary digital skills. In this article, we examine non-formal digital support and peer tutoring as a way to promote digital and social inclusion through the acquisition of necessary digital skills. First, we ask: (a) What is peer tutoring, in the field of digital training, from the peer tutors’ point of view? Then, based on the first research question, we further ask (b) what are the key characteristics of peer tutoring in relation to other forms of digital support? Our thematic analysis is based on semi-structured interviews (n = 21) conducted in Central Finland in 2022 with peer tutors aged between 63 and 84. Peer tutors offered individual guidance by appointment and also supported their peers in group-based settings. Based on our study, we argue that from the peer tutors’ point of view, being a peer entails sharing an age group or a similar life situation and provides an opportunity for side-by-side learning. Although every encounter as a peer tutor is different and the spectrum of digital support is wide, these encounters share specific key characteristics, such as the experience of equality between the tutor and the tutee that distinguishes non-formal peer support from formal and informal learning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:08:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-800d3304c6c84464a2d7d73da7162ed5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2183-2439 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:08:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Media and Communication |
| spelling | doaj.art-800d3304c6c84464a2d7d73da7162ed52023-07-18T09:20:01ZengCogitatioMedia and Communication2183-24392023-07-01113536210.17645/mac.v11i3.67423072Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together: Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital SupportViivi Korpela0Laura Pajula1Riitta Hänninen2Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, FinlandDepartment of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, FinlandDepartment of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä, FinlandIn later life, digital support is predominantly received outside of formal education from warm experts such as children, grandchildren, and friends. However, as not everyone can rely on this kind of informal help, many older adults are at risk of being unwillingly left without digital support and necessary digital skills. In this article, we examine non-formal digital support and peer tutoring as a way to promote digital and social inclusion through the acquisition of necessary digital skills. First, we ask: (a) What is peer tutoring, in the field of digital training, from the peer tutors’ point of view? Then, based on the first research question, we further ask (b) what are the key characteristics of peer tutoring in relation to other forms of digital support? Our thematic analysis is based on semi-structured interviews (n = 21) conducted in Central Finland in 2022 with peer tutors aged between 63 and 84. Peer tutors offered individual guidance by appointment and also supported their peers in group-based settings. Based on our study, we argue that from the peer tutors’ point of view, being a peer entails sharing an age group or a similar life situation and provides an opportunity for side-by-side learning. Although every encounter as a peer tutor is different and the spectrum of digital support is wide, these encounters share specific key characteristics, such as the experience of equality between the tutor and the tutee that distinguishes non-formal peer support from formal and informal learning.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6742digital inclusiondigital skillsinformal learningnon-formal learningolder adultspeer supportpeer tutor |
| spellingShingle | Viivi Korpela Laura Pajula Riitta Hänninen Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together: Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital Support Media and Communication digital inclusion digital skills informal learning non-formal learning older adults peer support peer tutor |
| title | Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together: Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital Support |
| title_full | Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together: Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital Support |
| title_fullStr | Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together: Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital Support |
| title_full_unstemmed | Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together: Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital Support |
| title_short | Older Adults Learning Digital Skills Together: Peer Tutors’ Perspectives on Non-Formal Digital Support |
| title_sort | older adults learning digital skills together peer tutors perspectives on non formal digital support |
| topic | digital inclusion digital skills informal learning non-formal learning older adults peer support peer tutor |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6742 |
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