A study of relationship between older adults' information literacy learning experience and life satisfaction
ChingMiin Duh and LiarnRurng Wen
YungTa Institute of Technology and Commerce
Taiwan, ROC
Paper: 1/2 hour
Convergence & Continuity
The use of computer and Internet by older adults becomes a new trend nowadays, thus it is a unique challenge and tremendous opportunity for adult educators to design and offer appropriate information literacy course in order to meet the specific needs of older adults. Furthermore, the understanding of beneficial from older adults' information literacy course, and relationship between older adults' information literacy learning experience and life satisfaction become very crucial issues in the 21st century. This study reported the relationship between older adults' information learning experience and satisfaction in lives. The research employed quasi-experimental method and questionnaire to investigate the learning perception and learning outcomes of information literacy course. Particular focus was made on the relationship between perception of information literacy course and life satisfaction. 72 adults over age 65 from community college were the subjects of the study; the data in terms of learning perception, learning outcomes and life satisfaction were collected before and after information literacy course delivered. The results shown that older adults have positive perception of information literacy course include self-confident, keep active, increase social interaction and less isolation, hence promote life satisfaction. In addition, data analysis indicated that older adults prefer communication-oriented courses (i.e. email, Internet, Outlook) compared with office automation package (i.e. Word, Excel), the data also shown that family support and peer-to-peer interaction are very important factors of learning outcomes. The purposes of this study were to gain a better understanding of older adults' information literacy experiences, secondly, to examine influential factors of older adults' information learning and to investigate the relationship between older adults' information literacy learning and life satisfaction.
Keywords: information literacy, life satisfaction, aging society, older adults
