1 / 30

Library Instruction for Older Adults

Library Instruction for Older Adults. Kristen Becker & Jason Coleman TRICON 2005 March 31 st , 2005. Photo by Dennis Mojado http://photography.mojado.com/archives/2004/07/06/backyard_dandelion.php. Photo from: Microsoft Office Clipart and Media:

joelle-gomez
Download Presentation

Library Instruction for Older Adults

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Library Instruction for Older Adults Kristen Becker & Jason Coleman TRICON 2005 March 31st, 2005

  2. Photo by Dennis Mojado http://photography.mojado.com/archives/2004/07/06/backyard_dandelion.php

  3. Photo from: Microsoft Office Clipart and Media: http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us

  4. Photo from: The Big Box of Art by Hemera Technologies

  5. Outline • The Need for Instruction • Demographics • Barriers to Learning • Benefits of Learning • How to Teach Seniors to Use Computers • Lessons from Liberal Memorial Library • Relevant Characteristics of Seniors • Tips forTeaching Seniors • Seniors Frequently Asked Questions

  6. The Need for Instruction • Demographic Statistics • Within 10 years 1/4 of Americans will be over 55 years old.

  7. The Need for Instruction Graphic from: Prisuta, R. (2004). Older adults on-line: Trends and behaviors [PowerPoint Presentation]. Retrieved March 18, 2005, from http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/articles/ research/oww/university/PrisutaPresentation.ppt The AARP anticipates that there will be 106 million Americans over the age of 50.

  8. The Need for Instruction • Demographic Statistics • 13% of Kansans are over 65. • Only 29% of adults over 65 have ever used a computer. • The over 65 age group is the fastest growing segment of computer users.

  9. The Need for Instruction • Barriers to Learning • Concerned they will break computer • No one has taken time to teach them. • They don’t know what computers can do for them. • Negative experiences with other computer classes

  10. The Need for Instruction • Why Teach Seniors to use Computers? • Helps them become life-long learners • Enhances quality of life • Gives them a sense of empowerment • Promotes self-confidence • Increases autonomy • Enhances their ability to learn • Improves their memory retention • Reduces loneliness • Helps combat depression • Improves physical health • Helps them keep alert • Gives them a sense of self-efficacy and control • Negates the negative effects of isolation • They have a great need for information.

  11. The Need for Instruction • Information needs of seniors • Health • Legal information • Crafts • Travel and maps • Products • Weather • News • Sports • Genealogy

  12. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers • Lessons from Liberal Memorial Library

  13. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Lessons Learned

  14. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Lessons Learned • Lessons Learned • Most common comment was “I should have taken the basic class.” • We did not step far enough into their shoes. • Many did not know how to restart the computer. • Most did not know how to change screen resolution. • Repetition aids learning. • Handouts are important.

  15. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Characteristics of Seniors • Characteristics of seniors • Physical and cognitive aging

  16. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Characteristics of Seniors • Reduced function of all senses • Ability to focus on short distances diminishes (Presbyopia). • Loss of contrast sensitivity • Loss of ability to detect fine details • Difficulty discerning colors in the green-blue-violet range • Increased sensitivity to glare due to thickening of the lens • Decreased light sensitivity due to shrinking of the pupil • According to the American Optometric Association, a 60 and 80 year-olds retina only receives 33% and 12% respectively of the light of an average 20 year old. • Decreased ability to hear high frequencies

  17. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Characteristics of Seniors • Reduced motor control • Motor function slows and continuous movements become more difficult while deficits in coordination are observed. • Some seniors have involuntary hand movements. Arthritic fingers have a tendency to ‘right click’ rather than ‘left click.’ • Ability to make small movements declines with age. • Harder to use a mouse. Difficult to point and click, double-click, click and drag

  18. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Characteristics of Seniors • Cognitive differences • Older adults read text more slowly. • Need more time to process new information • Older adults have been found to request up to four times as much help as younger adults during training. • Need more practice time to learn new tasks • Older adults need a period of training twice as long as younger adults. • Greater difficulty drawing implicit inferences • Decreased ability to ignore irrelevant stimuli and thoughts • This contributes to reduced text comprehension. • Reduced spatial memory

  19. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Characteristics of Seniors • The positive side of the story • Age-related changes occur at different rates in different people. • Many abilities do not change. • General world knowledge • Semantic memory • Procedural memory • Seniors have some advantages in learning situations. • More self-aware • More disciplined and determined

  20. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Characteristics of Seniors • Characteristics of seniors • Physical and cognitive aging • They are less familiar with technology • They may be apprehensive. • They may not know basic terminology.

  21. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Characteristics of Seniors How many meanings do these terms have? • Click • Scroll • Back • Link • url • Menu bar • Toolbar • IM • Minimize • Login • Home • Shortcut • Browser • Window • File • Icon

  22. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Characteristics of Seniors • Characteristics of seniors • Physical and cognitive aging • They are less familiar with technology. • They may be apprehensive. • They may not know basic terminology. • They have different learning preferences. • They want practical information. • They want step-by-step details. • They want in-person instruction.

  23. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Teaching Tips • Setting and classes • Limit classes to seniors only. • This will help ease anxiety and create camaraderie. It is also a great idea to pair seniors. • Offer classes as early in the day as possible. • Seniors tend to be most alert at this time. • Use a room that is warm, well-lighted, and removed from distractions. • This will help compensate for seniors reduced ability to inhibit attention.

  24. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Teaching Tips • Teacher behaviors • Speak slowly with frequent pauses. • going too quickly is one of the most common complaints seniors have about computer instruction. • Avoid jargon. • don’t try to dazzle with your knowledge of RAM and ROM and megahertz. • Be positive and patient. Assure them they will succeed. • it is especially important to build confidence early on.

  25. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Teaching Tips • General teaching strategies • Make learning objectives clear and explicit. • Provide explicit step-by-step instructions. • Encourage questions and discussion. • Use analogies to link new concepts to prior knowledge.

  26. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Teaching Tips • Try these analogies: • A password is like a toothbrush: you should change it often and never share it. • Menus in computer programs are like menus in a restaurant. • A toolbar is like a menu in a fast food restaurant. • Computer hardware is like the pieces of a board game that you can see & touch. • Software is like the instructions for the game. The instructions control how the game is played and set the rules.

  27. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Teaching Tips • General teaching strategies • Make learning objectives clear and explicit. • Provide explicit step-by-step instructions. • Encourage questions and discussion. • Use analogies to link new concepts to prior knowledge. • Focus on the content or value of the work, not on the computer application.

  28. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Teaching Tips • Empower seniors to learn • Show seniors how to adjust mouse pointer settings to a slower speed • Show seniors how to adjust mouse double-click speed to a slower setting • Show seniors how to change text size. • Show them how to tilt their monitor and how to adjust brightness and contrast settings. • Encourage them to practice using the mouse. • Show them Microsoft’s step-by-step tutorials for adjusting accessibility options.

  29. How To Teach Seniors to Use Computers: Teaching Tips • Provide handouts and supplementary material • Handouts should include pictures of toolbars and buttons with a short description of their functions • Handouts should provide step-by-step comprehensive instructions • Use clear, concise wording with a serif font such as Times New Roman. • Include plenty of white space and space for notes. • Provide a glossary for looking up terminology • Provide lists of additional resources and tutorials

  30. Seniors Frequently AskedQuestions • Questions seniors frequently ask about computers • How can I send e-mail? • How can I read e-mail from others? • What do I do if my computer seems stuck? • Why won’t this link open when I click on it? • Where can I find reliable health information? • Is it safe to buy things online? • How can I attach something to an e-mail? • Why is my computer so stupid?

More Related