Perceived benefits from non-formal digital training sessions in later life: views of older adult learners, peer tutors, and teachers

ABSTRACT

Rapid development of digital technologies affects the lives of all people and often leads to people being in unequal positions regarding digital skills training opportunities. Older adults’ motivations for learning digital skills vary, but they are generally connected with expectations of upcoming benefits. This study investigates the self-perceived benefits of older adults, information and communications technology (ICT) teachers and peer tutors who have participated in digital training sessions in older-adult organisations or adult education centres. The data included 226 respondents (136 women, 90 men; older adults 53–90 years old, mean age 71 years, SD 6.74; ICT teachers 30–68 years old) from Finland. According to the results, participation in digital training events supported development of digital literacy and wellbeing of the participants. Most older adult peer tutors described an increase in their wellbeing. The findings of the study indicate that participation in digital training sessions in later life is beneficial, as it supports the growth of independence and positive interdependence in new types of learning communities that strengthen older adults’ learning and wellbeing.

KEYWORDS:

• Older adults
• learning
• digital literacy
• adult education
• peer tutoring

Introduction

The accelerating processes of technology development are replacing analogue technologies with digital devices and applications. Changing technologies can lead to people of various ages having very different levels of competence regarding technology use. This is mostly because people have become familiarised with different technologies at different rates during their childhood, youth, and adulthood (Sackmann & Winkler, 2013).

The concept of digital divides has been used to study the inequalities in the adoption and integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Digital divide has traditionally been defined in terms of access and skills, but multidisciplinary research of digital divide has brought to the fore new kind of divides focusing on how digital skills, digital literacy, and benefits of using digital technologies vary greatly among people. This calls for an understanding of ‘digital literacy crusaders’ (Meinrath et al., 2013) as well as critical multidisciplinary analysis of inequalities created by digitalisation (van Dijk, 2018). A more nuanced understanding is also needed because constant evolution in ICT causes the need for people to acquire even higher levels of digital literacy to maintain their sense of inclusion and skills to perform in a computerised society (Friemel, 2016; van Deursen et al., 2016). Thus, digital literacy constitutes a fundamental skill for every citizen in current societies. For this reason, it is important to increase older adults’ digital competencies, as these grant them a variety of advantages and benefits at a personal and social level (Martínez-Alcalá et al., 2018). Older technology users are a highly diversified group (Goodman & Lundell, 2005), and their experienced advantages and benefits of learning digital literacy skills may vary greatly. Some may be connected to the development of digital identity and support their effective digital inclusion in digitalised societies. Thus, the educational implications according to instrumental, social, and motivational variables are key for the progressive construction of a digital identity in older adults and for their digital inclusion (Muñoz-Rodríguez et al., 2020).

However, the situation is very unstable, and the rapid changes in people’s everyday lives, such as the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, have also underlined the social inequalities between the populations in their access and skills to use digital technologies. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic isolated people and digital technologies became the main or the only venues for information, social interactions and services, as well as for economic, educational, and leisure activities (Beaunoyer et al., 2020, p. 1). Older adults, for instance, use digital technologies less compared to younger generations (Pew Research Center, 2019; Statistics Finland, 2019). Therefore, the limited digital skills of older adults have become a concern and it is crucial to investigate ways to support digital skills development of all people, regardless of their age and previous exposure to digital technology.

Older adults want to understand accurately the potential benefits they could receive from learning before getting motivated to learn (Callahan et al., 2003). In order to become motivated to learn, older adults mainly rely on intrinsic aspirations such as personal development or life satisfaction. This is because their motives are usually not based on the demands of working life and these new qualifications can be referred to as extrinsic aspirations (cf. Deci & Ryan, 2008). However, intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations may create a more fusion-like entity in older adults’ learning. In the context of a senior university, Bjursell (2019) found that older adults engaged in educational activities for individual reasons, such as staying active and socialising. The individual reasons can, however, be explained with social reasons, such as the enrolment of their family members, friends and former colleagues. Similar goals can be found in technology use. According to earlier studies, older adults are motivated in learning to use digital devices to stay up to date in the current society, to enjoy learning in general (Sayago & Blat, 2009), and to increase their life satisfaction by making daily life easier, such as online banking, shopping online, and communicating with others (Sayago & Blat, 2009).

