Smartphone-Based Digital Literacy Training for Older Adults

Smartphone-based Digital Literacy Training for Older Adults in a Lifelong-learning Setting: a Nonrandomised Wait-list-controlled Study With 3-month Follow-up

This study examined whether a structured, classroom-based smartphone training programme can improve digital literacy and confidence in using a smartphone among adults aged 60 years and older enrolled in a lifelong-learning programme. The study used a non-randomised, wait-list-controlled design with two existing class cohorts: one cohort received the training first (intervention group), and the other continued with its usual programme activities and served as a comparison (wait-list control group). Digital literacy and smartphone self-efficacy were measured before the training, immediately after the training, and again three months later. The aim was to determine whether older adults who took part in the training showed greater improvement than those who did not.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Aging; Literacy; Literacy-language Intervention; Older Adults (60 - 85 Years Old)
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Structured smartphone-based digital literacy training

Detailed Description

The training programme consisted of 12 sessions delivered over 6 weeks (two sessions per week, each lasting 90 to 105 minutes). Content was mapped to the DigComp 2.2 digital competence framework and covered practical smartphone skills for everyday life. Sessions used participants' own Android smartphones together with a projector for demonstration, a class messaging group for support, and between-session practice tasks. The intervention arm comprised the advanced-level cohort of the Akdeniz University 60+ Refresher (Tazelenme) University, and the wait-list control arm comprised the second-year cohort of the same programme.

Two instruments were used. Digital literacy was assessed with the Digital Literacy Scale (score range 12 to 60), the primary outcome. Smartphone self-efficacy was assessed with the Smartphone Self-Efficacy Scale (score range 20 to 100), a secondary outcome. Both were administered at baseline (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and at three-month follow-up (T3). Programme satisfaction was assessed with a short questionnaire after the intervention.

The primary analysis used a baseline-adjusted linear mixed model on the full analysis set, including a group-by-baseline interaction and adjustment for age, sex, education, and marital status. Robustness was examined through several pre-specified sensitivity analyses, including per-protocol analysis, difference-in-differences, propensity-score overlap weighting, multiple imputation, and a conservative worst-case (missing-not-at-random) analysis.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 140
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Antalya, Turkey (Türkiye), 07070
    • Akdeniz University 60+ Tazelenme University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 60 years or older
• Enrolled in the Akdeniz University 60+ Refresher (Tazelenme) University programme
• Owns and regularly uses an smartphone
• Able to attend the scheduled training sessions
• Provides written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe cognitive, visual, or hearing impairment that would prevent participation in the training

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Smartphone-based digital literacy training; Advanced-level cohort receiving a structured smartphone training programme: 12 sessions over 6 weeks (two sessions per week, 90 to 105 minutes each), mapped to the DigComp 2.2 framework, using participants' own Android smartphones.	Behavioral: Structured smartphone-based digital literacy training; Instructor-led smartphone training delivered in 12 sessions over 6 weeks (twice weekly, 90 to 105 minutes), mapped to the DigComp 2.2 framework, using participants' own Android smartphones, a projector for demonstration, a class messaging group, and between-session practice tasks.
No Intervention: Wait-list control; Second-year cohort continuing usual programme activities with the training deferred; served as the comparison group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Digital Literacy Scale (DLS) score	Digital literacy assessed with the Digital Literacy Scale. Scores range from a minimum of 12 to a maximum of 60. Higher scores indicate greater digital literacy (a better outcome).	Baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Smartphone Self-Efficacy Scale (SSES) score	Smartphone self-efficacy assessed with the Smartphone Self-Efficacy Scale. Scores range from a minimum of 20 to a maximum of 100. Higher scores indicate greater smartphone self-efficacy (a better outcome).	Baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2), and 3-month follow-up (T3)
Programme satisfaction	Participant satisfaction with the training programme, assessed with a 10-item satisfaction questionnaire. Scores range from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 50. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction (a better outcome).	Immediately post-intervention (approximately week 6, T2)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Akdeniz University
• Investigators: Study Director: Gülüşan Özgün Başıbüyük, Akdeniz University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 22, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): August 22, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 4, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 8, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: smartphone; ehealth; digital literacy; gerontology; lifelong learning
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Communication; Literacy
• Other Study ID Numbers: TBAEK-181

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data underlying the reported results are available from the corresponding author (B.K.) on reasonable request, subject to ethics and participant-confidentiality restrictions. The analysis code is likewise available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Available beginning after publication of the main results, with no fixed end date.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Requests are reviewed by the corresponding author (B.K.). De-identified data and analytic code will be shared with researchers who submit a methodologically sound proposal and sign a data-access and confidentiality agreement, subject to applicable ethics approvals and participant-confidentiality restrictions.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: ANALYTIC_CODE

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No