TBI manager presents SU’s free computer education program for senior citizens at int’l conference

Asst. Prof. Janice Antoniette Forster, Silliman University Technology Business Incubator (TBI) manager and Philippine eLearning Society (PELS) president, talked about the free computer education program for senior citizens at SU during the EDUtech Asia Conference last November 5-7, 2023 in Singapore.

Through her talk, titled “Silver Screens: Empowering Philippine Seniors through Tech Education,” Forster shared her experience as a facilitator of the Free Computer Education Program delivered through the SU-Dr. Mariano Lao Innovation, Creation, and Invention Laboratory.

Forster said in her presentation that teaching senior citizens computer skills is beneficial for older adults and contributes to fostering a more vibrant, inclusive, and well-supported online community.

“Teaching retirees and senior citizens is very important because it helps them feel more empowered and connected, while also reducing social exclusion,” Forster said in her presentation.

Forster shared insights on how to meet the “unique” learning needs of older adults, such as breaking down instructions into manageable, straightforward steps; linking new information to what older adults are already familiar with; ensuring ample time for older adults to absorb and process information during instruction; encouraging practice after each step is taught to reinforce learning; and customizing computer settings to cater to their specific needs and preferences, among others.

Forster also introduced SU’s free computer education program, which started in 2019 and has since taught five batches of participants, each consisting of 24-30 senior citizens and retirees.

Under the free computer education program, participants are trained on the following topics every Saturday over the course of three months: Introduction to Computers, the Internet, Email and its Etiquette, Working with Mobile Computers, Protecting Data and Privacy, Social Networking, and Internet Safety and Security.

SU’s program aims to offer personalized coaching and mentoring to ensure understanding; create a community of senior tech enthusiasts to provide support and motivation; and give them a sense of community as senior citizen learners. The program also motivates participants by rewarding the top trainee in each batch a brand-new laptop.

EDUtech Asia is known to be Asia’s largest conference and exhibition for educators and educational technology (EdTech) providers.

The 2023 conference, EDUtech’s 8th edition, gathered 8,000 attendees, more than 400 speakers, 200 exhibitors, and 60 startups.

The conference included talks and presentations on digital strategy, generative artificial intelligence (AI), teacher training, pedagogy for digital learning, sustainability, cyber-security, and the digital divide.