Wiest et al. (2019) have demonstrated how challenging it is to investigate the wider benefits of adult learning, especially in later life because of limited data on educational activities and non-monetary returns in large, longitudinal surveys. Background information, such as age, gender, ethnicity, educational background, and current educational activities, affects the intertwined entity of benefits that individuals perceive they gain from a learning session (Schuller, 2017). Also, learning formats and learning contexts need to be differentiated when researching the benefits of learning in later life (Wiest et al., 2019).

Our study approaches older adults´ digital skills learning from two intertwined viewpoints: we introduce both the perceived benefits for older adults when participating in digital skills learning events and the perceived benefits gained by their ICT teachers and peer tutors in guiding digital skills learning events. Therefore, to fill this gap of knowledge, we examined the outcomes of training, i.e. whether training has been beneficial for the trainees and what motivates the trainers to continue guiding older adults. More precisely, the goal of the article is to introduce what ICT teachers and older adult learners from adult education centres, as well as peer tutors and tutees from older adult organisations, reported as gains from digital skills training. This knowledge can be used in strengthening inner motivation and supporting current peer tutors and ICT teachers, as well as recruiting new volunteers and practitioners in the field, and, therefore, maximising the benefits of tutoring and teaching of older adults’ digital skills. Also, this research is motivated by the knowledge of older adults’ strong task-orientation when learning digital skills (Callahan et al., 2003). Researching benefits from digital skills learning may support older adults’ digital training motivation (Wolfson et al., 2014). Next, we will illustrate digital skills training opportunities for older adults. Then, we describe what the current literature tells us about the benefits for learners and teachers related to participating in lifelong learning and in digital training sessions before introducing the results and discussion.

Digital skills training in later life

Digital skills training opportunities for older adults

As fewer formal education opportunities exist for digital skills development in later life, older adults mostly utilise non-formal and informal learning opportunities. Non-formal digital skills training regularly occurs in groups organised by ICT professionals in third age universities or adult education centres, such as folk high schools and community colleges. Course- or curriculum-based teaching enables teaching to be highly structured and was recommended by Wolfson et al. (2014) for delivering technology-based instruction to older adults.

Beyond professionals, older adults receive ICT guidance from peers (Wood et al., 2010), mostly from non-governmental organisations. We can separate peer teaching that happens when older adults teach their peers in group-based settings and peer tutoring, peer support or peer instruction that refers to more personal and individual support. Peer tutoring provides a possibility for older adults to attend private learning events that reinforce provision of individualised support for learning. Private learning events and social support that is provided most often by a close relative and/or peer is both a supportive (Gatti et al., 2017; Tsai et al., 2017) and desirable (Betts et al., 2017; Smith, 2014) way to learn technology use among older adults. Among relatives and friends (e.g. Mori & Harada, 2010), teenaged tutors (e.g., Tambaum & Normak, 2018) provide informal support for older adults in learning ICT skills. In this paper, we focus on older adults´ digital skills learning in non-formal contexts.

Benefits from older adults´ learning digital skills

Earlier studies have shown that the use of digital technology has many benefits to older adults, wellbeing and quality of life that are dependent on their diverse preferences, lifestyle, and health conditions of older adults. Technology use can support older adults’ independence and living in private households and, thus, maintain their autonomy and control over life options (Chaffin & Harlow, 2005). Digital technology also provides new forums for active engagement in society. Where older adults traditionally are active in low- or nontechnological ways, such as in clubs, meetings and unions, digital technology supports active participation in digital ways (Chapin, 2013; Nimrod, 2010).

Beyond that, the use of digital technology provides new forms for social interaction. Whereas television, radio and other analogue technologies have gathered people together over time physically to follow and discuss things based on content, digital technology does the same today online. The Internet and social media enable new ways for older adults to stay in contact with family and friends that may decrease social isolation and loneliness experienced by older adults (Blažun et al., 2012; Chopik, 2016). The Internet also allows older adults peer support in health interventions (Tomasino et al., 2017). Higher social technology use correlates with higher subjective wellbeing and better health-related issues, such as fewer chronic illnesses and depressive symptoms (Chopik, 2016).

