Digital Ageing

Logo Digital Ageing

Train the brain:

Cognitive training activities for elderly people

 

Smiling senior woman and her disabled husband in wheelchair using smartphone in kitchen. Paralysied handicapped old elderly man using modern communication techonolgy.
Image by DCStudio on Freepik

This project aims to develop and compile activities for older people that enable them to keep mentally fit and active. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences forms the basis for this project. Gardner argues that every person has eight intelligences that they use depending on the situation they are in. Four of these are the focus of the project:

  • Verbal intelligence
  • Logical-mathematical intelligence
  • Spatial intelligence
  • Musical intelligence

Digital Ageing is developing activities to make it easier for older people to train these four intelligences. There is scientific evidence that they are the prerequisite for finding one’s way in the digital world, for accessing it and for using it according to one’s own needs. In addition, any form of cognitive training, of “brain jogging”, is of course helpful and useful in order to remain open and curious.

This project aims to contribute to supporting access to digital technologies for people of all ages, enabling active participation in society. The project’s user-friendly and intuitive platform not only focuses on building confidence in using technology, but at the same time aims to demonstrate a respectful and inclusive approach towards older generations, bridging the digital divide and promoting a more connected society.

Target groups of the project

    • Elderly people
    • Family members
    • People who work with and care for older people professionally or voluntarily
    • Associations and organisations whose services are aimed at seniors

    Project results

    For each of the above intelligences, 10 activities are developed, all available for download as PDFs. The descriptions include the following details:

    Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik
    • Short description
    • Learning objectives
    • Learning setting
    • Time required
    • Materials needed
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Practical tips
    • Expected results
    • Sources
    • Partial: Templates for the activity
    Seniors playing a game
    Image by Freepik

    Some of the activities are designed to be done in a group, e.g. in a senior citizens’ meeting place or with friends. Other activities are aimed more at individual engagement. Some are more playful, others encourage a deeper exploration of a topic. Some of the activities are also available online as interactive exercises.

    Before developing and compiling the activities, the project partners in all participating countries conducted focus groups with experts and seniors to identify specific challenges, needs and wishes. In addition, all activities are tested with 60 older people and adapted according to their feedback.

     

    Digital Ageing

    Funding programme: Erasmus+
    Project number: 2022-1-ES01-KA220-ADU-000089799
    Thematic area: Adult Education
    Project duration: 2022 – 2025
    Websites: coming soon

    Project partners:

    • Grupo DSG Consultores, Formación e Innovación S. L. (Spain)d
    • GROWTH COOP (Spain)
    • My Training Box (France)
    • CSI Center for Social Innovation (Cyprus)
    • Socialiniu Inovaciju Fondas (Lithuania)