Knowledge Exchange, Social Interactions, and Empowerment in an Intergenerational Technology Program at School

Tova Gamliel, Nadav Gabay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

This is a sequel to previous theoretical papers (Gamliel, Reichental, & Eyal, 2007a, 2007b) that proposed a Model of Knowledge in Volume 33 of this journal. The study examines the effects of digital education on intergenerational empowerment and social interaction among participants in the Israeli Multigenerational Connection Program (MCP). The program pairs seniors and children in computer-room activities at primary schools and encourages both groups to benefit by learning from each other. Findings from feedback questionnaires, field observations, and semistructured interviews show that the MCP was successful in building an intergenerational bridge. The flexible structuring of the roles of teacher and pupil contributed to participants' satisfaction with the program, and the intergenerational knowledge exchanges empowered both groups and allowed them to reach out to each other. Implications for educators, both in the community and in mainstream schools, are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)597-617
Number of pages21
JournalEducational Gerontology
Volume40
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2014

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (Grant 203/08).

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