The study of Costa et al. (2019) points out that many older adults are motivated to become digitally literate because they want to stay relevant in the current world and identify themselves as active citizens in a digital society. Active citizenship is a contested concept, but in the context of digital society, it requires the appropriate skills and attitudes to use technology. Digital skills training supports older adults to recognise potential advantages and uses of technology (Campbell, 2004) and increase interest and positive attitudes in using digital devices (Xie & Bugg, 2009). That helps older adults feel less anxious about ICTs (Xie & Bugg, 2009). However, the benefit of learning digital skills is based on the premise that older adults have reliable access to the use of ICTs. Digital divide is referred to present the inequalities between individuals and countries as well as within various people to have access to and adopt effectively ICTs (Hilbert, 2011).

Benefits from teaching and tutoring older adults

Volunteering in teaching and tutoring tasks is considered beneficial by older adults (Morrow-Howell et al., 2009). Older volunteers have reported greater positive changes in their perceived health and greater increase in their life satisfaction compared to younger adult volunteers (van Willigen, 2000). They have also reported benefits for the people they serve, their families, and communities (Morrow-Howell et al., 2009). Freddolino et al. (2010) studied perceived benefits from digital skills peer tutoring of older adults in a non-profit programme in Hong Kong. They found that older adults mentioned remarkably more benefits than challenges from volunteering via a peer-tutor model. Based on answers to multiple-choice questions, the researchers (Freddolino et al., 2010) concluded that older adults agreed the most with the statements that concerned benefits connected with helping others and doing something important, feeling that their daily life is more fulfiling, and improving their own IT knowledge and skills.

When considering the benefits of a teaching profession in various fields, topics such as social status, employability, and monetary returns may arise (cf. Wiest et al., 2019). Apart from these, many teachers rely on intrinsic work motivation and desirable consequences or benefits to stay in a teaching career and to prevent work attrition or a crossover career. Lavy and Bocker (2018) as well as Carrillo and Flores (2018) emphasise a sense of meaning and relationships that teachers describe as deeper perceived gains or benefits gained from work. For instance, they describe meaningfulness and relationships that support teacher happiness and job satisfaction and motivate staying in a teaching career. Furthermore, emotional dimensions and collegial support (McIntyre, 2010) are important in strengthening teachers’ resilience, professional growth, and sense of efficacy. Teachers build positive relationships not only with colleagues and principals but also with students. These bonds may explain the motivation, pleasure, and commitment of teachers to their teaching careers (Carrillo & Flores, 2018).

Research setting

Research data were collected as a part of a survey study for peer tutors and tutees in older adult organisations as well as for ICT teachers and older adult students in adult education (AE) organisations in Finland. Peer tutoring provided in older adult organisations is a nationally recognised and financially supported way to improve digital skills learning of older adults in Finland (Ministry of Finance, 2017). There is no official statistical information on the proportion of older adults that utilise peer support but 5,2% of 16–74 years-old (from whom 36,5% were 65 years old and above) respondents use face-to-face digital support in Finland (Ministry of Finance & Digital and Population Data Services Agency, 2020). Liberal adult education is provided in AE organisations that, in turn, provide digital skills teaching to all people. About half of liberal adult education providers are local authorities or joint municipal authorities, a third are associations, and every tenth foundations (Mäki, 2019).

The aim of the survey study was to investigate the learning and teaching of digital skills of older adults. Therefore, the survey included both multiple choice and open questions concerning the reasons to participate in digital skills learning/teaching, learning/teaching digital skills to older adults as well as developing digital skills teaching to older adults. The background information included questions concerning gender, year of birth, postal code, job title and level of digital skills of older adults. To reach ICT teachers, we contacted the Finnish Adult Education Association that forwarded a questionnaire to the headmasters of all their member AE centres. The headmasters, in turn, were asked to forward the questionnaire to the ICT teachers who were asked to deliver the questionnaire to their older adult students. All national third-sector organisations that provide digital skills guidance for older adults were recruited to forward the questionnaire to their peer tutors, who were also asked to deliver the questionnaire to their tutees. The respondents had an option to use an online questionnaire or to answer with paper and pen. All participants were provided with information about the study and they gave consent before voluntarily filling in the questionnaire.

