Bridging the Digital Divide at the Expo: Otemon Gakuin University's 'Senior Expo': Thorough Support from Smartphone Booking to On-the-Day Attendance

Tamachan and GG Yumeta's Witty Talk!! [Learning & Activities]

University Students and Seniors' Expo Grand Strategy! ~ From Smartphone Booking to On-the-Day Attendance

GG Yumeta:Oh, Tamachan. To think you'd latch onto that news about 'Otemon students taking seniors to the Expo,' you really are my great-granddaughter. I call that **'Senior Expo.' The students who planned it are truly the connectors of the era**, I'd say.

Tamachan:Connectors of the era, huh? But why would students go that far? Is booking Expo tickets really that complicated?

GG Yumeta:It's more than just complicated. For the recent Expo, advance booking via smartphone is the standard for both entry and pavilions. It's not like the old days of 'buying a ticket and lining up on the day.' Seniors were becoming digital refugees, thinking, 'I want to go, but I'm worried about the system...'

Tamachan:Ah! It's a shame to give up on the booking method before even fighting the battle of booking, right? What exactly do the students help with? Even on the day of?

GG Yumeta:Yes, it includes attendance (escorting) on the day. First, they provide step-by-step support, from creating an Expo ID to booking pavilions online. And then, they stay with them from the travel to the venue until the viewing on the day. This is surely the **ultimate graduation project for the 'Senior Smartphone Class'** that the students were already running.

Tamachan:Haha, a graduation project! So the seniors get to enjoy the latest Expo, and the students get to gain problem-solving skills and communication skills. In other words, this is a Win-Win-Win situation!

GG Yumeta:(Laughs) Win-Win-Win! Tamachan, you deserve a prize! Honestly, when we were young, instead of worrying about ticket bookings, we worried about how to ask someone out on a date. Times change, don't they.

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[Details] University students go to the Osaka-Kansai Expo with seniors. Otemon students provide support from smartphone booking to on-the-day attendance

That initiative is the "Senior Expo" planned and implemented by students of Otemon Gakuin University (Otemon).

This is a project where students provide comprehensive support so that local senior generations can enjoy the Osaka-Kansai Expo with peace of mind.

The main details are as follows.

Main points of the 'Senior Expo'

• The trigger was the voices from the 'Senior Smartphone Class': Students who regularly run smartphone classes for the elderly planned this after receiving comments from seniors such as, 'I want to go to the Expo, but I don't know how to book online' and 'The system is complicated and I'm worried.'

• Support at advance booking sessions: On the university campus, students assist seniors in completing the necessary smartphone preparations for their Expo visit, such as creating an Expo ID, linking admission tickets, and discussing preferred pavilions.

• On-site attendance: From travel by large bus to support for moving around and viewing exhibits within the venue, students stay close to the seniors, enabling them to experience the Expo through intergenerational interaction.

This activity also serves as a practical learning opportunity for students to cultivate communication and problem-solving skills through interaction with local seniors.