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Virtual and Real Learning and Competence Network for Older Adults (ViLE e.V.)

The “Virtuelle und reale Lern- und Kompetenz Netzwerk älterer Erwachsener e.V.” (Virtual and Real Learning and Competence Network for Older Adults) was founded in December 2002 by senior citizens and staff of further education institutions from all over Germany.

The network offers introductory courses in the technical basics of virtual learning, virtual literature circles, its own online newspaper for adults interested in further education (www.lerncafe.de), project and seminar work, workshops and travel offers in the sense of research-based travel. The members work together virtually and in real life, also in regional groups.

The association’s latest project is the production of an information brochure on educational opportunities for older people at universities: The “Digital Study Guide for All”.

Source: https://vile-netzwerk.de

Access date: 01.06.2022

AGE Platform Europe – the voice of older persons at EU level

AGE Platform Europe is a European network of non-profit organisations of and for people aged 50+, which aims to voice and promote the interests of the 200 million citizens aged 50+ in the European Union (Eurostat, 2018) and to raise awareness on the issues that concern them most.

AGE’s vision encompasses an inclusive society, based on well-being for all, solidarity between generations and full entitlement to enjoy life, participate in and contribute to society. At the same time, each person’s rights and responsibilities throughout their life course have to be fully respected.

The network’s work focus on a wide range of policy areas that impact on older and retired people. These include issues of anti-discrimination, employment of older workers and active ageing, social protection, pension reforms, social inclusion, health, elder abuse, intergenerational solidarity, research, accessibility of public transport and of the build environment, and digital technologies (ICT).

The network members seek to give a voice to older and retired people in the EU policy debates, through the active participation of their representative organisations at EU, national, regional and local levels, and provides a European platform for the exchange of experience and best practices. They furthermore inform older people on their rights as EU citizen or resident and on EU policy making processes and recent EU policy development.

Through the involvement in several EU projects, the network members also seek to promote older people’s participation in the development of projects and devices intended for them (‘user involvement’).

Source: https://www.age-platform.eu

Access date: 01.03.2022

Seniors go digital

New Opportunities for Low-skilled adults to acquire essential skills and in response to the recent migration movement across EU and the effects that it has on social inclusion, access and participation, the SENIORS GO DIGITAL project pioneers to design, implement, monitor and evaluate a TOOL KIT that will support organisations and authorities to design, develop and monitor their own INCLUSIVE STRATEGIES based on their needs in order:

This project aims to:

  1. to offer disadvantaged seniors opportunities to acquire, re-skill or up-skill their digital competences in order to be able to become active citizens and socially included in the digital world.
  2. to design, implement, monitor and evaluate a TOOL KIT that will re-skill or up-skill seniors’ digital competences to guarantee their activeness, social presence, e- governance, e-access, e-participation and personal development.
  3. to pilot-test the ‘ONE STOP SUPPORT CENTRES’ in partner countries, both online and in-house that will offer various innovative, targeted and high quality lifelong learning opportunities for the acquisition of digital skills and competences.
  4. to support in a systemic way active aging, access, social inclusion, participation and personal development through the use of the digitalized learning eco-system, as well as through the e-services, e-governance, e-participation and e-communication provided in each partner country.
  5. to upgrade the lifelong learning opportunities provided by adult organisations, as well as enhance the teaching material and resources used in order to meet the needs of senior citizens.

Target groups:

  1. direct: adults 60+ (seniors) retired, unemployed, marginalised, in rural areas, with few opportunities, low-skilled etc.
  2. indirect: adult educators and related organisations in the field of adult education such as NGOs, VET centres etc.

Results:

  1. Reports: research reports (from Italia, Sweden, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Greece) to identify the seniors’ profiles and needs in relation to the current scene in each country and 1 comparative report with the main findings to map the provision, gaps and challenges of adult learning for digital active aging.
  2. Teaching and learning material: a report which presents principles and guidelines for designing Guidebooks, e-learning material in relation to the needs of seniors’ citizens and the curriculum. The curriculum consists of 5 modules:
  • Compuer Basics and Problem Solving
  • Communication and Collaboration
  • Safety
  • Information and Data Literacy
  • Digital Content Creation

which have been translated in each partner language and a guidebook is provided for the e-Services in each partner country. The training course was written along with checklists for the course creator and the adult educator concerning the development and the delivery of teaching material.

  1. E-learning platform and the eco-system for the assessment and validation process: http://seniorsgodigital.iit.demokritos.gr/
  2. TOOL KIT for developing, implementing and monitoring innovative strategies for offering and supporting the up-skilling programmes

The project Partnership includes organizations from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Sweden,

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission under Erasmus+ Programme.

Source: https://seniorsgodigital.eu

Access date: 04.12.2020

Digital Skills for People Living in the 3rd Age – Effective Digital Access to Public Services

The project “Digital Skills for People Living in the 3rd Age – Effective Digital Access to Public Services” aims at training elderly people on developing specific digital skills needed to access public services online, and thus to better adapt to digital-oriented changing world and to feel confident using online tools to manage and improve their health and life quality.

