Prototipo de aplicación móvil para enseñanza de uso de teléfonos inteligentes para adultos mayores aplicando técnicas de andragogía en Colombia

Abstract

A report from DANE indicates that 83% of older adults in Colombia own a smartphone, with 95% of these devices being the only means of internet access for this population. However, a considerable percentage of them face difficulties using basic functions, which limits their communication and autonomy. (DANE, 2021) To help address this issue, the design and development of a mobile application prototype for Android devices is proposed. This prototype focuses on teaching the use of smartphones by applying andragogical techniques, facilitating learning for Spanish-speaking older adults in Colombia. Two surveys were conducted with 50 participants each: the first targeted older adults, and the second their caregivers. The goal was to identify the most important features, the most commonly used functionalities, and those requiring the most assistance. The results indicated that older adults require the most support with downloading apps from the device store, scanning QR codes, and using geolocation apps. However, they manage basic functions well, such as adjusting volume and using social networks. For the architectural design, requirements were initially gathered following the ISO/IEC/IEEE 29148:2018 standard. Based on these requirements, UML diagrams for packages, classes, and use cases were created, applying an MVVM architectural approach to define the behavior and implementation of the mobile application. The prototype development was carried out using Android Compose for the views, creating interfaces for registration and login, course lists, video playback, tests, and submission of suggestions and questions by users. Additionally, each screen allows users to increase or decrease the font size. For the backend, Google Firebase was used to enable remote content updates without requiring new app releases to stay up to date. Unit tests were conducted to ensure the application works as expected, with 235 unit tests performed, achieving 100% code coverage. The acceptance criteria for both functional and non-functional requirements were verified using the APK of the generated prototype, ensuring the prototype was built correctly in compliance with the specified requirements and technical specifications.