Computer Training Labs for the Elderly - Research Proposal Example

?Running Head: Research Proposal on Training Lab Research Proposal on Training Lab [Institute’s Introduction This is the age oftechnology and digital media where anyone who wishes to stay on a par with everyone else must embrace the complexity of the technology and its penetrating influence through all spheres of life. From travel to documentation, cuisine to science and health to architecture, this influence of technology is evident. People belonging to all age groups, professions, demographics and financial standing eventually find themselves surrendering to the dominant pressure of modern life. This requires them to adapt to the new reign of automated, technologically driven and digital society which has its own principles and which subjugates its people to leave aside their old ways and conform to the new order. In this regard, it is easier for some groups to adapt to this change quickly; to others, it comes with some difficulty. These groups face some hindrance in the process of adaptation to these new lifestyles due to many reasons. It can be due to their vulnerability to other material conditions such as poverty or unavailability of resources, which may lead to deprivation of secondary pleasures such as technology, or it can be because of their own built-in features like age or inclination towards conservatism or liberalism that affects this adaptation. Based on this notion, one group that finds it extremely difficult to adapt to the technological shift of twenty first century is the elderly or the senior citizens (Robinson, 2009). Speaking of technology, the invention and prevalence of computers have been so far the most intriguing. Not only did computers take over the simple tasks of mails and writing, but also replaced man in areas of communication, documentation, book keeping and much more. From children to adults, farmers to gynecologists and elite to middle-class, most people have access to computers in one setting or another and they utilize its efficiency as much as they can (Fogg, 2003). However the elderly people, in many settings, especially in countries like USA, where nuclear family systems are most popular and the elders live separately, it is common for these aged people to lag behind and lose touch with the society and fall into isolation. Thus, in order to bring the elderly people on a par with other age groups and to save them from falling into depression and isolation, teaching them how to use computers is an essential way to go. This proposal entails essential outline of the research that will study the set-up of computer training labs for the elderly. It discusses, for the most part, the intricacies of the study itself and for the other, the issues related to the study. To put it precisely, the project undertaken is of establishing computer literacy center for the elderly in a small locality inhabited by mostly Catholic Christians in Upper West Side, NY. The locality is primal for the project for it is a residence of a major chunk of NY’s population. The demographics also suggest that the residents of the Upper West Side range from upper-middle to middle class. This is a positive trait for the study since it caters to the right sub-group of people; the elderly in this financial standing are usually more deprived in comparison to elders of the elite class since they have fewer resources to afford learning and using computers, both monetary and non-monetary. For this purpose, this research aims to find out the teaching methods most productive in teaching computer to the senior citizens. Methodology The research will comprise two phases: primary and the secondary searches. The primary research will definitely entail the interviews and surveys conducted in the locality with the participants, which will include the senior citizens, their guardians and the teachers and educationists. The secondary research, on the other hand, will entail the study of literature on the subject (Hamilton, 2004). There has been a huge discourse on the subject of pedagogy and new skills are now being discovered, which are highly reliable and effective. A thorough review of this literature will guarantee finding new techniques, which can prove useful. One way to conduct this secondary research is through online databases. Databases, such as JSTOR and Cambridge Journals Online can be of great help. The keywords that will maximize the efficacy of the literature search may include “teaching elderly”, “teaching computers”, “computer for beginners”, “teaching methods for elderly” and “computer literacy and age”. These keywords cover most areas of the study. Research Design The research method used for this study will primarily be qualitative since such a wide topic requires a more in-depth study and phenomenological approach than the quantitative approach can allow. The qualitative approach will help the researchers in gaining full-length data that will keep intact the perspective of the participants. In this approach, the researchers aim to gather the views of the participants on a hypothesis and then go in the depth of their analysis to derive common pattern in their views. The qualitative approach, thus, will be a great fit for the study because not only is the method more accommodating to the scope of the research but also it represents accurately the thoughts, aspirations, emotions and perspectives of the participants, all of which carry vital significance to this study (Creswell, 2009). However, mixed method approach can also prove useful in this area, where quantitative and qualitative approaches can be both brought together to reach a balance. This is important because quantitative method acquires some tools, which can be of great relevance to the topic of study. The surveys, at some point, will require quantifiability and use of software, which can come up with charts and graphs to measure the progress of the participants. Vision The resources used in this study are diverse. Whereas the secondary research will mainly comprise articles from the internet databases or the books from the library, the primary research will mainly include interviews with the participants, which will require extensive interaction with them. Conclusion Although it is only a proposal, it is anticipated that the research will unveil some drastic and novel findings about the subject. It will not only help stretch the horizons of pedagogy to wider and untouched horizons of the elderly, but will also help understand the psyche of the group in other areas as well. The research will further pave the way to more studies in the domain of computer literacy. The teaching of computer especially in the third world has been an intriguing process. Not only did the computers themselves arrive late in this region, they were unaffordable to many in the area for a long time. However, this study will also provide some groundwork on which layout of computer literacy in other vulnerable groups can be formed. References Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications. Fogg, B. J. (2003). Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do. Morgan Kaufmann. Hamilton, J. (2004). Primary and Secondary Sources. ABDO. Robinson, H. M. (2009). Emergent Computer Literacy: A Developmental Perspective. Taylor & Francis. Annotated Bibliography Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications. The abovementioned book is a successful attempt of John W. Creswell to offer an extensive description and discussion of different approaches to research design. Particularly, the author has focused on qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methodologies while relating them with basic procedure of research that involves creation of theoretical framework, as well as writing a research report or thesis. One of the major attributes of this book is usage of common terms by the author while he has ignored usage of technical jargons that often become a barrier for the readers to understand basic processes of research. In this regard, the abovementioned book was very helpful in understanding and coming up with the best research methodology for the proposal. Fogg, B. J. (2003). Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do. Morgan Kaufmann. Technology has become the foremost notion of the current era where everything revolves around the computer. The author has endeavored to focus on persuasive computing in this book while the book includes definition of every key term related to computers. In addition, the book has been very beneficial in terms of understanding of computer domain that often becomes a problem. Lastly, the book includes discussion on computing along with examples from the real scenarios that was very helpful in fulfilling objectives of the current proposal. Hamilton, J. (2004). Primary and Secondary Sources. ABDO. The abovementioned source focuses mainly on primary and secondary sources and different ways to acquire these sources on different levels. In addition, the author has given importance to the phase of evaluation of sources that often is ignored by the researchers resulting in unproductive outcomes. Thus, the book was helpful in understanding the process of selection of primary and secondary sources. Robinson, H. M. (2009). Emergent Computer Literacy: A Developmental Perspective. Taylor & Francis. The book is a brilliant contribution from the author that has covered different aspects of computer literacy in an extensive manner. The author has explained the process of how users of the computer acquire computer literacy and related skills that was helpful in understanding the procedure of setting up a computer lab. Read More