Evaluation of Be Connected: Digital Literacies for Older Australians 

A 3-year research project, funded by Australia's Department of Social Services, in partnership with the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and the Good Things Foundation

Be Connected is an Australian Government initiative aimed at increasing the confidence, skills and online safety of older Australians in using digital technology.

 

Be Connected targets those aged 50 years and over who have minimal or no engagement with digital technology. It adopts a family and community-centred approach to supporting older Australians.

 

The Social Innovation Research Institute, and Centre for Social Impact Swinburne have been commissioned to evaluate the national rollout of Be Connected and to determine the impact of the program and its ability to improve the digital inclusion of older Australians. The evaluation involes three phases of data collection that explore multiple stakeholders’ perspectives and measure the impact of Be Connected against a baseline of seniors’ digital inclusion, digital skills and social participation. 

Funded Research Projects (Current)

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ARC Centre of Excellence for automated decision making and society (2020-2027)

Swinburne Node leader and Chief Investigator

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Activating social connection to address isolation in Australia (ARC Linkage Project, 2022-2024)

Australian Red Cross, Neami National, Casey City Council, City of Whittlesea, Wyndham City Council, Today Design 

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Collaborative data analytics exploring family safety outcomes (2021-2022)

Department of Health and Human Services

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Improve Your Play (2021-2022)

Alannah and Madeline Foundation, Office of the eSafety Commissioner

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Advancing digital inclusion in low income Australian families (ARC Linkage Project, QUT led, 2021-2023)

Project led by Michael Dezuanni, QUT, Partners: The Smith Family, Yourtown, Infoxchange, Good Things Foundation, Leep NGO

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Measuring and monitoring digital inclusion (2021-2022)

Good Things Foundation Australia

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Optimising the roles of online communities in rural resilience (ARC Discovery Project, 2020-2022)

SANE Australia, Beyond Blue, Royal Flying Doctors Service, ReachOut, Care Opinion, Dementia Alliance, Murray Voices

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Strategic Partnership, Australian Red Cross (Mapping humanitarian Action on Instagram)

Australian Red Cross

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Funded Projects (Completed)

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Obesity in the news: Machine learning analysis of gender, health, socioeconomic status and stigma (2020)

Parnter: VicHealth

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Data for Good Sandpit: Exploring the power of data collaboratives (2020-2021)

Partner: Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, Goodcycles, Yooralla, Entertainment Assist, Co-Health

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Be Connected Social Impact Evaluation (2017-2020)

Partners: Department of Social Services (Australian Government), Good Things Foundation, Office for the eSafety Commissioner

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Free from Violence: Managing Elder Abuse in the Community (Project OPERA)

Partners: Eastern Community Legal Centre and Vic Govt. Department of Health & Human Services

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Mapping Public Discusion of Family Violence against Policy (Project SOPHIA)

Partner: Departmern of Premier and Cabinet, Victorian Government

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Peer Support Platform for People with Low Vision and Blindness

Partners: Guide Dogs Victoria and DXC technology company

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Safety, risk and wellbeing on digital dating apps (ARC Linkage Project)

Partners: Family Planning NSW, ACON Health

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Suicidal Thoughts & Self Harm Forum Analysis

Partner: Beyond Blue

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60+ Online: Enhancing Social Inclusion through Digital Stories and Social Media

Partners: Telstra, City of Boroondara Council, Knox City Council

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