A report summarising the results of the Skills Anticipation Workshops carried out as part of WP2 has been published on the SILWERS project website. The report is available in five languages: English, Polish, Greek, Czech and Icelandic, to facilitate the use of the project’s results in each of the partner countries and to support the wide dissemination of the findings.
The Skills Anticipation Workshops focused on identifying key educational and competence needs in working with older people in the context of artificial intelligence and digital safety. Feedback from educators shows that interactive and engaging methods work best in the education of older adults: small-group work, practical exercises on devices, discussions, and a problem-based and situational approach. At the same time, the report emphasises the need to ‘pace’ the content — short blocks of sessions, breaks and frequent repetition, with a flexible pace tailored to the participants’ abilities. Another important element of effective teaching is the high readability of materials (simple layout, visual aids, large font) and language adapted to the audience.
The findings also indicate that a sense of security and trust is a key factor for success. Educators point out that older people are more willing to engage in learning when they feel at ease, are not afraid to ask ‘basic’ questions, and have the space to share their experiences. In this context, real-life examples (case studies), participants’ stories and group tasks prove particularly effective, as they strengthen group cohesion and help to apply new knowledge to real-life situations.
The report also highlights the most commonly observed barriers and challenges. In the area of cybersecurity, these are primarily: low awareness of threats, a lack of simple and accessible education, and difficulty keeping up with rapidly changing technology. Psychological barriers are also significant, such as the fear of ‘breaking’ a device or low confidence in using digital tools. In the context of AI, it was emphasised that older people may perceive artificial intelligence as something vague or potentially dangerous; therefore, a gentle, practical introduction based on everyday examples, and building a sense of agency in using technology, are particularly important.
Download the report ENG version