Podcasts are globally popular and widely used for adult education. In Taiwan, technology courses and podcast channels for older adults are flourishing. Older adults show interest and enjoyment in rediscovering favorite shows through podcasts, but they also have concerns about phone storage and operational errors. While previous podcast research has primarily focused on youth education, this study explores the contradictory factors associated with podcast learning for older adults. The qualitative study used semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling. We recruited 8 participants with an average age of 73.88 years (SD = 6.7) from the community, 4 having experience using podcasts and 4 without, evenly split by gender. The coding framework was based on the Unified Model of the Paradox of Digital Learning for Older Adults developed by Wang (2020). Her model integrates both positive and negative factors with approach-avoidance conflict in digital learning, suggesting it is more suitable for older adult learners. The results identified four main coding themes: communication pathways (e.g., mass communication, interpersonal communication), positive learning experiences (e.g., autonomy satisfaction, perceived usefulness), negative learning experiences (e.g., negative digital cognition, disappointing program quality), and worries and reservations (e.g., get scammed). In addition, older adult learners with experience using podcasts described more positive learning experiences, while those lacking podcast experience faced more challenges. Therefore, it is essential to encourage the older adult to engage more with digital technology, such as podcasts, to access a variety range of learning opportunities.

Authors:
Ya-Ling Wang, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
I Jou Tan, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
I Jou Tan is currently a graduate student at National Taiwan Normal University.My research focuses on the behavior of older adults in relation to digital technology usage.

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