Technology and Elaboration of Information in Aging: Preliminary Data of Verbal vs. Visual Performance - 2nd International Workshop on Evidence-Based Technology Enhanced Learning - page 43

have focused the e-learning impact on the quality of life on childhood and on
adulthood population. Few studies were conducted on the e-learning and its usa-
bility in ageing. Githens et al. [3] argued on the opportunities and barriers for the
olders adults in the e-learning: they descripted the changing notion of work and
learning in older adulthood, the prejudices about older adults' use of technology,
the types of e-learning programs for older adults (i.e., programs for personal
growth and social change, workforce development, and workplace learning), and
the barriers to older adults' full participation in e-learning. These evidences hig-
hlighted the necessity to improve the knowledge on the different approaches to the
e-learning in life span. The question isn't only the implementation of information
technologies applications and features but the interaction among the information
program and aging target to consent an adaptation behavioral to increase the suc-
cessful use of e-learning.
Aim of the study is to evaluate the relation between cognitive abilities in aging
and use of information technologies. We want to examine the performance of sub-
jects in different range of age on verbal and visual performance and to analyze
the variables that influence the different level of performance; moreover, we might
highlight weaker age in the learning and contemporary we might evidence the
strenght age in the use of technology.
2 Materials and Methods
2.1 Subjects
The sample involved in the study was composed of 125 native Italian speaker sub-
jects, balanced for sex and education, age ranging 20 to 70 years olds, divided in 5
groups: 1) Young Group (YG) composed of 25 subject age ranging 20-29 years ,
mean age 23,9 (sd ±5,1); 2) Junior Group (JG) composed of 25 subject age rang-
ing 30-39 years, mean age 35,8 (sd ±3,2); 3) Adult Group (AG) composed of 25
subject age ranging 40-49 years , mean age 46,5 (sd ±2,5); 4) Senior Group (SG)
age ranging 50-59 years , mean age 54,2 (sd ±4,8); Elderly Group (EG) age rang-
ing 60-69 years, mean age 66,0 (sd ±3,0). All participants reported negative story
of psychiatric or neurological disease or alcohol and drug problems. All subjects
signed written informed consensus.
2.2 Testing
The psychological battery was composed of 2 tasks aimed to evaluate verbal and
visual performance of the sample. The Tasks were developed from the Semantic
Associative Test [2] as the verbal and visual version. The experimental test was
carried out in 'paper and pencil' form. In this experiment we modified the test: we
prepared an PC version. The test required to touch on the screen the word/figure
better associated to the figure/word-target between 3 choices. Each test have the
same items. In Figure 1 was reported example item tests.