There were 400 respondents, from which 226 (56.5%) answered an open question concerning the benefits of participating in a digital training event. Seventy-seven (34.1%) respondents represented AE centres and 149 older adult organisations (65.9%) (Table 1). In this study, older adults were 53–90 years old (mean 71 years, SD 6.74). The participants in peer tutoring were slightly older compared to older adults participating in AE. ICT teachers differed from the other groups in this study because their age ranged between 30 and 68 years. Altogether, 136 respondents (61%) were women that reflects the gender division in Finnish AE where two thirds of students are women (Saloheimo et al., 2019). ICT teachers and peer tutors were equally distributed by gender; however, four out of five learners in both AE and older adult organisations were women. Respondents came from geographically diverse areas of Finland, including urban, semi-urban, and rural municipalities. Thirty-three peer tutees used a printed questionnaire while all others (85.4 %) participated in research online.

Table 1. Respondents in the study

Role and context in digital training	Total	Gender (%)	Age
Information and communications technology (ICT) teacher in adult education	26	13 (50%) female 13 (50%) male	30–68 years, mean 54 years, Standard deviation (SD) 9.71
Learner in adult education	51	41 (84%) female 8 (16%) male 2 missing	53–79 years, mean 67 years, SD 7.26
Peer tutor in older adult organisation	104	46 (45%) female 57(55%) male 1 missing	53–84 years, mean 70 years, SD 5.55
Peer tutee in older adult organisation	45	36 (82%) female 8 (18%) male 1 missing	62–90 years, mean 75 years, SD 5.56
Total	226

Research data were first analysed by two researchers separately, employing data-driven content analysis (Bauer, 2001). Based on the analyses, we formulated a shared understanding for coding the research data. Finally, we coded the open-ended answers in SPSS® statistical software and examined the results regarding the roles of the respondents (ICT teachers in AE, AE older adult learners, peer tutors, peer tutees) using quantitative and qualitative content analyses (Bauer, 2001).

Results

From 226 respondents, there were altogether 302 statements in the data concerning the benefits of participating in digital skills training (Figure 1). From these responses, 219 (72.5%) concerned peer tutoring events and 83 (27.5%) ICT courses in AE centres. According to the analysis, all respondents, i.e. teachers and learners in AE, peer tutors, and peer tutees valued learning new knowledge and skills (48% of all answers). Older adults who learnt digital skills in peer tutoring settings and AE centres also described more positive attitudes towards using ICTs (8% of all answers) as a benefit from participating in digital training sessions. All respondents also mentioned increased wellbeing as beneficial (44% of all answers). Next, we illustrate these results in more detail.

Figure 1. Benefits from participating in digital training events reported by ICT teachers, peer tutors and older adult learners in adult education centres and peer tutoring sessions (%)

Skills acquisition as a benefit from digital training sessions

A majority of the older adult respondents (peer tutors, peer tutees, and learners in AE) stressed that they had learned new digital skills, and they considered this very important. Also, ICT teachers in adult education centres mentioned learning digital skills while teaching older adults. The skills they all had learned were individual digital skills, e.g., how to use a digital device, a certain application or how to manage digital services.

Ground-breaking benefits. Without this course I could’ve only made and received phone calls and text messages. All other features of the smartphone would have been useless. (Learner in AE, male, 78 years)

I can use the devices purposefully. I know what I can do with them and I know what functions I don´t need such as games, word processing, Facebook, etc. (Peer tutee, male, 68 years)

ICT teachers and peer tutors were not only supporting other people in learning digital skills, but they also perceived learning by themselves. Many ICT teachers and peer tutors reported that they had learned new skills in teaching, communication with different kinds of people or about learning in general.

Perseverance and skills; not to teach too much at once. (ICT teacher, female, 62 years)

More skills to communicate with people and especially to listen. (Peer tutor, male, 67 years)

By teaching others, I also learn new things about the fast digitalising world, and I am both surprised (I thought I already knew a lot) and thankful. (Peer tutor, female, 67 years)

Some respondents stressed problem-solving instead of learning new skills. Problem-solving means more than learning individual skills, as it includes the capacity to identify digital needs and resources, make informed decisions, solve conceptual problems, creatively use technologies, solve technical problems, as well as to update one’s own and others’ competences (Rasi & Kilpeläinen, 2015, pp. 150–151). This aligns especially with the experiences of the peer tutors who face a variety of situations that they have not faced earlier. In our data, problem-solving was a slightly overlapping category with individual digital skills, and there were differences with respect to the definition of problem-solving. In our data, problem-solving also seemed to include a social dimension, as it was often seen as a joint activity between the peer tutor/ICT teacher and the peer tutee/learner in AE as the following citations show.

