The Grey Revolution: Motivating Older Persons to

Participate in Wikipedia Beat Estermann1, Karen Torben-Nielsen1, Jonathan Bennett1,

Stijn Bannier2, Markus Marquard3

Haifa, 5 August 2011

1 Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland2 UM MERIT, The Netherlands

3 Ulm Univeristy, Germany

www.thirdageonline.eu

Workshop overview

1. The project TAO in a nutshell

2. Wikipedia & older persons (50+): the present situation

3. Two scenarios for the future

4. Particularities of 50+ : about volunteering & barriers for Wikipedia

5. Preliminary recommendations: How to get older persons on

board?

6. Discussion

Part 1

The project TAO in a nutshell

&

The scope of this presentation

Project TAO: Third Age Online

Two Main Goals:

1. Develop and disseminate effective methods to encourage older persons to

join online communities

2. Improve the user experience of community platforms (accessibility, usability)

Four Community Partners: Wikimedia Germany, Wikimedia Switzerland,

SeniorWeb.The Netherlands, seniorweb.Switzerland

Two Central Questions: •How can we stimulate older persons (60+) to participate in online communities? (to integrate them & enhance their social relationships in later life)?•How can we use the growing number of older persons to boost collaboration in online communities?

Present state of the project

Exploration Multiplication Internationali-zation

Aug. 11

Exploration: Literature reviews, pilot projects, usability tests

•Preliminary recommendations / working hypotheses•Development of prototypical approaches to activate older persons•Tackling organizational issues

Part 2

Current situation:

Older persons on the Internet

& Wikipedia

Older persons & Internet use: steady growth in Europe

ARD/ZDF-Onlinestudie 1998-2011

Example: Evolution of internet-use in Germany

8%, 32%20%, 60%

34%, 69%

Older persons on Wikipedia: Few older users, but similar proportions of contributing users

Age of Wikipedia users

10-49 years

50-59 years

60+ years

total

Number of users

Percentage of Wikipedia- users

94.8%(167.021)

3.4% (5.995)

1.8%(3.176)

100%

Activity on Wiki-pedia

Contributing (edit & write)

30.5% 35.8% 31.9% 30.7%

Ex-contributing 2.5% 2.3% 2.0% 2.5%

Reading 66.2% 60.4% 63.8% 65.9%

Other 0.9% 1.5% 2.4% 0.9%

total 100% 100% 100% 100%

Wikipedia Survey (2007-2010): www.wikipediastudy.org

Remarkable: Users of 50+ ….

•… only represent 5.2% of all Wikipedia-users (above 60 years: only 1.8%)

•… are at least as likely to contribute as the younger users

Why are older persons interesting for Wikipedia?

- They represent a huge pool

• 20% of European population > 60 years

• not reliant on paid work for their living

- of possible contributors

• great expertise, could be strong contributors

- with a long-term perspective

• voluntary engagement as part of their personality (Becker & Dhingra, 2001).

- and enthusiasm.

• easily mobilized for Wikipedia workshops

• at least as likely to contribute as younger persons

Part 3

Two scenarios for the future

Scenario 1: No need for action

•Older persons‘ activities on Wikipedia will correspond to the Internet usage trend

•Once they are familiar with the Internet, a reasonable fraction of older persons will start to contribute

Scenario 2:Need for action

•Older Internet users will not automatically integrate into the Wikipedia community

•„Latecomers“ have a harder time integrating

•Older persons have particular preferences and needs (regarding sociability / usability)

Two scenarios: Older persons on Wikipedia

Part 4:

Particularities of older persons:

Volunteer work

Motivations & barriers regarding Wikipedia

Older persons: specific motivations for doing unpaid work

(Becker & Dhingra, 2001; Wardell et al, 2000)

Older persons:

Rather emotional motives for unpaid work:

-altruistic reasons (helping others)

-social obligations

(“others expect me to do this”)

-personal satisfaction

Becomes part of their personality

Younger persons:

Rather instrumental motives for

unpaid work:

-rationally weighing costs and

benefits (efforts vs. satisfaction)

Stop if balance is disturbed

Barriers for older persons to contribute to Wikipedia?

