The dramatic eruption of information and communication technology has had a remarkable effect on modern life, including the capacity to help older adults improve their quality of life and remain independent longer. However, while technology use is generally widespread, there is an observable underutilization by older people. There is sound…

This study examined the use that older, regular users of computers make of information and computer technology in their daily lives. Opinions from such users were obtained regarding what they want these technologies to offer them in the future. By means of a discussion group and an online questionnaire, our critical case examined a group of mature…

Sixty-four seniors were introduced to computers through a series of five weekly workshops. Participants were given instruction followed by hands-on experience for topics related to social communication, information seeking, games, and word processing and were observed to determine their preferences for instructional support. Observations of…

According to the skill transfer concept, people may use general technological skills to solve new problems. To test this concept, a technological transfer test was included in a randomized controlled-intervention study aimed at the causal relationship between computer use and autonomy of older adults. Older adults with and without exposure to…

The Seniors Computer Information Program website (www.seniorscan.ca) offers information and communication options for older adults. It was developed and tested in centers providing computer training to seniors. New projects include online training and a consortium of educational programs for older adults. (SK)

This study investigated the effects of interaction devices on the Internet performance of novice older users, and ways to provide appropriate voice assistance to enhance browsing and searching performance of such users. Three experiments were designed and conducted to test three hypotheses. The results indicated that touch screen and handwriting…