UNIVERSIDAD MAGISTER

FACULTAD DE EDUCACIÓN

CARRERA DE LICENCIATURA EN LA

ENSEÑANZA DEL INGLÉS

“A PROJECTIVE RESEARCH ON THE USAGE OF

DIMAGOLD AS A TOOL TO CREATE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE

COMMUNITIES FOR ELDER POPULATION”

HENRY CAAMAÑO ACUÑA

MARJORIE MARÍA MUÑOZ COREA

GEINER ANTONIO SEGURA RODRÍGUEZ

SETIEMBRE, 2014

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM: Most popular social networksare design for younger generations. Elderly are not taken intoaccount, they are “technology migrants”.

• JUSTIFICATION: Elderly as technology migrants must have thesame opportunities that the rest of the young generations. Thismeans that web tools should be designed and adecuate for them.

• PROBLEM STATMENT: How DIMAGOLD can provide effectivedevelopmental resources for the elder worldwide?

GENERAL OBJECTIVE: To contribute in the establishment of larger developmental

communities for the elderly through the consolidation of an English

version for DIMAGOLD network.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: • To determine DIMAGOLD’s dimensions as a global platform.

• To identify the implications a network in English will have for the

elderly.

• To incorporate DIMAGOLD ´s content in the English language.

• To strengthen the usage of DIMAGOLD as a developmental and

learning tool.

• To propose the complimentary framework in the English language

for the reinforcement of DIMAGOLD network.

VARIABLES:

• Digital platforms and networks.• Elder Citizens in the 21st Century.• DIMAGOLD´s contents.• Global Learning Communities• DIMAGOLD’s framework.

SCOPE:According to the Magister University program for the elder population;addressed social networks to this population needs to be studied andanalyzed in depth. This project would be developed as a preliminaryplan for building the English version of DIMAGOLD network. Scope,objectives, limitations, strengths and other aspects should be revised,documented and improved as a way to provide an useful, friendly,efficient user social network for this population. Later, MagisterUniversity would extend others communal projects on these socialissue, maybe in different languages and to other communities.

LIMITATIONS:

Considering the implications of this project, it is possible that there

might be some difficulties and limitations while gathering the required

information. Access to information needed for the memoir, the proper

delivery of some important information, unavailability on online

services, the access to population from different contexts and

educational backgrounds, health problems that might affect the

population interviewed due to their ages, a late beginning in the

implementation of the first chapters of this memoir, the lack of

technical knowledge or field related vocabulary and other possible

handicaps which could be encountered through the development of

this memoir.

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

• It promoves higher education, culture and preservation.

• It shares its cultural and social actions through out basic principles

and humanistic social extensions programs.

• It was born as a collegue UACA in 1980.

• It was an independent one in 1996.

• Msc. Vivian González Trejos has been the rector since 2007.

• It offers different kinds of careers and courses according to the

country´s necessities.

• It has a great educational and social impact in Costa Rica due to its

excellent administrative staff.

• It has excellent professors, and outstanding students.

• It is regulated by CONESUP

• Umagister is based on humanistic technology, social responsability

and promotes conservation.

• It values are: perseverance, discipline, humility, charity, beauty,

etnics and peace.

• This university works with CONAPAM in different elder community

projects.

Mission: To provide an integral, developed plattaform with the

students, professors, administrative assistants and providers.

Vision: UMagister is a private higher education institution without

borders, to serve to the universal development strategies of the

different economic social sectors, responsible and in harmony with the

environment.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

COSTA RICAN ELDER POPULATION

• Costa Rica is the only country in relation to Latin American that

establish a priority the elderly´s care.

• There are specialized laws, educational and health programs.

• Costa Rica is one of the most popular destinations for retirees,

according to Help Age International top rating.

• In ten years probably those elder over sixty or less would reach one

billion in 2050, as a result the population will increase two billion in

the world.

• There are many social elder programs in Costa Rica.

SOCIAL NETWORK FOR ADULTS AND ELDER PEOPLE: In Costa

Rica there is not a special social network for this population only an Spanish

Dimagold. In other countries, there are some of them as examples:

• Post 55

• Sigo Joven

• 35Webs

• Verdurez

Other Costa Rican´s public universities like these ones: UCR, UNA,

UNED, and others have programs with social activities for elderly.

They are not elder social networks, as an example of an elder

program is the following one:

UNED ADULT AND ELDER COURSES

RESEARCH

Qualitative, quantitative

and projective

Jacqueline Hurtado de Barrera (2008),

projective research is an “investigation and

elaboration proposal, a plan or a social group

or institution practical need from a

geographical region or particular knowledge”.

According to Crossman (2009) a quantitative

research is a one that uses numerical

analysis.

Qualitative methods are also effective in

identifying intangible factors

• Is any complete group with at least one characteristic in common.

POPULATION

• The sample would be obtained from elderly adult people at UMagister and Patriarca de San José Association located in Costa Rica.

SAMPLE

VARIABLE DEFINITION

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES VARIABLE

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 1: To determine

DIMAGOLD’s dimensions as a global

platform.

VARIABLE 1. Digital platforms and

networks.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 2: To identify the

implications a network in English would have

for the elderly.

