Analogue Games and Digital Literacy: The NetSmart Case Study with Older People

Abstract

In an era where digital proficiency is increasingly vital for full societal participation, older adults remain disproportionately underserved by digital literacy initiatives. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates the impact of NetSmart, a custom-designed analogue board game aimed at improving digital literacy among older adults. Developed through a participatory approach, NetSmart engages players in collaborative gameplay centred around digital safety, mobile device usage, and online interaction. The study employed a quasi-experimental pre-post design involving 42 participants aged 60 to 89, all previously introduced to foundational digital skills through local lifelong learning programs in Lisbon, Portugal. Participants attended a six-week intervention comprising guided gameplay sessions structured to promote reflective learning, skill reinforcement, and social interaction. Digital literacy was assessed through a 22-item questionnaire administered before and after the intervention. Quantitative analysis using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed significant improvements in key areas: the ability to download and install applications (p = .015), update operating systems (p = .037), and understand the role of games in learning (p = .020). Additionally, post-intervention responses showed increased self-efficacy in educating others on digital safety and greater engagement with online gaming (p = .033 and p = .013, respectively). These findings underscore the potential of analogue Game-Based Learning (GBL) not only as a tool for developing digital competencies but also as a means of enhancing older adults' autonomy, social engagement, and confidence in navigating digital environments. This aligns with a broader recognition of play as a dynamic and effective medium for adult learning—especially when educational approaches are sensitively adapted to the cognitive and emotional dimensions of aging. While the case study’s context-specific nature and absence of a control group limit generalizability, the results nonetheless offer meaningful insights into how GBL can inform digital inclusion strategies for older populations. To build on these insights, future research should incorporate performance-based assessments alongside self-reported data and explore diverse settings to strengthen external validity.