Many issues that I have pondered on my own have been clarified. (Learner in AE, woman, 61 years)

Interesting ideas created together, while both learning new skills. (Peer tutor, woman, 70 years)

The first citation shows how people often ponder problems with digital technologies on their own, individually, and hesitate to ask for advice and show their ignorance. This notion is linked with a sense of shame caused by being dependent on support and a lack of competence. A sense of shame and a fear of losing face (Xie et al., 2012) can therefore reduce or restrict motivation to ask for help. The training events, however, offer a platform for solving problems together as verbalised by the second respondent. In fact, a situation that started from asking for help turned into a bidirectional process where both parties learn. As an ICT teacher mentioned, ‘in a good teaching session there are always two learners: a student and a teacher’.

Change in attitudes as a benefit from digital training sessions

Along with digital skills, learners both in AE centres and in peer tutoring sessions showed more positive attitudes towards digital technology use as a benefit from learning digital skills. Positive attitudes included mostly increasing courage and willingness to use digital technology. Especially learners in AE centres, but also peer tutees reported that increased self-confidence and courage while learning digital skills created stronger motivation to use digital devices.

I’ve got courage to use [computer] and also to try and practice on my own. (Learner in AE, male, 66 years)

I have started to get really motivated to use the Internet [since] it is really eye opening [and] I don´t feel as lonely. It is a window to interesting new issues. (Peer tutee, woman, 72 years)

I´ve got a feeling that I can still learn. (Learner in AE, woman, 66 years)

The viewpoints of ICT teachers and learners differed strongly when considering change in attitudes towards the use of digital devices. ICT teachers in AE centres (aged 30–68 years old) did not mention changing attitudes and only one peer tutor mentioned an increased courage to use digital devices as beneficial while participating in digital skills training sessions. Compared to that, every third (30%) of the older adults in AE centres and every tenth (10%) of peer tutees recalled more positive attitudes as beneficial from digital skills training.

Increased wellbeing as a benefit from digital training sessions

Social inclusion is seen as vital for positive wellbeing throughout all stages of life (Deci & Ryan, 2008). Especially, older adults have been perceived as being at high risk of social exclusion and many of them experience loneliness, mainly due to age-related problems, such as immobility, various diseases, bereavement, physical and mental decline and lower income (Blažun et al., 2012). The development of the digital society may be increase this gap, which can also be seen as one kind of a digital divide. Therefore, it is notable that the social dimension of digital skills training events was stressed as a benefit by many participants in this study. For them, these training events seemed to be a good opportunity to meet new people, gain new acquaintances and friends and thus increase stimulus and activities in their lives, for example, in the form of a new hobby. This subjective experience of wellbeing was reported especially by the peer tutors who appreciated communality and feelings of togetherness with other older adults. They also compared peer tutoring to a work community that offered them a network of experts providing help to each other and fostering respect among participants.

I’ve met new people and familiarised myself with different devices and operating systems. I’ve got vigour in my life. (Peer tutor, male, 76 years)

A new network of experts has arisen around the activity, where I can learn by myself and get support for my own work as a tutor. (Peer tutor, female, 67 years)

This is very meaningful activity where I learn a lot. I’m a member of the community and receive respect. (Peer tutor, male, 66 years)

Respondents from both AE centres and peer tutoring sessions mentioned emotional and social benefits from participating in digital skills learning sessions. Peer tutors and ICT teachers, who were mostly older adults themselves, stressed the feelings of joy, pleasure, and success when they could help older adults learn new skills and become more confident. By helping and guiding the others, they also explained having feelings of being necessary while teaching and tutoring digital skills to older adults, thus increasing meaningfulness in their lives. Conversely, only a few peer tutees and learners in AE mentioned emotional or social benefits from participating in digital learning events (see Table 1).

