OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE OF EMPLOYEES OVER AGE 50

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): E-Iearning via corporate intranets is emerging as the most important new development in business training. People over age 50 are the fastest growing population on the Internet. Few products directly blend specific learning needs of people over age 50 with their growing presence on the Internet. The purpose of this research project is to determine whether e-learning is an effective method for building mastery of career development and technology content for mature employees. These two areas have changed so dramatically over the last two decades, and mature employees may not have the career self-management or comprehensive technology skills and knowledge expected in today's business environment. The initial step is to develop a basic interactive e-learning database product for corporate intranets with career development and technology information customized to mature employees with regard to content, designing readable text, presenting the information in a clear, comprehensible manner and increasing the ease of navigation (Aim 1). The next step is demonstrating that mature employees can master the content using this e-learning product and that it makes a difference in their business performance (Aim 2). The final step is to develop two enhanced versions of the basic e-learning database - an instructor-enhanced format and a peer-enhanced format- that will be available via corporate intranets and then to determine whether either of these enhanced e-learning products improves technology or career development knowledge or performance among older adults (Aims 3 and 4). Phase II will focus on refining the methods and building additional interactive e-learning content for career development and technology. This e-learning product will represent an important tool for mature employees to create a level playing field by enabling learning that is self-directed, self-managed, private and effective.