Lifelong learning, intergenerational relationships and ICT: perceptions of children and older adults

Ageing population is one of the topics that have attracted the attention of several countries in the interest of social cohesion, economic growth and financial sustainability. Promoting active ageing population is one of the strategies adopted by different countries to avoid early retirement and to encourage older workers to remain longer in the labour market, to remain healthy, active and independent, as long as possible. Active ageing requires the involvement of older adults in a increasingly global, technological and digital contemporary society. This participation presents challenges for education and lifelong learning, especially to older people who did not acquire digital skills during their previous education and training. This is a group that, as a consequence, might suffer from a high risk of exclusion of the benefits of the Information and Knowledge Society. Active ageing, generational relations, coexistence and solidarity between generations are topics on the developed countries agenda. Therefore, active ageing and intergenerational solidarity are two complementary subjects in favour of a common challenge, in which education and learning play an important role. This paper seeks to find out and to understand how children and older adults think of lifelong learning and generational solidarity, particularly through organised training activities with the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). For data collection in this process we will conduct informal conversational interviews with younger and older participants as well as observation of the way the activities develop. The analysis and data interpretation will allow us to get relevant inferences to understand their interests and perspectives on ICT skills, digital literacy and digital inclusion in society. The conclusions will be crucial not only to develop strategies to encourage useful and significant learning, but also to investigate new opportunities for understanding education and intergenerational lifelong learning, supported by ICT in general and the Web 2.0 in particular. Then, we will make our contribution to the promotion of active ageing, solidarity and intergenerational relations, trying to collaborate in building a better future for all generations