ONLINE MEDIA IN FAVOUR OF THE DIGITAL INCLUSION
A Case Study with Elderly People in Brazil
Antonia Lucinelma Pessoa Albuquerque and Placido Rogério Pinheiro
University of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
Keywords: Learning, Elderly people, Digital inclusion, Online media.
Abstract: The popularization of Internet access in home context has been making elderly people and others with no
computer literacy to become more motivated to learn and to use those services. This paper presents a case
study elaborated to get information on how Brazilian elderly are becoming computer literate, what are their
difficulties and challenges to adapt themselves to the use of popular technologies nowadays. The goals of
this research are to identify educational difficulties still faced by elderly in the learning process of home
computer technologies, as well as to identify which main topics in the technology design are working as
limiting factors for that process. We discuss the results, and describe a futuristic scenario to illustrate new
paradigms of interaction built over the same previous concepts. We believe that keeping elderly motivated
to learn could possibly contribute to increase the digital inclusion.
1 INTRODUCTION
Some researchers are concerned about decreasing
the digital divide, which means, firstly people that
have access to computer technologies and/or are
computer literate and secondly those that have
neither access nor computer literacy. Undoubtedly,
the popular technologies have been playing an
important role on daily people’s life, by adding new
habits and new forms of communication through
Internet. This Internet popularization in family/home
context has been making elderly people to become
more motivated to learn and to use those services.
From this point of view, the focus of the present
research will be on analyzing information on how
Brazilian elderly people are becoming computer
literate, what are their main difficulties and
challenges, and what has been their effort in order to
adapt themselves to those popular technologies.
This approach derives from two points: elderly
people constitutes a group of the digital exclusion;
and second, added to the feeling of becoming
digitally included, they are changing their habits to
become computer literate, in order to communicate
with remote relatives. They are specially becoming
users of Instant Messaging and others online media,
fact that changes the classical user profile of this
technology, broadly considered for youth.
The elderly participants of the present study are
mostly computer novices. They provided
information in one of the two following forms: by
answering a questionnaire, in where they could
report their daily experiences, challenges and
difficulties in learning; or by an interview, when the
personal contact was possible. Some questionnaires
were applied at elderly home, via a younger relative
that had received it by email. This option opened the
possibility to involve in the experiment, people from
different cultural and social backgrounds, located in
different regions of the country.
The goal of this research is to identify
educational difficulties faced by elderly in the
learning process of home computer technologies, as
well as to identify which main topics in the
technology design are still working as limiting
factors for that process, according to the group
declarations.
After discussing the results, we describe a
futuristic scenario that supports new paradigms of
interaction built over the same previous concepts,
aiming to illustrate the importance of those concepts
aggregated to the learning process.
We believe that keeping elderly motivated to
learn could possibly contribute to decrease the
digital divide, and, in addition, to improve their
social well-being.
195
Lucinelma Pessoa Albuquerque A. and Rogério Pinheiro P..
ONLINE MEDIA IN FAVOUR OF THE DIGITAL INCLUSION - A Case Study with Elderly People in Brazil.
DOI: 10.5220/0003348301950203
In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2011), pages 195-203
ISBN: 978-989-8425-50-8
Copyright
c
 2011 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

2 BACKGROUND
Research for elderly has mostly focused on health
care and surveillance (Morandell et Al., 2008;
Gamberini et Al., 2006; Ramos et Al. 2005), what is
quite positive.
The digital divide has been a factor of
discussions, aiming at improving the social inclusion
for elderly and others with no computer literacy
(Millward, 2003; Jackson et Al, 2004; Wynne and
Cooper, 2007).
Other works, more dedicated to computer
developments for elderly and interface issues,
approach aspects such as entertainment, social life
and daily use related to the technology design, as the
ones introduced below.
Van de Watering (2005) argued that some age-
related changes in people are important to consider
when designing technologies for elderly. Those
changes are mainly grouped as sensory and motor
changes, cognitive changes, and social changes.
Vision, hearing and motor changes are the most
dominants ones related to computers use. He states
that the cognitive, physical and sensory aspects have
received most attention in research. However,
computer technology can influence significantly the
social life of the elderly.
“The most significant impact of computer
technology on the social life of elderly people is that
of computer-based communication, the Internet
being the foremost example” (Van de Watering,
2005).
