The two journals which I have looked at contribute, and support each other as they are looking at the general idea that there is a divide between the younger generations and the elderly generations in terms of use and understanding of new technology. The first journal looks at the elderly using technology in public libraries and in particular using the online catalogues. The second journal looks at the elderly using technology in terms of online social networking site and online communities. Both look at studies to support this ideas and look at possible reasons for this, such as physical constraints and understanding how to use the technology. At the same time as showing that the elderly have difficulties and are unsure when using new technology, the studies from both resources showed that this age group were positive about using technology and were wanting to learn and embrace how to use the technology. This then relates to my product idea and helped me to research for my product design as it enables me to see that with my product it could enable the elderly to embrace a new form of technology in the E-Catalogue, that is easy to use and understand.
Both journal A, the first resource, and journal B, the second resource, mention that when researching they have notice that an important factor for elderly people using technology is that it needs to be easy to use. This is in terms of easy to physically use, such as large, easily recognisable icons and possibly a simple to use touch screen. This idea would also need to include simple and easy to follow instructions.
As this age group is one of the target consumers for my product I feel then this is one of the main issues regarding my product, and how one of the main functions of my product is to be easy to use and not require the use of a computer. From the research I have noticed that a possible addition to my product design might be to include the idea of social interaction and to create a kind of community that the elderly could join and create.
I would take my design further by possible going on to look more at the technical side of my product. This is to enable my product to have all the functions and capabilities it would require after having looked into the researched of the requirements of one of the target consumers of my product. In terms of design I would want to make it easy to hold by being lightweight , and easy to store. Also possibly interview a range of the products consumers to find out any other requirements and functions they would like or require the product to do.
Bibliography
- Karahasanovic, A et al (2009) Co-creation and user-generated content-elderly people’s user requirements, Science Direct
-Kelley, C and N. Charness, (1995), Issues in training older adults to use computers, Behaviour and Information Technology 14(2): 107-120
- Lieffers, L (2000) The older adult and public library computer technology: A pilot study on a Canadian setting, K. G. Saur Verlag
-Low, G (1990), Computer Literary, Canadian Social Trends 19:13-15
I have added in to the last assignment 3 Bibliography
Thursday 3 December 2009
Read and Review Journal 1 and Journal 2
For asssignment 4 were asked select two journals or books to read and take notes on. Then write a 500 word outline analysing and writing about each source.
The first source which I have chosen to look at is an article entitled ‘The Older Adult and Public Library Computer Technology: A Pilot Study in a Canadian setting’ written by Patricia A. Larkin-Lieffers, which appears in the Journal ‘Libri 2000’. This article looks at and researches the idea that many people aged 65 and over have difficulties or concerns with using and understanding new technology. I feel this source is relevant and valuable to my design as although it is primarily looking at computer technology in terms of public libraries, it does investigate the main issues that many elderly people have trouble and difficulties when using new technology. Therefore I want to investigate what the difficulties are for elderly people when using technology in order to create a much more user friendly product for this age group, for my design.
The main purpose of this article is to look at the question: “What are older adult users attitudes, experiences and issues concerning public library computer technology?”(Larkin-Lieffers, 2000,p226)
In the article the author looked a number of factors that would effect the way in which the older age groups might have concerns regarding new technology, these included that with an increase in age comes a decrease in the number and amount of computer experience. More interesting regarding my product is that recent statistics in Canada (1997) shows that computer ownership also decreases with the older you get, as it showed that only 12.9% of the population aged 65 and over owned a computer compared with 35.8% of the population aged 35 years or younger. A secondary source used in the article is a study carried out by Kelley and Charness 1995 which found research that other difficulties for elderly people could be more physical problems such as changes in their ability to see the icons and recognise what they are. Also being able to move and use the mouse and using the key board could also be difficult for some elderly people.