Tutoring is also a very social event, for both the tutee and the tutor. I get a feeling of satisfaction when I can give self-confidence and knowledge to the tutee. The contentment of the tutee is very rewarding. (Peer tutor, woman, 77 years)

I feel thankful because I can give aha! moments to older adults. (ICT teacher, woman, 59 years)

For tutees, the social dimension of the training events was more about participating in a digital society than learning individual skills: by learning new skills, tutees felt greater belonging to society, togetherness, and had new encounters. Therefore, seeing digital competence only as an individual characteristic provides a limited view (Rasi & Kilpeläinen, 2015, p. 156). For example, Reneland-Forsman (2018) described as ‘borrowers’ of knowledge from social networks. This was also visible in our data, where especially tutors came together and constituted communities of social networks. The social networks among the tutors enabled them to share information and support each other in tutoring. In this study, the social dimension among peer tutors and tutees was also about finding their place as members of the digital society. Some respondents even stressed that learning digital skills was a part of their life management, ‘keeping up with new developments’ (Peer tutor, male, 67 years). The connection to life management may be due to the idea of active citizenship that also includes the idea of technological capability (Suopajärvi, 2017, p. 387), but the Internet was also seen as a window to new things by our respondents.

The different roles of ICT teachers in AE and peer tutors in older adult organisations can be observed in our qualitative data. As peer tutors stressed learning new digital skills and the social dimensions of joy, new friends, feelings of togetherness and communality, ICT teachers stressed the joy on the behalf of the learner and personal learning about other people’s behaviours. For some peer tutors, this voluntary work offered a meaningful route to transition from working life to retirement. Both peer tutees and learners in AE stressed that people teaching digital skills to older adults should have knowledge about ageing as well as experience and patience when teaching. At the same time, peer tutoring was seen as a good solution because the peers know what it is to be old: ‘The tutor was an older person, who understood the skills of older adults and organised teaching accordingly’ (peer tutee, female, 80 years).

Discussion

In this study, both the older adult learners and peer tutors and teachers expressed a variety of benefits from participating in digital training sessions. They emphasised increased knowledge of digital technology and related skills, known as human capital (Bynner et al., 2003). The finding is important, as the development of digital skills in all age groups is crucial since digitalisation processes affect practically all fields of human life. Constant change forces us to continuously adapt to new technology that requires learning and relearning various skills (van Tilborg et al., 2011). Since digitalisation seems to be an unstoppable phenomenon and digital media is omnipresent (Wildemeersch & Jütte, 2017), digital skills and skills to teach digital skills to others can be juxtaposed with other basic civic skills, such as reading and writing. Therefore, societies and service providers need to develop various ways to provide basic skills training for all people regardless of their age or previous experiences with digital technology. Currently, resources to support learning and personal growth are focused on younger generations instead of distributing them across the life course (United Nations, 2015).

Older adults in this study perceived beneficial changes in their motivation and courage to use digital technology. This finding is crucial concerning older adults’ learning, as researchers (Feinstein & Hammond, 2004) have stated that adult values and behaviour are perceived to be rather static. Socio-emotional aspects are also central in defining digital literacy. The narrow definition of digital literacy covers technical skills and practices; however, more current views of digital literacy refer to technical, socio-emotional, and cognitive aspects (Schreurs et al., 2017). Socio-emotional aspects in technology use are even more emphasised among older adults since they, in general, do not need to update their skills for work-related career development. Instead, the decisions on activities are based on their own will, considering technical, socio-emotional, and cognitive aspects in their lives.

Increased learning motivation is reported as a wider benefit of liberal (non-formal non-vocational) adult learning in 10 European countries (Manninen & Meriläinen, 2011). When focusing on digital skills learning of older adults, motivation to learn was not only connected with skills older adults fancy to learn but also skills that older adults experienced as necessary for their inclusion in a society. This notion reflects the constant need to develop digital literacy to participate in current societies (Friemel, 2016; van Deursen et al., 2016). Learning of digital literacy skills provides, therefore, a unique and multifaceted context in older adults’ learning since other civic skills are adopted mostly in earlier phases of life.

