Game-Based Solutions for Impacting Digital Competences in Aged Populations: Insights from an Empathetic Workshop

The growing ubiquity of Information and Communication Technologies and the lack of older adults’ digital competences created new challenges and research opportunities. Used to promote the acquisition of knowledge and deeply engage in learning activities, games are a potential medium to be explored. So far, research studies have mainly focused on cybersecurity and younger generations. Tapping into an underexplored research field and leveraging on the DigComp 2.2. framework, this research reports on a two-part workshop with eight experts in the fields of games, digital technologies, digital competences, and ageing. Its aim was to thoroughly delve into this underexplored research field, crafting game mechanics that not only consider the target audience but also directly respond to the areas outlined by DigComp. The results show six new game solutions, such as (i) identifying phishing emails and malware threats, (ii) assessing the authenticity of news items, (iii) acting as hackers to understand and create stronger passwords, (iv) optimizing search queries through interactive story search, (v) interpreting error messages, and (vi) navigating a simulated social media platform with persona-based rewards. Therefore, the range of areas to be explored is expanded, including a wider variety of audiences and new solutions to be implemented. Moreover, the identified game offers practical tools for enhancing digital competences among older populations, and provide a roadmap for future research in designing empathetic digital solutions. Overall, this research highlights the unexplored potential at the intersection of these research fields, paving the way for future developments.