In what concerns to the use of Instant Messaging
(IM) by elderly, Prior and Al. (2008) investigated if
the lack of adoption of IM by elderly people is due
to interface design, and proposed an alternative
interface metaphor. Their experiment analyzed two
different interfaces operating over the same IM
program.
In result, the participants could perform
messaging tasks more successfully and quickly with
the alternative metaphor interface, and presented a
more exploratory behaviour. Discussions with
participants pointed that traditional IM interfaces are
not ideal for the older user in synchronous
communication. The authors suggested that an
alternative metaphor could be valuable when
designing user interfaces for older, less experienced
and unconfident users. Prior and Al. (2008)
concluded that the use of technology specially
designed for older and less experienced people could
help them to improve their abilities in learning
technologies, such as IM, for example.
Some researchers approach the accessibility for
elderly, especially on topics related to the web
accessibility (Hanson, V. L., 2001). Others intend to
improve the interaction and inclusion process under
the topic of inclusive design (Langdon, 2010).
On the Microsoft Accessibility website, there are
guides to make easier and more comfortable the use
of computers by elderly. In addition, they made
available some tutorials and accessibility features to
specific software, as for example, Office 2010,
Internet Explorer 8, and Windows7 (Microsoft,
2010).
Pertinently, works concerned the elderly learning
are to contribute to the improvement of this process
and to help this group to keep interested in this
challenging task (Kantner and Rosenbaum, 2003;
Chi-hung, 2002; Naumanen and Tukiainen, 2007).
The next section will present a case study
approaching Brazilian elderly in the learning process
of home computer technologies, and will highlight
which main topics in the technology design are still
working as limiting factors for that learning process.
Furthermore, this study will emphasize the social
and wellbeing aspects of the elderly life that are
connected to the learning process.
3 CASE STUDY FOR ELDERLY
The present study analyzed a group of Brazilian
elderly computer novices.
3.1 Focus of the Study
This case study has the following goals:
• to get a feedback from the elderly about
their needs and expectations in learning
computers;
• what are their remarks and experiences with
the current teaching;
• to understand the limitations imposed by
the current technology, including computer
hardware;
• to give an overview on how the learning
process and the use of online media can
influence the social aspects of their lives.
3.2 Sample Group Profile
Eighteen users were interviewed, 65% females and
35% males, ages ranging from 60 to 89 years old.
The group age distribution appears in Figure 1. The
majority, 85%, of the interviewed people are
computer novices.
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Ageoftheparticipants
60
61
62
65
70
72
73
78
84
89
0
20
40
60
80
100
32 32212 111
Numberofparticipants
Figure 1: Number of participants versus Age.
3.3 Questionnaire
The questionnaire application proceeded in two
ways: by directly interviewing the participant, when
the personal contact was possible; by applying the
questionnaire at elderly home, via a younger relative
that had received it by email. This option opened the
possibility to involve people from different cultural
and social backgrounds in the experiment.
The questionnaire collected information related to
the following topics:
 users’ experience with computer;
 the goals with computers;
 motivation to learn;
 learning process;
 use of applications and experience with online
media;
 difficulties and challenges;
 what they would like to change.
The following sections present the participants’
report related to the topics listed above.
3.4 Motivation to Learn
100% of the respondents consider that having
computer knowledge is positive. They would like to
overcome the difficulties though.
One important reason the elderly pointed as
motivation to learn computers is that they like to feel
socially included.
“Before getting retired, I started learning
computers because everybody knew it at my work. I
did not like to be the one that did not know it”
(woman, 62yo).
“Computers today are necessary, and I want to
learn it to not feel me apart neither old” (man, 89
yo).
The computer use also appears as a mean for
entertainment when alone, as well as to have contact
with people through internet.
In this group, the more skilled ones told they
enjoy playing games on computers. The novices
expressed they would like to play games as well.
One practical motivation to learn comes from the
necessity to talk to family members that live apart,
especially to sons and daughters. Kantner and
Rosenbaum (2003) had reported this motivation as
the primary reason to learn. Seven years later, our
group confirmed this motivation as the first reason
to become interested in learning computers.
“I like to learn computers to talk to my daughter
and grandson. Also, I would like to have some
leisure and fun to occupy my free time” (woman, 83
yo).
Few participants mentioned they had started
learning because of their work in past, but the
percentage was not significant. Figure 2 represents
the distribution of the main motivations pointed by
our participants.