- Quantitative study:

• World-wide Wikipedia survey:

- 3.176 cases of 60+ users

- Qualitative studies:

• Usability tests and interviews

- 18 test persons of 60+ (e.g. Wikipedia)

• Observations & interviews

- internet courses for older persons (e.g. about

Wikipedia): >90 participants of 60+

- Wikipedia demonstration at Senior Fair (ca. 25 editing trials)

Top 5: Older persons’ barriers to contributing to Wikipedia

1. I’m happy just to read, I don’t need to write (48%)

2. I don’t have enough information to contribute (44%)

3. I don’t feel comfortable editing other persons’ work

(14%)

4. I am not comfortable with the technology (12%)

5. I don’t have time (10%)

“Contributing an article is much more difficult than I thought” (male, 60+)

“When I want to contribute, I have to look for the instructions over and over again” (female, 60+)

“I know a bit of everything, but not a lot of anything specific” (female, 60+)

Wikipedia Survey (2007-2010): www.wikipediastudy.org

“Why don’t you contribute to Wikipedia?”

(asked to non-contributing, 60+ users, world-wide)

Top 5: Older persons’ stimuli to contribute on Wikipedia

1. I knew there were specific topics that needed my help (35%)

2. It was clear to me that others would benefit from my actions

(31%)

3. Someone would show me how to do it (14%)

4. I was confident that my contributions would be valued and kept

(13%)

5. The technology was easier to use (7%)

“Some persons will need support, because Wikipedia is so complicated” (male, 60+)

“If I had known it was that hard, maybe I would not even have started” (male, 60+)

Wikipedia Survey (2007-2010): www.wikipediastudy.org

“I’d be much likelier to contribute, if…”(asked to non-contributing, 60+ users, world-wide)

Additional findings from usability tests / fair stand:

- Misconceptions about “omnipresent” English

- Great difficulties with infobox syntax (when editing)

- (Frequent) usability problems main reason for not

contributing (vs. not that interested)

- Consider online community (e.g. Wikipedia) as

something ‘for later’ (when not mobile anymore)

Beware of generalizations! 50/60plus are a large and heterogeneous group!

Part 5:

Preliminary recommendations:

How to get older persons on board?

Working hypotheses: How to stimulate older persons to contribute to Wikipedia? (1/2)

Barrier Expressed in Preliminary recommendations

Insecurity about own knowledge / writing demands

•Feeling that one has nothing to add•Not comfortable editing others’ work

•Familiarize them with the idea of collective authorship•Show easy ways to contribute : e.g. Wiki Loves Monuments

Insecurity about technology / trust

•Not at ease with technology

•Wish someone would show how to do it (social)

•Want to know who is “behind Wikipedia”

•Wikipedia Sandbox: safe & dry try•Provide help from ‘warm experts’ (friends, …)•Provide help from peers (same age/interests) in courses or groups•Online mentoring program; adapted to seniors needs•Show who is behind Wikipedia profile pics or success stories

Working hypotheses: How to stimulate older persons to contribute to Wikipedia? (2/2)

Barrier Expressed in Preliminary recommendationsNeed for appre-ciation

•Which topics need my help?•Wish my articles were valued.

•Make new users aware of areas that need help•Make sure that first progress results in first rewards, even if perfection hasn’t been reached yet

Does not fit one’s life / no interest

•Consider Wikipedia as something “for later”•Or: is for “the young”

•Match with personal interest: write about your favorite topics•Link WP activities with everyday life and social interaction•Enhance positive emotional links with WP•Work on making volunteering for WP socially desirable among this age group

Usability issues •Problems coping with wiki syntax (e.g. infoboxes)

•WYSIWYG editor

Take the perspective of those whom you are trying to integrate (a.o. user centered approach, co-production)

Part 6

Discussion:

Your reactions, thoughts,

experiences, working hypotheses...

Stay in touch

The project TAO is managed by the Bern University of Applied Sciences and is co-funded under the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Joint Programme by the Swiss Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology, the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and the European Commission.

www.thirdageonline.eu

Beat EstermannResearcher / Coordinator Project TAOBern University of Applied Sciencesbeat.estermann@bfh.ch+41 31 848 34 38

Karen Torben-NielsenResearcherBern University of Applied Scienceskaren.torbennielsen@bfh.ch