Bremen (GER), May 2011 - Numerous project partners from industry and science developed solutions for the challenges of demographic change in the "Fit4Age" research association, which has been working for the last three years. Together with the University of Applied Sciences in Munich and the University of Regensburg, szenaris GmbH looked at the conditions under which older people can be successfully qualified with eLearning.
Sociologists have pointed out that fewer and fewer junior employees are available for companies, while at the same time the number of older employees is constantly increasing, as an "age-scissor effect". As a result, an increasing number of companies are investing in the continuous qualification of their older employees, especially with learning forms that can be applied in close proximity to the workplace.
Using employees in the logistics industry as a case study, szenaris and its research partners investigated the special requirements for older people learning with digital media.
"One major finding is that older people learn differently - rather than worse - when compared with their younger co-workers, and this has consequences for the design of learning programs", says Dr. Uwe Katzky, managing director of szenaris GmbH.
For example, older people prefer learning programs that can be worked through in a linear way and that feature a simple, barrier-free user interface. Younger people on the other hand tend to learn in an explorative manner. Lifelong learning is important for both target groups, though, since only learning on a regular basis can prevent one's learning abilities from getting rusty.
