In SMART AGE, we are not just creating the main results of the project for seniors, but we directly involve them in the project processes.
The landscape of digital media is changing rapidly, presenting distinct challenges for older adults. To bridge the digital divide and build digital resilience, developing educational resources must go beyond traditional top-down methodologies. Recently, SMART AGE coordinators from Public Open University Čakovec held a co-creation and validation session with Ms. Dubravka Cilar, President of the Pensioners’ Association of the City of Čakovec (Udruga umirovljenika grada Čakovca).
This session highlights a shared commitment to participatory design, ensuring that the upcoming SMART AGE curriculum on media literacy for seniors is deeply grounded in the practical realities of the target demographic. The recent collaboration with Ms. Cilar represents a core part of this external evaluation process. As an associated partner, the Pensioners’ Association of the City of Čakovec plays a crucial role in providing an independent evaluation of the curriculum design. During the session, the SMART AGE team from POU Čakovec presented the planned activities and the newly drafted learning outcomes. Ms. Cilar’s invaluable feedback validated the consortium’s efforts, confirming that the resources being developed are of high quality, practically applicable, and relevant to the everyday digital challenges faced by seniors. Similarly, in Slovenia at partner Ljudska univerza Ormož and in Austria at Bildungshaus Retzhof, the project team has reached out to stakeholders as well as their own course participants to involve them wherever possible in this process.
From a professional standpoint in adult education and Erasmus+ management, integrating co-creation sessions is a pedagogical necessity. Historically, educational programs for vulnerable or marginalized demographics have suffered from a top-down approach, where curriculum developers make assumptions about what the target group needs. Co-creation fundamentally disrupts this model. By prioritizing the voices of the elderly in the development phase, SMART AGE ensures that its micro-credential framework and MOOC will genuinely empower seniors to participate confidently and safely in the digital space.
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