THE BONJOUR! PROJECT’S TRAINING COURSE – A BEST-PRACTICE EXAMPLE OF A LOW THRESHOLD LEARNING PLATFORM SIMPLIFYING THE ACCESS FOR ELDERLY LEARNERS
P. Mazohl, H. Makl
The BonJour! Project tackles the digital divide by empowering older adults with media literacy education. This project focuses on giving seniors the skills to think critically and create digital content. We achieve this through two main methods: training educators who specialise in teaching seniors and developing engaging learning materials. Specifically designed for elderly learners, we will develop a comprehensive Flipped Learning 3.0 (FL3) training course.
This course includes an Individual Learning Space accessible via a dedicated, user-friendly platform tailored to the needs of older adults. Additionally, a Group Learning Space will facilitate face-to-face collaborative learning.
This paper presents the results of extensive analyses and desktop research, concentrating on the unique requirements of adult learners and the effectiveness of the FL3 training model. Key findings include the platform's easy access and straightforward structure, ensuring a clear overview. Special features, like adaptable layout and interface, support elderly users. The platform's Individual Learning Space features a user-friendly interface with clear navigation, large fonts, and high contrast for senior users. Accessibility is further enhanced with a barrier-free design, simple language, multimedia content with subtitles, and customizable settings to meet individual needs and to support the Elderly best.
In this paper, we discuss the pros and cons of using multimedia content and active learning strategies, emphasizing the lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (Remembering and Understanding). Selective application exercises will help reinforce knowledge retention and comprehension. Interactive elements such as self-evaluation tools, interactive videos, simulations, and educational games will be evaluated to boost user engagement and provide instant feedback. All aspects are tailored for elderly learners with low digital skills. To ensure a secure learning environment, we address and propose appropriate data protection and security measures.
The paper concludes by summarising and evaluating the findings, particularly focusing on the needs of elderly learners. We propose a low-threshold platform designed to support senior learners optimally. These results promise to pioneer the development of learning platforms for this demographic and potentially contribute to the evolution of the FL3 framework. This paper is built on findings from an ongoing project that uses in-depth analyses and desktop research to focus on adult learners' needs and the chosen FL3 course format.
Keywords: Media Literacy, Flipped Learning 3.0, Low Threshold Learning Platform, Senior Learning Needs, Accessibility.