Tangible results:

  • Public services roadmaps providing information on the most relevant online public services in 5 EU countries
  • Training programme for improving basic digital skills and developing specific skills for digital access to public services
  • E-learning and e-assistance platform with a Virtual assistance tool for digital inclusion of the elderly
  • Effective methodology for high-quality work with elderly people by applying confidence-building approach and interactivity
  • Policy recommendations for improving active ageing and digital literacy of elderly
  • Triggering word of mouth events for presenting the project results and supporting their exploitation at local, national and European level.

Intangible results:

  • Improved ability of people living in the 3rd age of effective digital access to public services;
  • Increased digital literacy of elders;
  • A step forward active ageing: by obtaining digital skills senior citizens can feel a better accomplishment and personal satisfaction into their lives leading to a more active and healthier 3rd age;
  • Knowledge and experience gained by partner organisations in the field of transnational cooperation, project management, innovative practices to inclusion of elder people;
  • Exchange of good practices and lessons learned on active ageing and social inclusion within and across nations.

Digital Access outcomes are available as free on line resources.

Source: http://digital-3rd-age.eu/

Access date: 28.02.2022

Digital Angel

The project “Digitaler Engel” supports older people in using digital services – close to everyday life, personally and locally.

Booking trips online, staying in touch with the grandchildren online or converting your own home into a smart home: the mobile advice team offers help with specific questions about digitalisation. They teach older people in a practical, personal, and on-site manner how daily routines and habits can be enriched and made easier through digital applications. For this purpose, the project team travels through the rural regions of Germany with an information van.

In addition, brochures, videos, instructions, and tips are made available online to provide further information about the digital world. This material is available here: https://www.digitaler-engel.org/materialien

For senior citizens – the Digitaler Engel outreach team

Our Team goes wherever older people go in their daily lives: from the marketplace to senior citizens’ meetings. In personal conversations, digital offers are presented, concrete questions are answered, and fears are reduced.

For knowledge mediators – shaping digital participation on a sustainable basis

The project team shows opportunities to enrich and facilitate everyday life with digital services. Everyday challenges can be overcome more easily through digitalisation. Knowledge mediators are gladly supported in their local work through tailor-made offers on site.

For regional providers – guide to digital offerings.

The project supports the transfer of digital skills by networking of local actors. Together with partners from the region, the project facilitates the dissemination of their existing offers for older people.

Source: https://www.digitaler-engel.org

Access date: 12.05.2022

Slow Learning: Developing the skills of IT trainers of older people

“Slow Learning” is a Erasmus+ Programme project aiming in training IT educators to acquire the competences and skills they need, in order to be able to train effectively elders in new technologies, by using innovative methodologies and tools.

The training of older adults requires andragogically well-trained providers, who are familiar with the theory and practice of adult education, know the characteristics of the life course of the members of different age cohorts and those effects on the readiness for education, understand that older adults are an extremely diverse group of adults with very different needs and require tailor-made approaches and modes of work in educational programs.

Learning & education can play a very important role in reducing age segregation, as it regulates imbalance between generations and opens up new opportunities for social inclusion to older adults.

Main objectives of the project are:

  • better understanding of senior expectations & needs in learning environments, focusing on IT training
  • improved knowledge & use of pedagogical tools, new technology in educating seniors
  • exchange of good practice among partners
  • create the basic theoretical foundations for the implementation of education of IT to older adults
  • get to know older adults as an extremely diverse group of adult learners for whom education is being prepared according to their needs and for them.

Target groups of the project are adult educators, teachers, mentors, trainers, professionals in IT and seniors.

Results:

  • Compendium of existing innovative and effective practices and tools in teaching technology to seniors
  • Job Profile of IT trainers of seniors
  • Training programme for IT trainers
  • Video for sharing the successful experiences by teachers and older people.

Partnership of the project was composed of the organizations from Slovenia, United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Spain.

Source: http://www.slowlearning.eu

Access date: 30.03.2022

Inclusive Senior Education through Virtual U3A

The main goal  of the project entitled “Inclusive Senior Education through Virtual U3A” is to create a system of inclusive education of seniors (based on the common methodology) with the use of information technology and active engagement of the seniors into the creation of the content of individual courses, including participation in their implementation. Another project objective is to systematically engage the youth into the education of seniors.

Within the project, a new methodology is created. The methodology integrates innovations leading to improvements of inclusive senior education and elimination of weak points. The main focus is on accomplishment of four pillars:

  • social inclusion,
  • use of ICT,
  • active seniors’ participation,
  • engagement of the youth into senior education

Results:

  • Three analysis developed by common instructions based on the results of questionnaire for seniors
  • Comparative case study
  • Methodology of inclusive senior’s education (without barrier) based on smart using of ICT, cooperative learning, social learning, integrating of youth and boost senior’s confidence.
  • New virtual classroom as a result of implementation of designed methodology (at least in applicant organisation). Virtual classroom was implemented in the Moodle platform. Although this environment is in English, particular courses are created and lead in national languages.
  • Courses: ”seniors to seniors”.

