Information Technology Education for Older Adults as a Continuing Peer-Learning Process: A Chinese Case Study

This article examines older Chinese's learning and use of computers and the Internet, focusing on the major barriers encountered and strategies employed to overcome those barriers. A total of 33 interviews were conducted in 2004 in Shanghai. Data analysis was guided by grounded theory. The following are the major findings : (a) lack of technical support is a major barrier to information technology (IT) learning, yet it is difficult to get support from younger people; (b) learning from age peers is an effective way to learn about IT; and (c) short-term computer classes are only the beginning, while computer clubs that may last for years can provide much-needed continuing training.