How can existing resources empower community learning? Experimental research on pre-media literacy in media education for older adults

Media literacy research increasingly recognizes that effective learning in later life extends beyond technical skill acquisition to encompass social and emotional dimensions of learning. In China, media education for older adults has gradually shifted from formal institutional instruction toward community-based learning contexts, where collaborative learning plays an increasingly important role. This study investigates whether collaborative learning enhances older adults’ media learning outcomes and examines the moderating role of pre-media literacy, conceptualized as reflecting differences in embodied cultural capital. Using an experimental design, 150 older adults were randomly assigned to either a collaborative learning condition or a self-learning condition. Learning outcomes were assessed across three dimensions commonly examined in educational communication research: behavioral efficiency (completion time), cognitive performance (information recall), and affective experience (observed emotional valence). The results indicate that collaborative learning is associated with shorter completion time, better information recall, and more positive emotional responses. Pre-media literacy significantly moderated all three relationships. Specifically, the benefits of collaborative learning were strongest among older adults with low and average levels of pre-media literacy, but became non-significant at high levels. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of collaborative learning depends on learners’ existing media-related resources, which shape how individuals engage with and benefit from socially interactive learning environments. This study highlights the importance of considering individual differences in prior resources when designing collaborative learning interventions in community-based media education for older adults.