Platform and courses are available on the link: https://isev.osu.cz/

The project was participated by 4 institutions from Czech Republic, Portugal and Italy.

Project co-financed by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme.

Source: https://projekty.osu.cz/isev/

Access date: 11.09.2020

SOS for Senior – longer at home, safer, more active, more confident

The “SOS for Senior” project deals with the implementation of social services based on individual needs that can be realized at home and in the local community. The applied support combines modern technologies with professional social services and activation. The target group of the project are people aged 60+ from Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

Each participant of the project – a person who cannot cope with a new life situation (loneliness, dependence, illness, partner’s condition) gets the opportunity to take advantage of a wide range of ad hoc services that improve the life situation – remote care (telecare), home services, home rest service, activation in local environment.

Each project participant undergoes an interview with recognition of their needs, during which the types of support available in the project are determined. For the duration of the project, special telecare devices are installed in seniors’ houses with the possibility of 24-hour contact with the person under care. There is a Telecare Centre in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, where qualified telecarers work (people experienced in working with seniors, including medical caregivers, psychologists, senior consultants). As part of direct support aimed at activating seniors, the range of services includes neighborhood and caring animation services, respite services, Senior Club classes, including workshops with a psychologist, passionate and thematic activities, socialization and sports activities. Everything to make the lives of our Seniors as long as possible, the safest and the most active in the local community. Each service in the project is completely free, the entire cost of devices and support is financed from the European Union, the state budget and the implementers’ own contribution.

A very important element in the project is the Coordination of Senior Care (SOS). The involvement of the neighborhood network, the help of volunteers, the work of employees activating seniors and medical carers, as well as activities dedicated to specific groups of participants in the created Senior Club are to contribute to maintaining the condition of Seniors or even their activation. Therefore, apart from the caring function (reacting to emergency situations, accompanying through social talks, talking to a psychologist), telecare also coordinates other activities supporting our participants according to Individualized Action Plans.

The implementers of the “SOS for Senior” project are the “EBI Association”, OPIEKANOVA Sp. z o.o. and the town of Jastrzębie-Zdrój with the Social Welfare Center.

Project implemented under the Regional Operational Programme of the Silesia Voivodeship for 2014-2020 co-financed by the European Social Fund.

Source: https://ebi.org.pl/sos/

Access date: 24.02.2021

Live eLearn: blended experiential learning for adults

Project under the Erasmus+ Programme entitled „Live eLearn: blended experiential learning for adults” is targeted to senior learners aged 65 and above. It addresses lifelong learning in a context where senior learners keep gaining knowledge about topics they are particularly interested in (such as arts, sociology, philosophy, etc), thus they are intrinsically motivated. They learn with the purpose to keep active, up-to-date and integrated. Educational institutions offer this educational activity based on theoretical content (conferences, workshops, etc) and practical activities (extra academic activities, workshops done outdoors). In this project it is integrated in other subjects and courses digital competences, which provide the capacity of information, communication, creation of networks, dissemination, etc.

The project aims to extend and develop the competences of the staff involved with non-formal and informal education of senior learners through the effective use of ICT. The project promotes social inclusion and digital inclusion, active participation and collaboration through innovative ICT-based methods, providing tools for educators for assessment and validation of competences learnt.

Main target groups of this project are the non-formal and informal trainers and educators (touristic guides, trainers, tutors, facilitators…) that are currently offering extra-academic and cultural activities or other kind of activities done outdoors, as trekking, visiting of villages, museums, etc… to senior citizens in adult education institutions and wish to promote their digital inclusion and potentiate the skills and competences acquired.

Products:

Source: https://www.liveelearn.eu

Access date: 04.05.2022

Multiannual programme for the elderly “Active+” for the years 2021–2025

Multiannual programme for the elderly “Active+” for the years 2021–2025

The main goal of the multiannual program “Active+”  for the elderly persons for 2021-2025 is to increase the participation of older persons in all areas of social life by supporting the activity of non-governmental organizations working for seniors.

For the “Active+” programme, in each year of its operation, funds will be allocated to activities and initiatives that activate seniors. Non-governmental organizations and other authorized entities acting for the benefit of the elderly will be able to apply for co-financing of their projects with the amount of PLN 25,000-250,000.

Co-financing will be awarded in four priority areas:

  • Social activity, which includes activities aimed at increasing the participation of older persons in active forms of spending free time, supporting dependent elderly persons and their environment in the place of residence, developing voluntary work for older persons in the local environment and increasing the involvement of elderly persons in the labour market.
  • Social participation, which contributes to strengthening the self-organization of the elderly environment and increasing the influence of the elderly on decisions concerning the living conditions of citizens.
  • Digital inclusion, including activities aimed at increasing the skills of using modern technologies and using new media by older persons, as well as disseminating and implementing technological solutions favoring social inclusion and safe functioning of the elderly.
  • Preparation for old age by strengthening lasting intergenerational relations, shaping a positive image of the elderly and increasing the safety of seniors.

The program is financed from the state budget.

Source: http://senior.gov.pl/program_asos

Access date: 09.09.2021