The importance of aligning instructor age with learning content in designing instructional videos for older adults

With the increase in life expectancy and the rapid advancement of digital technology, older adults often face challenges where formal learning opportunities are scarce. Consequently, they are compelled to rely on instructional videos for continuous learning. However, many older adults struggle with low self-efficacy and motivation. Although previous studies on instructional videos have investigated how the design of video lectures can promote learners’ self-efficacy, these studies predominantly focus on young populations. The present study aims to test the interaction effects of a lecturer’s age (young vs. older adults) and the type of learning content (Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) health preservation vs. digital technology) in instructional videos. The results indicated that in instructional video lectures on TCM health preservation, older adults demonstrated better learning performance when instructed by an older lecturer compared to a young one. Conversely, in instructional video lectures on digital technology, older adults exhibited better learning performance, higher motivation, and greater activation in FEFs, dlPFC, and SMC, when instructed by a young lecturer compared to an older one. Our findings have significant implications for the design of instructional videos for older adults.