Projekt TAO Third Age Online

Welcome to the Official Website of the Project TAO

“TAO” stands for the Chinese character meaning “way”, “method” as well as for “Third Age Online”. The main target of our research and development project is to highlight the ways in which the access of older persons to the opportunities offered by online communities can be facilitated.

Learn more about the project TAO…

21. February 2012

“Older Persons and Online Communities” – Study Completed

The study report “How Online Communities Can Make a Contribution to the Social Integration of Persons Aged 60 to 75” completes our preliminary study on older persons and online communities. A review of the literature on activating, motivating and integrating … Continue reading →

11. May 2011

Project TAO: Status update after the first half year…

Our project has been running for a bit more than half a year now. Time to sketch out what we have achieved so far: Thanks to the dedication of more than 25 volunteers, the action “Free Cruise on the Internet” … Continue reading →

8. February 2011

Info Point for persons interested in the Internet

The Swiss TAO project group „Free cruise on the Internet“ is organizing an Info Point in the Coop shopping mall in Wankdorf near Berne. Shoppers who abstained from the Internet so far but are interested in getting started can get … Continue reading →

4. February 2011

Omnibus 2010 Survey: Internet in Swiss households

The first results of the 2010 survey on Internet use conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show that most Internet users are concerned about security. They take various measures to protect themselves. In 2010, over three quarters of households … Continue reading →

24. January 2011

Start of TAO in Germany

Wikimedia Germany, one of our German project partners, is aiming to approach, attract and include older people as authors for the Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia. Compared to its share of the overall population, the generation aged 50 years and older has … Continue reading →

Pavel Richter, executive director, Wikimedia Germany

„The growing number of active older persons, their life experience and their knowledge are a potential that the online encyclopedia Wikipedia should make better use of.“ Pavel Richter, executive director, Wikimedia Germany

Hans Rudolf Schelling, executive director, Centre for Gerontology, University of Zurich

„Approximately one half of Swiss citizens above the age of 65 believe that the internet would be used more frequently by older persons if it was more age-appropriate.“ Hans Rudolf Schelling, executive director, Centre for Gerontology, University of Zurich

Markus Marquard, research associate, Centre for General Scientific Continuing Education (ZAWiW), University of Ulm

„Together with older persons we want to find out how the internet can open an additional window to the world and how it can help to retain freedom and independence in older age.“ Markus Marquard, research associate, Centre for General Scientific Continuing Education (ZAWiW), University of Ulm

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.

See also: Partners and sponsors

Logos of the Bern University of Applied Sciences, the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), 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

Logos of the Bern University of Applied Sciences, the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), 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