Posted on 03/17/2007 4:11:09 PM PDT by blam
Source: University of Alberta
Date: March 17, 2007
Why Computers Frustrate Older Adults
Science Daily — A number of evolving social changes highlight the importance of making computer technology accessible and usable for older adults. For instance, older adults are using email increasingly to keep up their social contact with others and are using the Internet to look up health information.
An innovative research study was conducted at the University of Alberta which analyzed the performance outcomes of older adults when being tested on the computer and Internet.
What researchers found can be applied as a 'best practice' when teaching older adults how to use computer technology. Research found that older adults feel less confident about their computer knowledge than younger adults. Older adults are also concerned about how memory issues may impact their performance.
"This lack of confidence is a major factor in older adults' ability to become proficient with computer technology, which unfortunately results in less computer use," said Dr. Patricia Boechler from the University of Alberta.
The study also highlights the obstacles older adults experience such as a significant decrease in sensory keenness, particularly with vision and hearing, as well as a decrease in motor skills due to health problems, such as arthritis and tremors.
Dr. Boechler notes, "Often a large challenge for older adults when using the computer is navigating the mouse and keyboard, which is commonly due to a health problem like arthritis."
Boechler, Foth, and Watchorn studied approximately 40 older adults by having them complete computer exercises and measured their results to undergraduates who previously completed the exercises. The study gives a list of recommendations to help even the playing field for older adults such as increasing font sizes to accommodate vision problems, ensuring that verbal instructions are delivered at an appropriate volume with minimal noise distractions and giving demonstrations of the tasks ahead of time to reduce anxiety.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Alberta.
The solution is rather an easy one.
Most software shares the same few commands that do most of the work. Most everything else is "bells and whistles", unique to that software. Look at Microsoft Word, for example. Most of the time, you just type, then save or print and save, or discard. 90% of the program you almost never use. It is just Notepad with a spell checker.
So when you teach computer to older people, the emphasis should be on teaching the limited important commands that they will use over and over. This gives them a solid foundation on which to build their knowledge.
And yet, when they try to teach MS Word to older people, invariably they want to teach them so many bells and whistles that of course they get flummoxed.
I'm only 80, so I'm one of the young ones.
I've only been messing with computers since 1955, when we had to wire an IBM Card Programmed Computer to do engineering problems. Screens of any size were a long way in the future.
Actually it was an IBM Card Programmed Calculator.
So somebody who never saw a computer until he was 50 isn't as skilled as some 20 yr-old who grew up using a PC? Duh! When I was in college, the only computer took up a whole room, and the people who took computer classes carried around big boxes of punch cards. Now, you can't even enroll unless you own a laptop.
Some great age quotes here: http://www.quotegarden.com/age.html
Right click, Granpaw.
Can you imagine someone paid for something this silly?
I'm growing older but not up. -- Jimmy Buffett
LOL, that'll work.
What you say?
I'm not afraid of computers, but I sure as hell hate those gd Indians.
Many older folks are intimidated because they know absolutely nothing about a computer. I have pointed out that the most able computer guru also knew nothing when he started.
I have encouraged a number of seniors to take the plunge. It is clearly a case of nothing ventured, nothing won. Most love the email.
well... not exactly.
Saving protected sites in Notepad or Worpad is impossible. Word does it with just a little tweaking.
The same holds true of tables on the web.
Not complicated but extremely useful.
Old dog, new tricks. A sweeping generality but largely true based on my observations.
They also increasingly use it to endlessly pass on mindless garbage!
I know several 'older adults' whom I would love to get a message from that DOES NOT start with:
Fwd:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:Fw:
Usually followed by JOKE, LOL, or PASS THIS ON!
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