VARIABLE 1: Elder citizens in the 21st

century.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 3: To incorporate

DIMAGOLD’s content in the English language.VARIABLE 1. DIMAGOLD ´s contents.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 4: To strengthen the

usage of DIMAGOLD as a developmental and

learning tool

VARIABLE 1. Global learning communities

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE 5: To propose the

complimentary framework in the English

language for the reinforcement of DIMAGOLD

framework

VARIABLE 1. Dimagold Framework

MAGISTER UNIVERSITY ELDERLY ACCORDING TO EDUCATION,

LOCATION AND SEX

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF

RESULTS

Source: Caamaño, Muñoz, Segura, June 21st, 2014.

EDUCATION LOCATION TOTALMALE FEMALE

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

Incomplete

University

Central

Region3 1 25 2 25

Complete

University

Central

Region1 0 0 1 12.5

Complete

High School

Central

Region5 1 25 4 50

Incomplete

High School

Central

Region3 2 50 1 12.5

Total 12 4 100 8 100

ELDERLY´S ENGLISH LEVEL

Source: Caamaño, Muñoz, Segura, June 21st, 2014.

50%

25%

25%

Very good

Regular

Poor

ELDERLY´S INTERNET´S ACTIVITIES

Source: Caamaño, Muñoz, Segura, June 21st, 2014.

ELDERLY´S SOCIAL NETWORK KNOWLEDGE

Source: Caamaño, Muñoz, Segura, June 21st, 2014.

ELDERLY´S ASPECTS SHOULD BE ADAPTED IN A SOCIAL

NETWORK

Source: Caamaño, Muñoz, Segura, June 21st, 2014.

ELDERLY´S PARTICIPATION IN PILOT PLAN

Source: Caamaño, Muñoz, Segura, June 21st, 2014.

75%

25%

Yes No

CONCLUSIONS

• COSTA RICAN´S ELDER COMMUNITIES

Elderly are part of the “immigrant technological generation” who didnot grow up with updated technolgy.

• ENGLISH DIMAGOLD NETWORK

It is suggested that it should be adapted to elder´s population, so thatthey can feel comfortable by aplying and learning different tools inEnglish language. Also, contents must be regarding to theirnecessities and interests: (chats, memories, stories, news, blogs,récipes).

• ENGLISH LANGUAGE DIMAGOLD CONTENT

This social network needs a 24 hour´s server to communicate peopleanytimed in a worldwide experience. English is the perfect tool forthis.

• PROMOTE ENGLISH AS A WORLDWIDE LANGUAGE

English language would be a powerful tool to communicate among

elderly thought ENGLISH DIMAGOLD, because these people can

interact with other ones around the world and they create knowledge´s

communities.

• PROPOSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A DIMAGOLD PILOT

PLAN

It would allow senior citizens to interact with the software or

hardware in a friendly, natural way, in order to verify if it fullfills their

necessities.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The information gathered presents the following recommendations as

follows:

• To increase the internet bandwidth in order to have better service.

• Basic tools in computer training.

• Elderly´s social networks training.

• To have an English teacher and a computer expert to clear senior citizens’ doubts.

• To evaluate the hardware and software in order to update them.

• To measure the quality and size of the physical space of the computer lab.

• To have a server to host English Dimagold site.

• To improve elderly´s English level with different interactive computing programs, games, videos, news, blogs, chats, etc.

• To recommend the use of attractive and useful browsers such as: Safari, Firefox, Chrome and others.

• To create self-confidence in every senior citizen to be sure that

information of the site is safe.

• To implement a wall in Dimagold´s site where seniors can interact

and interchange ideas, experiences, and feelings in a regular basis.

• To take into account the senior citizens opinions and preferences

through time to make the changes that would be needed to help in

the development of this social network.

PROPOSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN

ENGLISH DIMAGOLD PILOT PLAN:

• To suggest and improve the English DIMAGOLD network.

• Take into account the senior citizens opinions and preferences

through time.

• To check English DIMAGOLD’S contents.

• To take into account basic principles: technological knowledge,

respect for human rights, nature and environment conservation.

• To develop a tool that evaluates constantly the different

DIMAGOLD’s changes through time.

ENGLISH COMPLEMENTARY FRAMEWORK

FOR THE DIMAGOLD NETWORK AT MAGISTER

UNIVERSITY

• English DIMAGOLD Social Network would be promoted as a pilot

plan that would be suggested to be implemented in a close time.

• Population are technology migrants, but they have the same

opportunities than others that know more about technology.

• To complement DIMAGOLD network with an English framework.

• To establish the basic parameters for the English version of

DIMAGOLD.

• To apply DIMAGOLD’s contents in English framework to achieve

Magister University vision and mission in compliance with the

elderly rights.

• To propose the implementation of specific criteria regarding user-

friendly and easy-access global virtual platform.

• To implement DIMAGOLD as an useful learning tool for the elderly.

• To propose the implementation of an English DIMAGOLD by taking

into account that computing experts could give recommendations.

• To access and observe DIMAGOLD divided in different sections by

translating them into English each one.

• The computing expert and graphic designer can see each separated

page presented.

• The specialist decides which changes would be needed to make

this site an innovative and interactive one.

• English DIMAGOLD pilot plan would benefit directly adults and elder

population.

• To create knowledge communities in English for the elder population

by using DIMAGOLD as a social Magister University ´s network.

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Elderly’s color-coded keyboard.

• Laser’s keyboard.

• Laser and meaningful icons use on the screen.

• Avoid use of captcha.

• Use of voice recognition.

• Touch screen use.

• Use of mental’s games.

• DIMAGOLD’S logo site.

• Take into account other’s derivate studies.