SMART AGE

“The importance of equipping individuals in Europe with robust digital skills cannot be overstated. As our societies increasingly rely on digital technologies including the widespread diffusion of AI, the need for digital competence becomes essential for both personal and professional growth.”

DigComp 3.0

Seniors’ Media Awareness & Resilience in the Digital Age

2025-1-AT01-KA220-ADU-000354002

SMART AGE is an Erasmus+ project in the field of adult education that stands for “Seniors’ Media Awareness & Resilience in the Digital Age”. The project aims to improve media literacy among seniors, specifically targeting the 60+ age group and equipping them with skills to critically assess digital content, identify misinformation, and navigate AI-generated media. SMART AGE promotes digital resilience, enabling elderly learners – especially those in rural areas – to participate confidently in digital spaces.

SMART AGE is an Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership in the field of adult education that directly addresses the European horizontal priority of digital transformation. Bringing together experienced adult education providers from Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria, the project works over a two-year implementation period to equip older adults with basic media literacy skills and digital resilience. By delivering targeted educational resources and executing large-scale awareness campaigns, SMART AGE will reach over 25,000 individuals and promote safe online navigation for seniors.

Adult education centers

Months

25000+

Stakeholders

250000

Budget (€)

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Project goals

SMART AGE prioritizes the inclusion of elderly learners in digital education programs, focusing heavily on low-income and rural populations. Bringing together partners from Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria, this two-year partnership works to equip older adults with critical media literacy skills and digital resilience.

To reach these goals, SMART AGE focuses on targeted educational interventions that empower adult educators and directly support senior learners in navigating digital environments safely:

IMPROVING THE DIGITAL RESILIENCE OF SENIORS

The project aims to provide older learners (aged 60+) with access to a wide range of media literacy resources, so that they are better equipped to deal with the challenges of the internet, particularly with regard to AI-generated content and disinformation on social media platforms, as well as phenomena such as phishing and other fraudulent activities. The project’s target group consists primarily of older adults from low-income and rural areas, who often have little access to training courses.

DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE COURSE WITH SEVERAL MODULES

Development of an online course comprising several modules, which covers current developments in the fields of artificial intelligence, media literacy and online safety. Certificates of completion in the form of micro-credentials confirm the successful improvement of digital skills and enable older adults to demonstrate their progress. This so-called Massive Open Online Learning Course (MOOC) is specifically tailored to the needs of learners in rural areas, who are often unable to attend face-to-face courses.

ENHANCING MEDIA LITERACY AMONG SENIOR CITIZENS

Enhancing senior citizens’ ability to recognize misinformation, AI-generated content and algorithmic bias. Practical modules in the online course cover topics such as how to effectively fact-check content, data protection, the responsible use of artificial intelligence and the identification of manipulative content.

RAISING AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF MEDIA LITERACY AMONG OLDER LEARNERS

Raising awareness through social media campaigns, newsletters and public relations work, with the aim of reaching up to 25,000 people. Stakeholder networks and libraries are to be involved in order to strengthen media literacy sustainably, even in remote areas.

Project results

SMART AGE will produce a media literacy micro-credential curriculum and a MOOC designed for elderly learners to obtain certificates of completion, recognizing their digital competencies.

BEST PRACTICES COMPENDIUM

This collection gathers and synthesizes successful methodologies, tools, and case studies from across Europe. Adult educators receive concrete examples and practical approaches to effectively teach media literacy and combat online misinformation.

Available Now!

MICRO-CREDENTIAL CURRICULUM

A structured, 10-module curriculum aligns with the Council of the European Union’s Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability and the DigComp 3.0 framework to provide measurable learning outcomes. This educational pathway allows older adults to earn micro-credentials while mastering fact-checking, digital privacy, and the detection of AI-generated media.

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MULTILINGUAL MOOC

An engaging, self-paced online course structured as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) adapts the curriculum into Croatian, Slovenian, German, and English. Accessible video lessons, quizzes, and interactive exercises on the platform allow elderly learners to study independently and validate their competencies.

Available Soon

Project consortium

This consortium brings together three experienced adult education providers from Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia with extensive experience in adult education in rural areas, dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities and promoting digital inclusion.