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Effects of Age and Training on World Wide Web Navigation
Strategies, Mead, S.E., Spaulding, R.A., Sit, B.M. and Walker,
N., Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 41st Annual
Meeting, 152-156 (1997).
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Do older users have more difficulty using Web sites? Should we design
differently for older users? This study provides some insights.
When searching a database, past research suggests that both younger and
older novice users:
- take more steps per search task (are less efficient),
- are more likely to move up to higher levels in a hierarchy (return
to the top) before starting a new search task, and
- are more likely to get lost because they have more difficulty remembering
recently followed paths.
This study compared the performance of two groups of novice users:
- a younger group with an age range from 19 to 36, and
- an older group with an age range from 64 to 81.
Unfortunately, the participants had somewhat different computer experience.
The younger group used computers about once a week, while the older users
used computers only about once a month.
Each participant was given 9 Web site search tasks to perform. The younger
users completed 99% of the tasks, while the older users completed only
89%.
Older users differed significantly from younger users on the following:
- they searched less efficiently (making 81% more moves),
- they had the most problems with tasks that required 3 or more moves
(clicks), and
- they had more difficulty recalling previous moves and the location
of previously viewed information.
Younger users tended to scan a line at a time, while older users were
more likely to scroll a page at a time, and respond better to "small
screen-fulls," rather than long, continuous pages.
Older users did not return more frequently to the home page to start
new searches. Most of the difficulties encountered by older users appeared
to be memory related, rather than using inefficient navigation strategies.
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Hands-on Practice in Learning to Use Software:
A Comparison of Exercise, Exploration, and Combined Formats, Wiedenbeck,
S. and Zila, P.L., ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 4(2),
169-196 (1997).
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The problem with much of the current research comparing younger and older
users is that the two groups differ significantly in so many different
ways, including their experience with computers. This makes it difficult
to determine whether performance effects are due to aging or to some other
cause.
That said, Mead and Fisk (1997) reported that their group of young adults
(average age of 20, with a range from 18 to 30) differed substantially
from their group of older adults (average age of 70, with a range from
64 to 80).
Young adults reliably:
- used ATMs and computers more often,
- read faster,
- had greater reading comprehension and working memory capacity,
- had faster choice reaction times (there was no difference in simple
reaction time),
- had higher perceptual speed scores,
- were less educated, and
- had lower vocabulary scores.
Two tutorial methods were evaluated:
- Action tutorial – described the correct action to take at each
system state, but not "why" the action was taken. For example,
"Move the pointer over the picture of the ATM card and click the
left mouse button."
- Concept tutorial – presented appropriate conceptual information
at each system state, but not "how to do" a step. For example,
"To begin a transaction, insert your ATM card."
Young and older participants were randomly assigned to learn using one
of the two tutorial methods. All participants completed their tutorials,
and then were tested.
For older adults, action training had the most beneficial effect. Concept
training had a smaller, but reliable advantage on menu navigation tasks.
Matching the tutorial types to specific tasks could allow older users
to perform almost as well as younger users.
Although it is difficult to know exactly why older users are benefiting
from the different tutorial methods, we should definitely allow for this
when designing training programs.
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