Seniors in Cyberspace

Florida Library Association

2006 Conference
Carol Bean, Ginny Howerton, Kate Todd
Who are you? Raise your hand if:

You work in a public library

“I was scared to death

of the computer when I
first started…”
Who are you? Raise your hand if:

You work in an urban library

“It’s a wonderful
sense of
accomplishment
to learn
something new…”
 Who are you? Raise your hand if:

You work in a rural library

“I was afraid that if I

did anything wrong
the computer would
blow up…”
 Who are you? Raise your hand if:

You work in a community college

“I think if older
people were given
some challenges
they would be so
much better off…”
Who are you? Raise your hand if:

You have offered classes for seniors

“It’s important for older

people to find something
to look forward to each
day, something to get
excited about…”
What are you? Raise your hand if:

You are over 50?

You are considered a senior by AARP

“Don’t let yourself Hell o

be intimated by
new things…”
What are you? Raise your hand if:

You are 64 ?

You are considered a senior by the

Beatles (“When I’m 64”)

“…just do it!”
Arline Faas, 87
Source: David Demko, AgeVenture News Servce,
www.demko.com, Boca Raton, Florida
How Much Do You Know About
Seniors?
Where are they?

States with the highest number of seniors:

1. California

2. Florida

3. New York

Also: PA, TX, OH, IL, MI, NJ

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
How Much Do You Know About
Seniors?
Where are they?

States with the highest proportion of seniors:

1. Florida

2. Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division

How Much Do You Know About
Seniors?
Where are they?

Where is the highest percentage of seniors?

Urban? 14% of the population

Suburban? 16% of the population
Rural? 22% of the population
How Much Do You Know About
Seniors?
Percentage of Seniors who have a computer

35%

Percentage of Seniors who have Internet access

29%

Percentage of Seniors with cell phones:

46%
How Much Do You Know About
Seniors?
What are they doing on the computer?

Email

Word Processing

Play games

Manage household finances

Internet
How Much Do You Know About
Seniors?
What are they doing on the computer?

78%
83% Internet
Email

47%
78% Word
EmailProcessing

53% Play games

27%
47% Manage
Word household finances
Processing

83%
27% Manage household finances
Internet
How Much Do You Know About
Seniors?
Percentage of Seniors who use computers
somewhere other than home (2003):

10%
 What Do Seniors Want?

Introduction to mouse and computers

Web basics

Sending and receiving email

Online shopping

Digital photography

Understanding Medicare Part D Drug Plans

The same class over and over and over again

 Know Thy Seniors
Seniors learn differently.
Their learning is influenced by:

1. Motivation

2. Aging (physical factors)

3. Psychological factors
 Know Thy Seniors
1. Motivation
“Rather do things in
person”
“I have the TV and the
newspaper”
“Can communicate better
by phone”
“I’m 85 and it’s a little too
old.”
“Can you show me how
to get on eBay?”
“This is all free?”
“I want to be able to e-
mail my grandkids”
“This is the future, and I
want to be part of it.”
Know Thy Seniors

2. Aging (physical factors)

Vision:

Where is the monitor?

Glare
Contrast
Cataracts
Color perception
Know Thy Seniors

2. Aging (physical factors)

Hearing:
Pitch
Neural Noise
Competing Noise
Know Thy Seniors

2. Aging (physical factors)

Motor Skills:
Arthritis
Tremors
Neural Noise
 Know Thy Seniors

Neural Noise:
random fluctuations in the electrical
signals that flow through biological
nervous systems, hindering the
transmission of sensory information
Know Thy Seniors

2. Aging (physical factors)

Focused Attention:
Selective attention
Internal distractions
External distractions
Know Thy Seniors

olleH
Hel lo
Know Thy Seniors

2. Aging (physical factors)

Cognitive slowing:
Working memory
Spatial visualization
Processing speed
Know Thy Seniors

2. Aging (physical factors)

Semantic memory
Language
Automatic processes
Conceptual knowledge
Know Thy Seniors

2. Aging (physical factors)

World knowledge

Long term memory

Know Thy Seniors

2. Aging (physical factors)

Health

Activity level
 Know Thy Seniors

3. Psychological factors

“Kids can do this, why can’t I?”

Attitude “I feel so dumb!”

“I don’t want to look stupid.”

Training Seniors: Logistics
What color bookmark do you have?

Orange Green Pink

 Training Seniors
Adaptive training techniques:

1. Make classes and content relevant to them

2. Consider using adaptive technology

 Training Seniors

3. Provide printed material:

• easy to read font
• graphics
• discrete, explicit steps
 Training Seniors:

4. Partner learners with similar abilities

(minimize skill diversity in the class)

5. Morning classes

6. One hour class length

 Training Seniors

7. Allow extra time to learn and practice new skills

8. Use precise, unambiguous terms. No Jargon!

9. Use analogies they can relate to

 Training Seniors

10. Speak clearly and slowly

11. Pause frequently

12. Minimize distractions:

• Noise
• Room temperature
• Monitor distance / glare
Sample Program for Seniors

“Plan Travel with Elderhostel”

www.elderhostel.
org
Grand Canyon
Training Seniors: Resources
http://www.pbclibrary.org/mousing/
Training Seniors: Resources
www.cityofseattle.net/tech/seniors/training/
Training Seniors: Resources
www.seniorsconnect.org/
 Training Seniors: Resources
http://www.hibbing.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={6184
9E76-E592-4734-900E-B7AE1C453B89}
 Training Seniors: Resources
http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=12676
Training Seniors: Resources
www.aarp.org/learntech/computers/
Training Seniors: Resources
http://www.esnips.com/web/GettingStarted
 Training Seniors: Resources

Bean, Carol. “Techniques for Enabling the Older Population

in Technology,” Journal of eLiteracy, V.1:
http://www.jelit.org/40/01/JeLit_17.pdf

Davis, Francie, and Holliday, Diane. On the Road with

Senior Internet Training:
http://www.dowling.edu/library/papers/ALA/list.HTM

Williams, Mike and Elaine. Teaching ICT Skills to Third

Agers: http://www.uni-
ulm.de/LiLL/5.0/E/teaching/teachingframes.html
 Training Seniors: Resources

Burdick, David C., and Sunkyo Kwon. Gerotechnology:

Research and Practice in Technology and Aging. New York:
Springer Publishing Company, 2004.

Jones, Brett D., and Ute J. Bayen. “Teaching Older Adults to

use Computers: Recommendations Based on Cognitive
Aging Research.” Educational Gerontology 24, No. 7 (1998):
675-689.
 Training Seniors: Resources

Craik, Fergus I.M., and Timothy A. Salthouse, eds. The

Handbook of Aging and Cognition. 2d ed. New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000.

Fisk, Arthur D., and Wendy A. Rogers, eds. Handbook of

Human Factors and the Older Adult. New York: Academic
Press, 1997.
 Seniors in Cyberspace
Carol Bean
Palm Beach County Library System
561-626-6133
beanc@pbclibrary.org

Ginny Howerton
Seminole County Public Library System
407-665-1503
vhowerton@seminolecountyfl.gov

Kate Todd
Library Consultant
813-975-9315
katetodd@juno.com
 Seniors in Cyberspace

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