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  1. The Grey Revolution: Motivating Older Persons to Participate in WikipediaBeat Estermann1,Karen Torben-Nielsen1, Jonathan Bennett1, Stijn Bannier2, Markus Marquard3Haifa, 5 August 20111 Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland2 UM MERIT, The Netherlands3 Ulm Univeristy, Germany www.thirdageonline.eu

  2. Workshop overview • The project TAO in a nutshell • Wikipedia &older persons (50+): the present situation • Two scenarios for the future • Particularities of 50+ : about volunteering & barriers for Wikipedia • Preliminary recommendations: How to get older persons on board? • Discussion

  3. Part 1 The project TAO in a nutshell & The scope of this presentation

  4. Project TAO: Third Age Online • Two Central Questions: • How can we stimulate older persons (60+) to participate in online communities? (to integrate them & enhance their social relationships in later life)? • How can we use the growing number of older persons to boost collaboration in online communities? Two Main Goals: • Develop and disseminate effective methods to encourage older persons to join online communities • Improve the user experience of community platforms (accessibility, usability) Four Community Partners: Wikimedia Germany, Wikimedia Switzerland, SeniorWeb.The Netherlands, seniorweb.Switzerland

  5. Present state of the project Aug. 11 Exploration Multiplication Internationali-zation • Exploration: Literature reviews, • pilot projects, usability tests • Preliminary recommendations / working hypotheses • Development of prototypical approaches to activate older persons • Tackling organizational issues

  6. Part 2 Current situation: Older persons on the Internet & Wikipedia

  7. Older persons & Internet use: steady growth in Europe 8%, 32% 20%, 60% 34%, 69% Example: Evolution of internet-use in Germany ARD/ZDF-Onlinestudie 1998-2011

  8. Older persons on Wikipedia: Few older users, but similar proportions of contributing users • Remarkable: Users of 50+ …. • … only represent 5.2% of all Wikipedia-users (above 60 years: only 1.8%) • … are at least as likely to contribute as the younger users Wikipedia Survey (2007-2010): www.wikipediastudy.org

  9. Why are older persons interesting for Wikipedia? • They represent a huge pool • 20% of European population > 60 years • not reliant on paid work for their living • of possible contributors • great expertise, could be strong contributors • with a long-term perspective • voluntary engagement as part of their personality (Becker & Dhingra, 2001). • and enthusiasm. • easily mobilized for Wikipedia workshops • at least as likely to contribute as younger persons

  10. Part 3 Two scenarios for the future

  11. Two scenarios: Older persons on Wikipedia • Scenario 1: • No need for action • Older persons‘ activities on Wikipedia will correspond to the Internet usage trend • Once they are familiar with the Internet, a reasonable fraction of older persons will start to contribute • Scenario 2: • Need for action • Older Internet users will not automatically integrate into the Wikipedia community • „Latecomers“ have a harder time integrating • Older persons have particular preferences and needs (regarding sociability / usability)

  12. Part 4: Particularities of older persons: Volunteer work Motivations & barriers regarding Wikipedia

  13. Older persons: specific motivations for doing unpaid work • Younger persons: • Rather instrumental motives for unpaid work: • -rationally weighing costs and benefits (efforts vs. satisfaction) •  Stop if balance is disturbed Older persons: Rather emotional motives for unpaid work: -altruistic reasons (helping others) -social obligations (“others expect me to do this”) -personal satisfaction  Becomes part of their personality (Becker & Dhingra, 2001; Wardell et al, 2000)

  14. Barriers for older persons to contribute to Wikipedia? • Quantitative study: • World-wide Wikipedia survey: • 3.176 cases of 60+ users • Qualitative studies: • Usability tests and interviews • 18 test persons of 60+ (e.g. Wikipedia) • Observations & interviews • internet courses for older persons (e.g. about Wikipedia): >90 participants of 60+ - Wikipedia demonstration at Senior Fair (ca. 25 editing trials)

  15. Top 5: Older persons’ barriers to contributing to Wikipedia “Why don’t you contribute to Wikipedia?” (asked to non-contributing, 60+ users, world-wide) • I’m happy just to read, I don’t need to write (48%) • I don’t have enough information to contribute (44%) • I don’t feel comfortable editing other persons’ work (14%) • I am not comfortable with the technology (12%) • I don’t have time (10%) “I know a bit of everything, but not a lot of anything specific” (female, 60+) “Contributing an article is much more difficult than I thought” (male, 60+) “When I want to contribute, I have to look for the instructions over and over again” (female, 60+) Wikipedia Survey (2007-2010): www.wikipediastudy.org

  16. Top 5: Older persons’ stimuli to contribute on Wikipedia “I’d be much likelier to contribute, if…” (asked to non-contributing, 60+ users, world-wide) • I knew there were specific topics that needed my help (35%) • It was clear to me that others would benefit from my actions (31%) • Someone would show me how to do it (14%) • I was confident that my contributions would be valued and kept (13%) • The technology was easier to use (7%) “Some persons will need support, because Wikipedia is so complicated” (male, 60+) “If I had known it was that hard, maybe I would not even have started” (male, 60+) Wikipedia Survey (2007-2010): www.wikipediastudy.org

  17. Additional findings from usability tests / fair stand: • Misconceptions about “omnipresent” English • Great difficulties with infobox syntax (when editing) • (Frequent) usability problems main reason for not contributing (vs. not that interested) • Consider online community (e.g. Wikipedia) as something ‘for later’ (when not mobile anymore)  Beware of generalizations! 50/60plus are a large and heterogeneous group!

  18. Part 5: Preliminary recommendations: How to get older persons on board?

  19. Working hypotheses: How to stimulate older persons to contribute to Wikipedia? (1/2)

  20. Working hypotheses: How to stimulate older persons to contribute to Wikipedia? (2/2) • Take the perspective of those whom you are trying to integrate • (a.o. user centered approach, co-production)

  21. Part 6 Discussion: Your reactions, thoughts, experiences, working hypotheses...

  22. Stay in touch Beat Estermann Researcher / Coordinator Project TAO Bern University of Applied Sciences beat.estermann@bfh.ch +41 31 848 34 38 Karen Torben-Nielsen Researcher Bern University of Applied Sciences karen.torbennielsen@bfh.ch The project TAO is managed by the Bern University of Applied Sciences and is co-funded under the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Joint Programme by the Swiss Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the European Commission. www.thirdageonline.eu

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