Peer tutors have direct knowledge of being an older adult that compensate for their probable lack of education to teach digital skills. This kind of tutor experiential knowledge may lead to a more equal situation between tutors and tutees that encourages and motivates older adult tutees to use digital technology (Pihlainen & Kärnä, 2018). A more equal power balance in learning events around digital technology may therefore encourage older learners to engage in questioning and dialogue that are recommended strategies to promote learning in later life (Creech & Hallam, 2015). Because digital skills are gained through experience (Murray & Pérez, 2014), every action that eases older adults’ emotional engagement during a digital skills training is needed in supporting their digital skills development.

Emotions and affects are integral to the processes of teaching (Oplatka & Arar, 2019; Zembylas, 2003) and interestingly, ICT teachers and peer tutors emphasised experiencing positive feelings of wellbeing during the digital training events. This may be due to empathy they feel for the learners and feelings of satisfaction when they successfully complete their teaching tasks. Emotions may express values, as affectivity is a dimension through which the world and things in it matter to us (Gieser, 2008). Because emotions act as a kind of glue in society (Turner & Stets, 2005), they are also connected to the sense of belonging. However, we might argue that it is not only social inclusion which becomes relevant here (Deci & Ryan, 2008) but also experiencing one’s own competence – myself as a self, as Fuchs (2013) describes it.

Even though emotions are integral to learning processes, and even seen as essential learning tools (Gieser, 2008), in this study none of the peer tutees and only a few learners in AE stated they experienced positive feelings of wellbeing associated with participating in digital learning events. Based on the data in this study, many tutees and learners in AE participated in the training events due to a concrete need rather than strictly based on their willingness to learn digital skills. This is supported by previous research where older adults’ motivation to learn is based on perceived benefits (Callahan et al., 2003), such as a concrete need or problem-solving. Yet, as researchers have discovered, digital technology can be a powerful tool to increase older adults’ overall quality of life (Czaja, 2006). Thus, it might be that the benefits of digital skills training can be reflected later when they are applied in everyday life. Also, benefits concerning emotions and affects are challenging to trace, and demand more nuanced methodologies than a questionnaire study (Timm Knudsen & Stage, 2015). However, this issue is beyond the scope of this study and is worthy of future research.

Older adults in this study expressed that learning digital skills was beneficial for them because the skills enabled them to control their own lives and stay independent. Independence is a crucial element of an individual’s wellbeing because satisfaction related to the need for autonomy, among others, predicts psychological wellbeing in all cultures (Deci & Ryan, 2008). Feelings of independence and mastery of life strengthen self-confidence and self-image, also referred to as identity capital (Bynner et al., 2003). Both communities and individuals constitute continuously images of ageing and technology, and these images affect the appropriation and use of digital technology by older adults (Wan et al., 2014). Therefore, actions should be taken to influence the images that older adults and other people have regarding older adults’ learning and digital skills. Also, actions to support older adults’ learning and control their own life with the help of digital technology have the potential to reinforce their wellbeing.

Even though independence is highly appreciated, especially in Western cultures (Ranzijn, 2015), many older adults personify their values of interdependence and reciprocity (Townsend et al., 2006). This reciprocity is realised in digital training events where both ICT teachers/tutors and students/tutees describe their participation and learning as beneficial. The training events seemed to be especially beneficial for peer tutors who mentioned both learning digital skills and learning from other people as well as enjoying guiding others and feeling useful. The tutors’ good feelings regarding training events also demonstrated the basic psychological needs for competence and relatedness (cf. Deci & Ryan, 2008) that tutoring events supported.

Peer tutoring in the context of digital technology forms a new option for civic engagement and active citizenship for older adults to share and create information as well as learn from and help each other. Being integral and fostering their identity as active citizens are key motivation for older adults to become digitally literate (Costa et al., 2019). These activities are also central to communities of practice where people share collective views and identity around a topic (Wenger et al., 2011, p. 9). Based on that, we can say that the potential of technology to cultivate successful relationships among older adults (Chopik, 2016) is harnessed to support older adults´ wellbeing and digital skills development in peer tutoring events.

