Ronald Baecker’s research while affiliated with University of Toronto and other places

We compared three common usability testing methods—Concurrent Think-Aloud, Retrospective Think-Aloud and Co-discovery—with frail older adults. We found that Co-discovery is the most effective method for this group. Additionally, we interviewed Human-Computer Interaction experts who work with older adults. These experts discussed, for instance, the importance of leveraging usability tests to enhance participant motivation to engage with technology. We consolidated our findings from the usability studies with older adults and from interviews with experts to create a set of recommendations for performing usability tests with frail older adults. One of the core recommendations is to enhance participants’ sense of autonomy and self-confidence during usability tests.

Objectives: InTouch is an electronic communication platform designed to be accessible by computer-naive seniors. The present study explored the process of adoption and use of the application by seniors with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Method: We studied adoption and use of InTouch for social communication over a 12-week period in a 475-bed Veteran's care facility at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada. Eleven older adult veterans participated, six of whom had MCI, as indicated by their Montreal Cognitive Assessment score. Veterans were partnered with volunteers, each was provided with an iPad with the InTouch application. Qualitative data were collected through interviews, field notes, and direct observation. Quantitative data were collected from data logging of the software and medical charts. Data types and sources were triangulated and examined through the lens of SCT. Results: A total of 2361 messages (102 videos, 359 audios, 417 photos, 1438 texts) were sent by 10 of the 11 veterans over the 12-week study period. There was no apparent difference in extent of adoption or use, between participants with and without MCI. Participants used various resources and techniques to learn, provided that they felt motivated to connect with others using the app. Conclusion: This pilot illustrates both the accessibility of InTouch and the promise of using extrinsic motivators such as social bonding to promote learning in institutionalized older adults with and without cognitive impairment, whose intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy may well be suffering.

Communication technologies have the potential to increase older adults’ self-efficacy and their social contact with friends and family. In this study, ten older adult participants were matched with a support volunteer in an attempt to use a digital communication tool called InTouch. Three interviews were conducted over the course of 3 months. The study examined patterns of use, relationships between participant profiles and their adoption of the tool, and the effect InTouch might have on their socioemotional well-being. The results showed that audio messages were the most popular, while pre-set text messages were the least popular. At study completion, four of the ten participants successfully adopted the tool. Internal motivation was a key factor for those who were able to adopt InTouch, while existing social difficulties, diverse health experiences, and lack of volunteer support created barriers. Positive communication changes were reported by six participants and positive relationship changes were reported by three participants. Overall, participants conveyed mixed feelings while using InTouch. Those who successfully adopted the tool reported more positive feelings than those who did not adopt it. The results are discussed with considerations for technology acceptance and the benefits that successful adoption can bring to older adults.

Learning to meditate as an older adult can be difficult given the decreased ability to inhibit distractions in the elderly, and the important role of dealing with distractions in several types of meditation practice. Designing technologically assisted meditation practices in general is an area that is only beginning to be explored, and this is especially true for these kinds of technologies for older adults. In order to better design support for meditation practices for such a population we performed a qualitative study of 9 meditators aged 55+ in order to understand their specific needs, followed by a pilot study of a device which we designed in order to address these needs. Our analysis of these interviews yielded three themes. First was that there was an initial difficulty and discouraging experience when performing focused attention exercises which comprise a significant part of a beginner’s meditation practice. Second was a difficulty understanding when you are “doing it right” and how to make sense of teachings. Third was an openness to making use of new technologies and ways of supporting their meditation practice as long as the new support does not interfere with what they considered the core parts of meditation to be. We then use these results to outline design considerations for a neurofeedback application to address these needs.

Recent advances in mobile technology offer new directions for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC); however, it remains unclear whether they meet the needs of individuals with aphasia. This paper reports on research seeking to understand this changing landscape. A Web-based survey of aphasia-oriented clinicians helped illuminate device adoption trends. Observations of group therapy sessions featuring high-tech AAC use and focus groups with the clinicians from those sessions provided further nuance and insight into usage and adoption. It was shown that “smart” mobile devices are garnering acceptance as a promising platform for high-tech AAC; however, contrary to the authors’ expectations, these devices are not being paired with mobile versions of traditional picture dictionaries. Rather, clinicians reported appropriating generic applications to complement other (non-high-tech) communication strategies, suggesting new opportunities for design.

The global population is becoming older, and the trend for this shift is only accelerating. At the same time, older adults are using the Internet and mobile technologies in increasingly large numbers. As evidenced by the proceedings of many conferences such as the ACM MobileHCI or the ACM CHI, the usability of interactive technologies designed for older adults is of significant concern. Yet, the methodologies we employ for designing and evaluating such interfaces are largely the same as those used for any other user group. In this position paper, we argue that one methodological size does not fit all especially when it comes to usability evaluations with older adults. We do so by reflecting on our own experiences with designing and evaluating interactive technologies for older adults (particularly for those over 80 years -- the "oldest old"). We then propose for discussion senior-centred approaches and adaptations of established usability evaluation methodologies.

Large numbers of individuals, many of them senior citizens, live in social isolation. This typically leads to loneliness, depression, and vulnerability, and subsequently to other negative health consequences. We report on research focused on understanding the communication needs of people in environments associated with social isolation and loneliness, and how technology facilitates social connection. Our work consists of successive iterations of field studies and technology prototype design, deployment, and analysis. Particular attention is paid to seniors in retirement communities and in long-term care settings (nursing homes). We present design implications for technology to enable seniors' social connections, the "InTouch" prototype that satisfies most of the implications, and a report on one older adult's experience of InTouch.

Reading from devices such as Kindles, Nooks, and tablets (“e-readers”) is an increasingly common practice. A primary reason users purchase e-readers is to read for pleasure, as opposed to reading for work or school purposes. With paper, people sometimes read together from a single book (e.g., reading a bedtime story with a child) – a practice we call partnered reading. This practice, and the goals of e-reading for pleasure more generally, remain underexplored in the HCI literature. This paper contributes findings from a deployment study wherein participants used an e-reader application to read with a partner. These findings (a) provide descriptive accounts of how people use e-readers to read together, and (b) identify opportunities to improve the design of e-readers to support partnered e-reading for pleasure.

Reading is an activity that is not only informative or pleasurable, but can have significant social benefits. Especially in a family setting, it is part of the interaction between children and their parents, it helps create a bond between children and their grandparents, and even bring adults and their older parents closer. However, with families increasingly living or spending time in different locations or managing busy schedules that afford very little time together, the social opportunities enabled by reading are often lost. Furthermore, reading can be a challenge for older adults or for those with impaired eyesight. To address these problems, we are proposing ALLT -- an Accessible, Large-Print, Listening and Talking e-book. ALLT is a tablet-based e-reading application that enhances the capabilities of e-book readers through customizable and intelligent accessibility features. It provides support for asynchronous "reading together" by synchronizing the audio recording of one user with the text that is later read by another user. This addresses the needs of a variety of users, from visually impaired adults reading together with a loved one, to children being able to replay an interactive story previously read together with their grandparents. In this demo paper we present ALLT's features and detail how they support asynchronously reading together.