Web Applications With Elderly Users example essay topic

Abstract: The role of the elderly on the Internet is growing in importance, web designers need to take into account that elderly users are subject to different usability problems than other users. This study intends to discover what problems are experienced by elderly people using the Internet and develop ideas of how to design web applications, which the elderly find both useful and easy to use. This will be achieved with questionnaires, discussions and usability tests involving elderly participants. The end result of this study should prove a useful resource for anyone designing web applications with elderly users.

7. Introduction: The elderly (those over the age of 65) are the fastest growing demographic online. According to Age Concern the number of elderly going online in the UK has increased by nearly 90 percent since 2001, elderly people account for 13 percent of the total home online population in the UK, that,'s over 2 million people. Many web sites can be much harder for the elderly to use than non-elderly.

This is mainly due to the fact that most web sites are designed by younger people for younger people. The elderly have very large spending power, often with large disposable incomes, therefore web site usability problems encountered by the elderly should be of great interest to any e-commerce operation. Also the internet can provide a vital service to the elderly, especially in rural areas as it is an in expensive way to communicate with others, and can provide information, entertainment and shopping possibilities to the less mobile. This means that the usability of the web services used by elderly internet users is also of interest to organisations that are concerned with the welfare of the elderly, i.e. - Age Concern and Rumba, or any web-based organisation that has elderly people form a large part of their target audience. Elderly people have varied interests on the Internet, they also do not all share the same usability problems, it would also be of interest to web designers to differentiate between demographics within the elderly demographic.

There have been several previous studies into the elderly,'s use and usability issues on the Internet. The Nielsen Norman Group,'s report on Web Usability for Senior Citizens analyses usability tests conducted on various web sites. Other similar studies include the SeniorNett Project and the Gerontological Society of America,'s study ^aEURoeTechnology and Aging: Designing for and with the Elderly^a EUR. These studies came up with some useful guidelines on the usability problems encountered by the elderly, however, they did not make the distinction between interest groups and their usability problems. Age Concern conducted a study, which discovered differences between the net activities of the sexes, but what are the reasons behind the differences? It also discovered that of those elderly who have gone online, two-thirds believe that the Internet has had a positive impact on their lives, but the majority of UK elderly have never used the internet and have no intention of doing so.

Why is this? What are the reasons behind both the positive impact the net has had on elderly users lives and the fact that so many elderly people shun the Internet and what it has to offer? The main constraint of this study would be access to willing participants, gaining the trust and co-operation of a number of elderly people. References Nielsen Norman Group. Web Usability for Senior Citizens [online].

Retrieved 13th December, 2002 from web Gerontological Society of America. Technology and Aging: Designing for and with the Elderly [online]. Retrieved 20th December, 2002 from web Sids el Bj~A, rn eby. The SeniorNett Project [online]. Retrieved 13th December, 2002 from web Age Concern. 8.

Nature of the proposed study: The aims of this exploratory study are; -To discover what problems are experienced by elderly people using the Internet -To develop ideas of how to design web applications which the elderly find both useful and easy to use Personal aims include; -Develop skills in conducting research -Develop personal knowledge of how to design web applications that suit the elderly's requirements The objectives of this study are to discover; -What Internet services the elderly utilise -Usability issues encountered by the elderly associated with; Font size White space, colour / pattern of the background Rollover / animated buttons and text hyperlinks 9. Research method and design or critical approach: The methods used in this study will include; -Structured discussions with; 1) elderly who have little or no experience navigating the Internet on the reasons why they do not utilise the Internet 2) elderly who regularly use the Internet about their experiences online, problems encountered, and any suggestions on how to improve the usability of web applications specific to the elderly -Online and paper questionnaire to elderly Internet users on what aspects of Internet navigation they find appealing or frustrating. -These methods should provide information on the different interest groups and associated usability problems -Usability tests of several different web sites, containing a range of different interface layouts. -After completing each task, participants will be asked to give a subjective evaluation of the task difficulty and to rate each site,'s ease of use.

- These methods should highlight usability problems of the user interface of a range of web sites Possible extraneous variables will be the climate in the labs, i. e., distractions, and dishonesty in the discussions and questionnaires. The sample for study will be a mix of gender and ages between 65 and 80 and from different interest groups 10. Results and Data Analysis: The qualitative data from the structured discussions and the questionnaires will mainly take the form of opinions, attitudes and anecdotal evidence. This will need to be processed with emphasis on the difference of opinions between gender, age, and interest group. The data from the usability tests will be performance data such as time-on-task, total number of pages visited, number of different pages visited, number of screen clicks, keyboard inputs, as well as information regarding the success of task completion. The data will then processed to 11.

Resources required: The Computer labs at the University of Gloucestershire will be used to hold the observations, using a standard computer terminal to access a range of different web sites that are targeted toward the elderly. A private room and terminal will be required if requested by the participant. No specialist equipment will be required. 12.

Timetable of main stages of the study, and predicted submission date: WEEK ACTIVITY 9 Literature searching, note references & pages 10 Literature searching, note references & pages 11 Literature searching, note references & pages Christmas holiday; write preliminary literature review 12 Submission of preliminary literature review to supervisor 13 Reading on methodology, start un-structured discussions 14 Submission of proposed methodology 15 Revision of literature review and proposed methodology 16 Devise questionnaire and discussion topics and discuss with supervisor 17 Revise questionnaire and discussion topics 18 Start structured discussions, collate discussion data 19 Organise observations, and discuss with supervisor 20 Hold observations, chase questionnaires, collate observations data 21 Analyse data, start writing up results, summarise data 22 Submit draft of literature review, methodology and results for comments 23 Revisions of draft Easter holiday; write up final draft of project 24 Submission of final draft 25 Revisions and submission of dissertation 13. Ethical Issues: The confidentiality of those taking part in the study will be assured by having anonymous questionnaires, and a private observation room if requested. Informed consent will be achieved with a letter sent with the questionnaire and given to the participants of the discussions and usability tests detailing the nature of the study, its purposes and what the data will be used for. This will need to be signed by the participant in order for the information to be used.