This study explored the benefits of participating in digital training events of older adult learners/tutees and ICT teachers/tutors in both adult education centres and older adult organisations. The need for this research is acknowledged in previous studies to create contextual conditions that support older adults´ digital training motivation (Wolfson et al., 2014). Further studies could address more systematically peer tutoring processes where learning and teaching are closely intertwined, and both parties involved are examined. From a cultural viewpoint, we argue that it would be beneficial to explore how digitalisation may lead to new kinds of social, face-to-face events, where training events including learning and teaching of digital technologies bring people together and may empower them in a new way.

There are some methodological limitations in studying older adults’ and their teachers’ benefits from participating in digital skills training events. First, the questionnaires were targeted at older adult learners as well as their tutors and teachers. Even though there was a clear emphasis on older adults in the questionnaire, the youngest respondents were 53 years old. We interpreted that these people referred themselves as older adults and, therefore, we included their responses in the data. Even though an age range of the data is wide (53–90 years), mean age was 71 years (SD 6.74) that is clearly above a standard age of getting retired at the age of 65 years.

Second, we cannot explicitly differentiate whether the self-reported benefits were actually based on participation in digital training events or changes happened concurrently outside the research context. Instead of studying and proving causality, this study investigated textual material provided in self-reported responses that ‘document human experiences about – one’s self in social action and reflexive states’ (Saldana, 2011, p. 4). Even though the participants shared their views verbally in open-ended question, further studies should include more interpretative methods since emotions, behaviour and changes of emotions of respondents are not captured in survey studies (Queirós et al., 2017). Also, self-reported benefits could be studied with larger subgroups in the future.

Third, even though the researchers were independent from the organisations providing digital training sessions, data collection via questionnaire can be seen as a subject of socially desirable responding (van de Mortel, 2008) where respondents explain their views benignly (King & Bruner, 2000). Older adults can, for example, feel obliged to give positive feedback about the training to support provision of services for digital skills development also in the future. However, we think that the influence of socially desirable responding is minor in this study since social influence decreases with age (Foulkes et al., 2018). Also, social norms do not impact when considering personally important accomplishments (Fisher, 1993). Since older adults refer to the potential benefits of learning digital skills before getting motivated to learn (Callahan et al., 2003) and participate in digital skills training sessions, we perceive benefits from digital skills training as personally important accomplishments for older adults where socially desirable responding is not significant.

This research has highlighted that teaching digital skills to older adults in adult education organisations provides benefits for ICT teachers as well as older adult learners. These benefits and motives should be studied in greater depth to increase the quality and efficacy of digital skills training for older adults. Simultaneously, we recognise that older adults in digital skills training have possibilities and capacity to participate in such events. This is not the case with all older adults. Many of them might have obstacles such as health conditions and other difficulties that may prevent them from participating in tutoring events. In order to support digital skills development of all older adults, more efforts are needed to implement ways of providing training opportunities to all older adults with a variety of issues and needs that might prevent them from benefiting from digital skills training.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Joint Programming Initiative More Years, Better Lives [16SV7956K].

Notes on contributors

Kaisa Pihlainen

Kaisa Pihlainen (PhD) works as a post-doctoral researcher (tenure track) at the Philosophical Faculty, University of Eastern Finland. She has participated in many national and international development and research projects concerning technology use and participatory design in various contexts (early childhood education, comprehensive school, after-school activities, older adults). Currently her research topics focus on learning, appropriation and use of digital technology across the life span.

Kristiina Korjonen-Kuusipuro

Kristiina Korjonen-Kuusipuro (PhD.) is an anthropologist, currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher in ACCESS project at the Philosophical Faculty, University of Eastern Finland. Her research interests are in human-place and human-technology relations. She has previously studied for example energy behavior and attitudes towards wind power in Finland, and the sense of belonging of the unaccompanied minors in Finland (www.transculturaltrust.net) in multidisciplinary research groups.

Eija Kärnä

Eija Kärnä works as a professor of Special Education at the Philosophical Faculty, University of Eastern Finland. Professor Kärnä has been involved as a principle investigator in many national and international development and research projects. The projects have been funded by organizations such as the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Academy of Finland. All development and research projects have been multidisciplinary. Her research interests are inclusive learning environments, technology for individuals with special needs, communication and interaction of individuals with severe developmental disabilities and ASD, and digital literacy for various age groups.