Hours 5 to 8: Problem Framing
This has to be the longest phase of this challenge yet. We spent a lot of time (with longer breaks) to first identify the directions that we do not want to take and then to identify directions that we do want to take. We decided that we wanted to break the stigma associated with older population by not building a health-related solution.
What is the need?
Empowerment is the need of the hour with the aging population. These are our parents and our grandparents who have supported each other to spend many years in the workforce and their learning has never stopped. Post retirement, if and when this learning comes to an abrupt halt, it results in boredom.
Who has this need?
Our target user group is the retired aging population who is unable to accept the resultant boredom [2]. Since they are still willing to learn even at that age, they are against retirement even if it means that they are pushing themselves beyond their possible physical stress limits. What if there was a way in which this aging population could better engage with learning and at the same time fight physical and mental boredom?
Problems with existing designs?
Learning tools in general are very software-centric and are built on the one-for-all principle. [3] In addition, research supports the importance of learning tools to “deliver topics that would be of interest to elderly learners” and to fight the isolation within which learning occurs.
Reference:
- World Health Organization. (2015). World report on ageing and health. 2015. Luxembourg, Luxembourg, 1–260.
- Ory, M., Hoffman, M. K., Hawkins, M., Sanner, B., & Mockenhaupt, R. (2003). Challenging aging stereotypes: strategies for creating a more active society. American journal of preventive medicine, 25(3), 164–171.
- Liyanagunawardena, T., Williams, S.: “Elderly learners and massive open online courses: a review”. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 5(1), 1- 11. 2016.
