Background on the development of SeniorEngage, a European research project which aims to provide a social network for intergenerational knowledge exchange between retired and young professionals.

1. SeniorEngage:
Intergenerational knowledge
exchange – challenges and
findings
Jennifer Woodard, Coordinator - SeniorEngage
Eindhoven, September 28, 2012

2. “The new future of old age is about
staying in society, staying in the
workplace and staying very connected.
And technology is going to be a very big
part of that, because the new reality
is, increasingly, a virtual reality. It
provides a way to make new
connections, new friends and new
senses of purpose.”
Joseph F. Coughlin, AgeLab, MIT
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3. The SENIORENGAGE Project
The Premise
 Not everyone can stay in the workplace, but
thanks to technology they can stay in their work
SPACE. Continued connection with one’s
profession can provide mental stimulation and
psychological benefits.
 Maintaining and creating new professional
bonds with colleagues (young and older) after
retirement is of great value for retaining a sense
of identity.
 Through intergenerational knowledge exchange
and education, senior professionals provide can
support to younger ones, and, in turn, seniors will
continue to be involved in their profession
contributing to their sense of self-worth.
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4. The SENIORENGAGE Project
Context for the project: 2009
New research identified problems The rise of Web 2.0 and social networking
faced by retirees: • After initial uptake by Gen X users, social
• Increased isolation after retirement; networking was becoming “mainstream”
breakdown of the social network and • Availability of open-source development
everyday routines tools for deploying social networks for
• Consequences: depression and other smaller groups
psychological problems which in turn lead • Tide of new “silver surfers” – older
to physical problems. people online. Still not using mainstream
social networks.
Other factors
Other factors
• Research showing the benefits of
intergenerational learning in • Increased European Comission
elderly. initiatives in the area of healthy
aging and ICT.
• Loss of valuable knowledge as
elderly professionals leave the
workforce; it isn’t passed on.
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5. The SeniorEngage Project
Solution: A social network where younger professionals and older professionals share
knowledge between generations.
Sound simple? It’s a challenge.
CHALLENGE 1: Creating a truly intergenerational platform.
Step 1: Ascertain the real needs for both groups of users: young professionals and
senior professionals.
 Senior professionals, both retired and near retirement. Younger users – what do they need?
 Development of scenarios, focus groups to discover real needs.
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6. The SeniorEngage Project
CHALLENGE 1: Creating a truly
intergenerational platform.
Step 2: Ensure no one is left behind. There is no
one size fits all intergenerational
experience.
- End- user training and involvement gives
feedback that ensures that everyone will be
able to use the tool: both young and old.
- Considering caregivers in the retired
professionals group . This is a different
subset of retirees because while they are no
longer working they are extremely occupied
with caring for loved ones 24-hours a day.
Their reasons for social isolation are two-
fold and their risk level for depression was
considered higher as caregiving limits their
participation in the social network.
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7. The SeniorEngage Project
CHALLENGE 1: Creating a
truly intergenerational
platform.
Step 2: Ensure no one is left
behind. Even those with
no computer skills.
- Workshops with endusers –
to bring basic skills to users
- Caregivers ranked their
computer skills differently
than seniors in general.
- In addressing the Digital
Divide: Online training
materials and tutorials; Computer skills in senior test groups
contextual help
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8. The SeniorEngage Project
CHALLENGE 1: Creating a truly
intergenerational platform.
Step 3: Creating a platform that is highly usable for
seniors but still attractive for younger users
Main considerations:
Asked of young professionals: “The knowledge and
skills of retired professionals in my domain of work is
- Create an environment that doesn’t isolate still of high value.” (%)
either group. Simple interface, not patronizing.
- Consider the attractiveness of knowledge
possessed by senior professionals according to
young professionals. Is the knowledge of senior
professionals valuable to them? This varied by
country but results largely positive. Younger
adults do want to interact and learn from senior
mentors.
Likeliness to want to learn from retired professionals (%).
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9. The SeniorEngage Project
CHALLENGE 1: Creating a truly
intergenerational platform.
Step 3: Creating a platform that is highly
usable for seniors but still attractive for
younger users
Main considerations:
USABILITY – user-friendliness for seniors and
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES that don’t “get in
the way” of younger professionals’ user
experience on the platform who are “digital
natives”
Contextual Help for users who “get lost” in
the platform. Can easily be turned off for
experienced Internet users or those already
familiar with the platform.
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10. The SeniorEngage Project
What Seniors Say:
CHALLENGE 2: Battling prejudices and “My professional knowledge is
misconceptions that hinder adoption. irrelevant because times have
changed.”
Step 1. Consider that some users, both young and
older need help understanding the benefits “Younger people won’t be interested
of intergenerational exchange. There are in what I have to share”
fears and misconceptions.
“My career was short so I don’t have
a lot to offer”
“I’m too old for this type of thing”
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11. The SeniorEngage Project
What Young Professionals Say: What Seniors Say about
Younger Professionals:
“Seniors´ work experience can be very helpful to
put theory into action and the knowledge of “Young people have fresh ideas and
senior professionals should not be lost” the latest knowledge”
“ I would love to exchange thoughts
“ Knowledge and skills of retired professionals and views with younger
are valuable for example in planning, people…”
starting and executing new projects.” ”New from young people create
vitality”
“Young people are better educated so
they can benefit my daily life”
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12. The SeniorEngage Project
CHALLENGE 3: Responding to real market needs.
Only by doing so can we ensure the uptake of the platform by both seniors and younger
professionals.
Step 1. Market research and Survey: “Attitudes and Behaviour of the Senior Population: Exploring
the digital views of the aging population” – Microlink PC
Key findings:
Barriers hindering seniors’ usage of online resources
• Too expensive and see no need – fear of the unknown
• Have poor technological skills, too complex, inaccessible
• Deteriorating cognitive, physical and sensory capabilities
• Information overload, spam, viruses etc.
Seniors’ use of social networks
• Around 80% of 55-74 year olds send/receive emails, but only 20% use the
Internet for VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and around 18% post messages
to chat sites, blogs and social networking sites.
• But older users are underrepresented in comparison to the general population
on social networking sites.
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13. The SeniorEngage Project
CHALLENGE 4: Creating a truly European platform.
Step 1. Consider that the social reality for seniors (and
even younger users) is not the same in all European
countries. To that end, end users were recruited in
various countries in the consortium.
Examples:
• Finnish seniors were less likely to talk about their
professions in their daily life after retirement and
many consider their professional life “the past”. In
the case of Spain, seniors are much more likely to
continue to talk about their profession.
• Only a third of Finnish seniors wanted to be a
mentor for younger colleagues, while the Finnish Retired Professionals
corresponding number in Austria was 77%.
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14. The SeniorEngage Project
CHALLENGE 4: Creating a truly
European platform.
Step 2. Consider that cross-
border, cross-cultural learning will
enhance the experience.
However, language is an issue that
needs to be dealt with (dealt with
through technology?) How to make
the experience more natural for
seniors? This hasn’t been dealt
with well even in mainstream
social networks like Facebook.
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15. The SENIORENGAGE Project
Conclusions
- Know the market is different in different countries and even within the same
country (e.g. caregivers)
- Foster engagement via a topic that younger and older generations have in
common – their professions (and hobbies)
- Design for usability of BOTH target audiences – younger and older adults
- Consider accesibility tools and assistive technologies that don’t get in the way
of the user experience
- Battle misconceptions and prejudices through training with end users and
awareness.
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16. The SENIORENGAGE Project
Thank you!
www.seniorengage.eu
Twitter: @seniorengage
jennifer.woodard@cric.cat
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