One of the concerns for my product is that there already exists a number of online catalogues however another secondary within this article it looks at the secondary source of two studies carried out by C. Borgman 1986 and 1996, and Sit (1998) which looks at the difficulties of using online catalogues, and online library catalogues (OPACs) for elderly people, this be due to lack of computer experience, lack of knowledge and anxiety for using computers and also due to lack of accessibility to computers.
Within this source the author has carried out primary research of a study where six public library users aged 65 years and over were interviewed concerning their attitudes and experiences to computer technology. The findings of this study was that in terms of using online library technology in general they didn’t feel confident using and felt easy to follow instructions and possible peer support would be useful. However in terms of learning to use computers and technology in general they were very positive, and felt they had felt “left behind”( Larkin-Lieffers,2000,p232). Therefore I feel this is beneficial to my product research as it shows that older people are wanting to embrace new technologies and need an easy to follow and use product to help to introduce them to technology.
The second source is entitled ‘Co-creation and user-generated content-elderly people’s user requirements’ by Amela Karahasanovic and appears in the journal Science Direct. The main purpose of this article is to look at and investigate how society can integrate elderly people in the use and taking part in new technology to try and get rid of the “digital generational divide”(Karahasanovic, 2009, p656). This article is particularly interested in the use and creation of social networking sites and community websites. The article also aims to look at the needs of the elderly to enable them to use these technologies.
The author Karahasanovic and the other researches carried out three studies, these would be classed as secondary sources. The first study was carried out in Norway by “SINTEF”, which looked at people’s use of the internet as a whole, and the ways in which they use it. The second study was carried in Belgium by “IBBT/SMIT” at the “Vrije Universiteit Brussels”, this study looked at the interaction and the social interaction within groups between elderly people within communities. The third one was carried out in Belgium, by “the Centre for Usability Research of the Catholic University of Leuven.”(Karahasanovic, 2009, p656)This study looked in detail at the individual needs and requirements of the elderly for them being able to use and create User generated content(UGC). Therefore within this research they looked at the different requirements, affecting the elderly peoples ability to use and connect with the internet and new technologies. These requirements were the contextual requirements and the surrounding environmental issues, also the social requirements and the communities in which they live and lastly the user requirements. The interesting idea that the researchers noticed was that not only are a large number of elderly people interested in using technology and computers for functional reasons they are also very positive about embracing an even newer form of internet technology in social networking sites. As they recognise the social, and creative benefits they offer.
From the studies conducted within the article and mentioned above, the main conclusions the researchers found is that the more elderly people that join and adopt these online communities the more the numbers would increase and this would therefore offer more benefits and possibilities in terms of social interaction. Study 2 was conducted in more of a group form and confirmed that elderly people were positive and enthusiastic about using online social interaction and also that they showed an interest in using even more technology and “digitalising”(Karahasanovic, 2009,p668) more functions that were previous carried out without the use of technology. Study 3 showed that an important factor for using technology for this age group was ease of use, and although they are wanting to embrace technology they are not confident when using the it and require easy to follow instructions and possible peer help and shown what to do. This research also shows with creating the right help, learning methods and environment the speed in which this age group embrace the use of technology and online communities could be increased. Therefore this enables to help to decrease the “digital generational divide.”(Karahasanovic, 2009, p656).
The first source which I have chosen to look at is an article entitled ‘The Older Adult and Public Library Computer Technology: A Pilot Study in a Canadian setting’ written by Patricia A. Larkin-Lieffers, which appears in the Journal ‘Libri 2000’. This article looks at and researches the idea that many people aged 65 and over have difficulties or concerns with using and understanding new technology. I feel this source is relevant and valuable to my design as although it is primarily looking at computer technology in terms of public libraries, it does investigate the main issues that many elderly people have trouble and difficulties when using new technology. Therefore I want to investigate what the difficulties are for elderly people when using technology in order to create a much more user friendly product for this age group, for my design.
