Peer-to-peer mentoring boosts digital and social inclusion for older Australians

RMIT University and the University of the Third Age (U3A) Network Victoria partnered on the ‘Shaping Connections’ project to investigate how to improve social and digital connectedness in older adults.

The highly successful partnership led to new practices being introduced at U3A including introducing a Digital Mentoring Program in which older adult mentors were identified and supported to share their knowledge and experience with peers.

Key points

The research program involved collaborating and co-designing directly with seniors to understand their challenges, needs and the opportunities for improving their digital literacy.
The collaboration over several years has resulted in a successful peer-to peer mentoring approach to reduce digital exclusion and social isolation among older adults by enhancing their engagement with technology and improving digital competency.
A ‘PEER model’ has been identified to ensure the peer-to-peer mentoring approach can be replicated for other programs tailored for those experiencing vulnerability.

The challenge

Global research shows that social isolation and loneliness among older people affects their emotional, physical and mental health. Persistent loneliness – the feeling of sadness that comes from feeling alone, even when not isolated – can increase the risks of depression, anxiety, suicide, dementia, heart disease, stroke and premature death. Finding ways to improve social connectedness for seniors through digital inclusion can reduce those risks and enable older adults to remain active and healthier for longer.

RMIT’s Professor Bernardo Figueiredo said that while many older Australians are familiar with basic digital tools, such as email and online shopping, there is widespread ambivalence and anxiety about the ever-evolving digital landscape and its perceived risks.

Recognising this gap, we found that a digital mentoring program was needed—one that could not only introduce seniors to new technologies but also provide ongoing, personalised support to build their confidence and skills in a safe and understanding environment.

- Bernardo Figueiredo

Professor Bernardo Figueiredo

Research approach - co-designing for success

U3A is a volunteer organisation with over 100 local chapters and 38,000 members across Victoria.

The RMIT research team worked with U3A, and seniors already in the U3A network to understand how to increase the number of seniors using digital devices.

Figueiredo said the initial workshops attended by seniors from the U3A and from different local organisations were critical to understanding their unique needs and identifying some of the major challenges, barriers and opportunities for adopting digital technologies.

“Our team asked U3A’s membership to share their voices, opinions, beliefs, and experiences to ensure that empowering, co-designed projects could be created and pursued together,” said Figueiredo.

One project, developed with funding from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), aimed to understand seniors’ perceived risks of going online. Through a series of interviews, surveys and workshops with U3A’s members, several resources were developed, including interactive tools and informative video-vignettes.

Dr Torgeir Aleti

Dr Torgeir Aleti from RMIT’s College of Business and Law said that during this early work, the value of peer-to-peer learning and the power of working with individual “social connectors” within communities was identified.

This insight helped U3A to steer activities away from large computer classes and towards peer-to-peer mentoring.

- Torgeir Aleti

The approach helped to improve digital skills among U3A’s members and the organisation formed a Technology Community of Practice, which helped the ‘Digital Skills Mentors’ to apply the principles of peer-to-peer learning when mentoring others.

Further research outcomes and impact

Based on the insights from Shaping Connections, U3A evolved and modified how they taught digital competency. Over time, U3A formed a set of peer-based digital mentoring practices that emerged from research-led recommendations and practical experience.

Insights from Shaping Connections led to many resources being developed including:

Shaping Connections developed a website to share videos, news and insights, to showcase projects, and to outline the impact of the work. The site also links to further government information and U3A courses.

Resources include:

Strategies to help reduce the perceived risks of online connections and improve older Australians’ confidence in connecting safely.
Reports on connectedness and technology, perceived risks, and co-designing ICT strategies with older adults.
Tools for older Australians to self-asses their existing internet skills
Video vignettes featuring seniors

Peer-to peer mentoring program expanding

Following the peer-to peer mentoring program pilot in 2022, it has now expanded to other states across Australia. The program has also been taken up in libraries and retirement villages across Victoria.

The Shaping Connections projects resulted in a surge of membership at U3A and more than 200 mentors from 45 U3A groups now provide mentoring to other U3A members.

The program’s digital tools and resources were showcased to a range of organisations, councils, and individuals involved with older adults and technology.

Roundtable discussions were held with the Commissioner for Senior Victorians and the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria hosted two seminars on “digital connectedness for seniors” for Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) providers across Australia.

The program’s insights have contributed to policy development within the Victorian State Government; influenced the practices of home support providers for older adults; helped shape how businesses such as NBN CO and Telstra communicate with older adults; and influenced digital and social connectedness program development within Victorian councils, including the Digital Skills Mentoring programs for Casey Council, Mitchell Shire and the City of Whittlesea.

Figueiredo said materials from the program have also been used in emergency training in some councils.

“Drawing on the Shaping Connections research program, U3A has been working to build the digital capacity of seniors, utilising their peer model to collaborate with councils in anticipating and responding to challenges like receiving emergency messages, while fostering greater digital competency,” said Figueiredo.

“The program's digital tools and resources were showcased to various organisations involved with older adults and technology, including Emergency Management Victoria, Victoria State Emergency Service, and Whittlesea, Banyule, and Mitchell Shires,” he said.

New model identified so peer-to-peer mentoring approach can be replicated

The research team has also worked to identify the underlying model that made the Shaping Connections’ digital mentoring program successful, recognising its potential to empower and strengthen other types of collaborations.

Aleti said the PEER Process focuses on enhancing digital competencies while identifying and supporting mentors.

“Designed to be user-friendly, the PEER acronym guides researchers and practitioners working with older adults and other consumer groups experiencing vulnerability,” he said.

“The model emphasises the importance of peer-to-peer mentoring that is tailored to older adults’ needs, based on collaborative codesign.”

In brief, the research team has described the PEER process framework as:

Pioneering: The program has introduced innovative approaches and frameworks for digital mentoring, setting a precedent for how technology can be used to enhance social inclusion among older adults.

Experience-based: By engaging directly with U3A members through codesign, the program has ensured that its initiatives are deeply rooted in the lived experiences and needs of older adults, making the learning process more relatable and effective.

Empowering: The program empowers both mentors and mentees by equipping them with the necessary digital skills and confidence to navigate the digital world, fostering a sense of independence and self-efficacy.

Responsive: Shaping Connections has been adaptable to the evolving needs of the U3A community, continuously refining its approaches based on feedback and research outcomes to better serve older adults.

Figueiredo said:

Through this comprehensive support, the Shaping Connections program, in collaboration with government bodies, libraries, aged care and home care providers, as well as seniors' clubs and associations, has played a central role in developing a successful framework that enhances the digital competencies and social inclusion of older Australians.

Funding support

Funding support following initial funding from RMIT and U3A included a two-year $100,000 grant from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and a further $20,000 from U3A and the Council of Whittlesea.

Key contacts

Professor Bernardo Figueiredo

Dr Torgeir Aleti

School of Economics Finance and Marketing
College of Business and Law

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