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Can Informal e-learning and Peer Support Help Bridge the Digital Divide?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2008

Sally Lindsay ,
Simon Smith  and
Paul Bellaby
Sally Lindsay
Affiliation:
Institute for Social, Culture and Policy Research at the University of Salford E-mail: s.lindsay@salford.ac.uk
Simon Smith
Affiliation:
Institute for Social, Culture and Policy Research at the University of Salford
Paul Bellaby
Affiliation:
Institute for Social, Cultural and Policy Research at the University of Salford
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Abstract

The project that we report here provided free home computers and a one-year broadband subscription to a sample of 108 older people diagnosed with coronary heart disease. The sample was divided at random and the experimental group had ‘facilitated learning’, based on access to a dedicated website, while controls did not. The results suggest that many participants needed to overcome their fear of new technology before they could learn how to use it effectively. Significant differences in computer skills were found between the experimental and control groups after six months of being involved in the project.

Type
Articles
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 7 , Issue 3 , July 2008 , pp. 319 - 330
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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