A Student Capstone Experience on Enhancing Digital Self-efficacy of Older Adults in Long-Term Care

Abstract

Objectives Scholars believe that enhancing digital self-efficacy of seniors would be a key to closing the digital divide, which poses barriers to Active Ageing. [1] In this regard, entertainment game play could serve beyond cognitive training to improve older adults’ self-image, self-esteem and willingness to adapt to the information age. Moreover, intergroup contact theory suggests that intergenerational gaming could potentially also improve older adults’ impression of members of other age groups. In the academic year 2017-18, five Master of Social Sciences (Gerontology) students at The University of Hong Kong sought to enhance digital self-efficacy of an unlikely audience – frail older adults residing at an around-the-clock residential care facility in Hong Kong, by creating a positive intergenerational leisure gaming experience for these residents. Methods Four one-to-one personalized tablet gaming sessions were held at a residential care facility in Hong Kong. Participants were five baby boomers residing in long-term care with physical frailty, and with little or no prior experience in using smartphone. Exclusion criteria include aphasia, severe stroke and compromised fine motor skills. Residents were introduced to a selection of entertainment games such as arcade games (e.g. Fruit Ninja) and cooking simulation games (e.g. Cooking Mama) to co-play and to compete with University students. Main results Participants reported improved self-efficacy in terms of managing tablets/smartphone and developed positive attitudes toward use of information technology. We ended up sharing more about other basic features of tablet such as connecting to wifi, shopping for games on app store, installing updates, adjusting brightness, all of which could enable seniors optimizing their own gaming experiences. Our observations supported the hypotheses of ‘motivational elements’ for age-friendly game design as raised in previous literature. These include (i) fault tolerance, (ii) instant multimodal feedback, (iii) narratives borrowing themes from real-life, (iv) use of avatar for feelings of proximity, (v) ‘practice mode’ to cultivate gaming skills, in promoting game enjoyment in old age. The incorporation of these elements into game design could potentially benefit older adults in terms of both game enjoyment, and motivation to play. Conclusions In long-term care settings, positive intergenerational gaming experience could serve as a starting point in (1) promoting frail older adults’ acceptance of Information and Communication Technology, (2) enhancing older people’s digital competence and digital self-efficacy, and thus (2) closing the gap in digital divide. Acknowledgment: The student authors thank Dr Wei-Qun Vivian Lou (Progamme Director, Master of Social Sciences in Gerontology at The Univesity of Hong Kong) for her guidance, and our participating seniors for keeping an open and receptive mind.