The main purpose of this article is to look at the question: “What are older adult users attitudes, experiences and issues concerning public library computer technology?”(Larkin-Lieffers, 2000,p226)
In the article the author looked a number of factors that would effect the way in which the older age groups might have concerns regarding new technology, these included that with an increase in age comes a decrease in the number and amount of computer experience. More interesting regarding my product is that recent statistics in Canada (1997) shows that computer ownership also decreases with the older you get, as it showed that only 12.9% of the population aged 65 and over owned a computer compared with 35.8% of the population aged 35 years or younger. A secondary source used in the article is a study carried out by Kelley and Charness 1995 which found research that other difficulties for elderly people could be more physical problems such as changes in their ability to see the icons and recognise what they are. Also being able to move and use the mouse and using the key board could also be difficult for some elderly people.
One of the concerns for my product is that there already exists a number of online catalogues however another secondary within this article it looks at the secondary source of two studies carried out by C. Borgman 1986 and 1996, and Sit (1998) which looks at the difficulties of using online catalogues, and online library catalogues (OPACs) for elderly people, this be due to lack of computer experience, lack of knowledge and anxiety for using computers and also due to lack of accessibility to computers.
Within this source the author has carried out primary research of a study where six public library users aged 65 years and over were interviewed concerning their attitudes and experiences to computer technology. The findings of this study was that in terms of using online library technology in general they didn’t feel confident using and felt easy to follow instructions and possible peer support would be useful. However in terms of learning to use computers and technology in general they were very positive, and felt they had felt “left behind”( Larkin-Lieffers,2000,p232). Therefore I feel this is beneficial to my product research as it shows that older people are wanting to embrace new technologies and need an easy to follow and use product to help to introduce them to technology.
The second source is entitled ‘Co-creation and user-generated content-elderly people’s user requirements’ by Amela Karahasanovic and appears in the journal Science Direct. The main purpose of this article is to look at and investigate how society can integrate elderly people in the use and taking part in new technology to try and get rid of the “digital generational divide”(Karahasanovic, 2009, p656). This article is particularly interested in the use and creation of social networking sites and community websites. The article also aims to look at the needs of the elderly to enable them to use these technologies.
The author Karahasanovic and the other researches carried out three studies, these would be classed as secondary sources. The first study was carried out in Norway by “SINTEF”, which looked at people’s use of the internet as a whole, and the ways in which they use it. The second study was carried in Belgium by “IBBT/SMIT” at the “Vrije Universiteit Brussels”, this study looked at the interaction and the social interaction within groups between elderly people within communities. The third one was carried out in Belgium, by “the Centre for Usability Research of the Catholic University of Leuven.”(Karahasanovic, 2009, p656)This study looked in detail at the individual needs and requirements of the elderly for them being able to use and create User generated content(UGC). Therefore within this research they looked at the different requirements, affecting the elderly peoples ability to use and connect with the internet and new technologies. These requirements were the contextual requirements and the surrounding environmental issues, also the social requirements and the communities in which they live and lastly the user requirements. The interesting idea that the researchers noticed was that not only are a large number of elderly people interested in using technology and computers for functional reasons they are also very positive about embracing an even newer form of internet technology in social networking sites. As they recognise the social, and creative benefits they offer.
From the studies conducted within the article and mentioned above, the main conclusions the researchers found is that the more elderly people that join and adopt these online communities the more the numbers would increase and this would therefore offer more benefits and possibilities in terms of social interaction. Study 2 was conducted in more of a group form and confirmed that elderly people were positive and enthusiastic about using online social interaction and also that they showed an interest in using even more technology and “digitalising”(Karahasanovic, 2009,p668) more functions that were previous carried out without the use of technology. Study 3 showed that an important factor for using technology for this age group was ease of use, and although they are wanting to embrace technology they are not confident when using the it and require easy to follow instructions and possible peer help and shown what to do. This research also shows with creating the right help, learning methods and environment the speed in which this age group embrace the use of technology and online communities could be increased. Therefore this enables to help to decrease the “digital generational divide.”(Karahasanovic, 2009, p656).
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