Eleonora Brivio

Supporting Autobiographical Memory in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease Using Smart Phones

An estimated 5.1 million Americans suffer from Alzheimers disease (AD). A symptom of AD is the gradual loss of autobiographical memory. Support services have been shown to slow such loss, thereby improving the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. In this case study, a subject in Stage 4 of AD on the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) scale carried a smart phone with a lanyard for 4 weeks. The smart phone was programmed to take pictures at 5-minute intervals for 12 hours during the day. The pictures were collected, combined in a video slide show, saved to a DVD, and mailed to the subject on a weekly basis. The subject and his caregiver had to view the DVD. In order to evaluate the subjects memory before and after viewing the DVD, a test concerning the most important events of the week was developed. The subject and his caregiver had to answer a satisfaction questionnaire as well. The results of this case study confirmed that the DVD helped the subject recall recent events significantly better and that carrying the smart phone was not considered intrusive to daily routines. This manuscript illustrates how smart phone technology can assist in exercising autobiographical memory.

“The future is ours too”: A training process to enable the learning perception and increase self-efficacy in the use of tablets in the elderly

ABSTRACT The generational digital divide can be understood as a response to the physical and psychosocial decline of older people. Recently, there has been interest in reducing the generational digital divide because of societal costs, and several studies state that tablets seem to help the elderly due to usability and functions that easily fulfill the elderly’s needs to be connected, independent, and autonomous: It could increase the elderly’s well-being. This article presents a training program that increases self-efficiency and enables the learning perception and use of tablets. A qualitative-dominant co-occurrent mixed-methods design was used to assess the perception that the participants (50 participants over 65 years of age) had of their own learning process and success in the course, as well as their digital self-efficacy. The results appear to partially reflect previous research; moreover, perceived changes in self-efficacy and learning can be tied to three core themes—empowerment, integration, and autonomy.

Learning to Use Tablets After 65: Auto-regulative Effects of a Training Program

Technology can play a part in the healthy aging process, helping people maintain their social life and remaining cognitively active. Individuals over 65 may have little or no knowledge on how to use technology, therefore they need to learn how to use it before being able to benefit from it. The aim of this paper is to test the efficacy of a digital education program in improving digital self-efficacy, self-esteem, and quality of perception of cognitive skills in older adults. Results show that digital self-efficacy significantly improves, while self-esteem and quality of life increase but not significantly after training. Perception of cognitive skills actually decreased or remain the same after the course.

Bridging Minds: A Mixed Methodology to Assess Networked Flow.

The main goal of this contribution is to present a methodological framework to study Networked Flow, a bio-psycho-social theory of collective creativity applying it on creative processes occurring via a computer network. First, we draw on the definition of Networked Flow to identify the key methodological requirements of this model. Next, we present the rationale of a mixed methodology, which aims at combining qualitative, quantitative and structural analysis of group dynamics to obtain a rich longitudinal dataset. We argue that this integrated strategy holds potential for describing the complex dynamics of creative collaboration, by linking the experiential features of collaborative experience (flow, social presence), with the structural features of collaboration dynamics (network indexes) and the collaboration outcome (the creative product). Finally, we report on our experience with using this methodology in blended collaboration settings (including both face-to-face and virtual meetings), to identify open issues and provide future research directions.

Quando i brand diventano influential su Twitter: creare brand engagement con strategie di comunicazione virale

The interactive nature of social networking sites contributes to reinforcethe engagement between consumers and brands in terms of cocreationof shared values. In this context, Twitter - the most popularmicroblogging service in the world - seems to act as a new frontier forviral marketing strategies and offers great opportunities to promote abrand as reference point and as a trusted partner among his followers.In a social network is possible to identify strategic and centralnodes - the «influential» nodes - able to activate information and influencespread. These nodes could be influential persons as well as influentialbrands which intend to communicate and interact with their consumerspromoting messages consistent with their brand personalities.The ultimate aim of influential brands is to increase brand awarenessand brand engagement among their followers .However the conception of Twitter as a tool to promote brand engagementis far from being mature, both in management practices andacademic research, and it is not clear how to best take advantage of thisnew marketing and communication channel.In light of what we have shown up to this point, in this paper weintend to develop a preliminary analysis of dialogic, interactive and relationalconditions that turn a brand into an engaging and influential actoron Twitter. More specifically, we explore three main case histories ofbrands which have considered Twitter as main viral marketing tool.