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The barriers that older novices encounter to computer use

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Abstract

A course on computers was run for computer beginners aged over 55. An iterative and flexible approach aimed to ensure that students’ anxieties and difficulties were addressed as the course proceeded. Several layers of difficulty were encountered, ranging from initial difficulties understanding Windows systems and the working of the mouse to more fundamental and long-term problems such as repeatedly forgetting to move the focus before typing or failing to recognize onscreen objects and understand their behaviours. Inclusive design approaches should benefit from detailed recording of barriers to use, but the diversity of the user population will also necessitate flexibility to ensure inclusivity.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the central contributions made by Scott Milne and Audrey Syme to the Discovery class. Funding was provided by SHEFC, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, Scotland, UK

    Anna Dickinson, Roos Eisma & Peter Gregor

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  1. Anna Dickinson
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  2. Roos Eisma
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  3. Peter Gregor
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Correspondence to Anna Dickinson.

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Dickinson, A., Eisma, R. & Gregor, P. The barriers that older novices encounter to computer use. Univ Access Inf Soc 10, 261–266 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-010-0208-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-010-0208-6

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