85%
70%
45%
30%
Motiva tion to le a rn
Talk to remote relatives
To feel socially included
Talk with friends, Use of
Internet
As a mean of
entertainment
Figure 2: Main motivations to Learn.
To the ones that have relatives living away, the
intention of talking with friends, navigating on
Internet and searching for information appeared as
secondary activities.
3.5 The Learning Process
Some participants declared they went for an
informatics course. Normally, they look for courses
that offer classes for elderly.
60% of the respondents had started to attend a
course, and among this group, 75% gave up the
course.
Although the courses were announced as a
course for elderly, the inadequacy of the teaching
method was pointed as the first reason to them to
give up the course. Some reported that teacher keeps
explaining theories, especially about the hardware,
when they want practice and facilities.
The minority, the 25% remaining, that followed
the course told they had attended a course when they
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had a job, and at that time, it was possible to practice
during the work.
The 75% that gave up the course had imagined
that during the classes they could get the knowledge
and practice they needed. Their expectation was that
the course did not require home tasks, since most of
them do not have computer in home.
The home tasks influenced their decision for not
following the course, and it was pointed as the
second reason to give up the course.
One male participant, 89 years old, had already
attended a course for two months without having a
computer in home. He gave up the course because of
the amount of home tasks. He was not able to follow
the classes, having to go to a cyber café so often.
Afterwards, he intends to buy a computer in order to
go back to learn it better.
Another reason against home tasks is that when
they will try to repeat what they suppose to have
learned in class, most of the times they do not
succeed. This brings frustration and the feeling of
inability.
As an alternative way, they learn computers with
family members, like sons/daughters, grandsons, or
with friends. For the ones that do not have computer
in home, they practice when they go to visit the
relatives.
Figure 3 illustrates the main reasons to give up
the course, according to our group reports.
65%
50%
40%
35%
10%
Inadequacy of
teaching
Home tasks No computer in
home
Diff ic ulty in
practicing
alone
Learn w ith
realtives or
friends
Reasons to give up the course
Figure 3: The most frequent reasons to give up a course.
One great positive aspect reported about learning
is that this process influences their social life
positively. By going to a course, they can meet new
people and make friends. They can also talk to other
friends about and through computers. This
knowledge opens the possibility to interact with
remote relatives through computers, which is one
very important motivation to learn. As consequence
of those facts, they feel more active, more self-
confident, and more engaged.
3.5.1 The use of Online Media
This section will approach the main applications
often used, or mentioned as of interest by elderly.
Instant Messaging
According to the respondents’ declarations, the main
motivation to use Instant Messaging comes from the
necessity of talking and feeling close to sons or
daughters that are distant. These reports corroborate
the results obtained by Albuquerque (2008).
Elderly declared to face all difficulties, and take
actions like buying webcams, registering for IM
accounts, ask help to other family members, all in
order to have close contact with their “kids”.
“I talk on MSN to my relatives that live far away,
but my daughter-in-law prepares all to me, I just
type and read. I have no idea on how to access it by
myself” (woman, 70 yo).
Almost 100% of the interviewed people do use
of Instant Messaging guided by a co-located family
member. This causes a feeling of dependence that
they express as not good to them. Sometimes they
would like to have privacy when talking with the
remote relative.
Internet and Search Engines
Elderly are very curious about Internet and show
interest in using it. Most of them do not understand
well how it works, neither of where those
information come from.
Indeed, they sound enthusiastic with the
possibility of having access to all kind of
information they would like to know. For some of
them, it sounds like, by learning this technology,
they can have the opportunity to learn all of what
they would like and was not possible until now in
their lives.
The ones that already have experience with
search engines expressed a certain feeling of
independence in finding what they like. By the other
hand, they miss the necessary knowledge to find
information fast on internet.
“I would like to not spend so much time sit before
the computer. Just to find a recipe on internet it
takes me lots of time” (woman, 60 yo).
Tools like Google map or Earth, for example, is
something they admire but are not able to handle.
Their use of Internet is still very limited.
Others expressed interest in learning how to
make their own website, taking this as a big
challenge.
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None of the participants declared to have
knowledge of the accessibility features already
available for websites.
Text Editor and File Management
The use of text editor is limited to basic features, as
an old type machine. They only know to open a file,
type, and save it, although they expressed difficulties
to save and retrieve the files.
Our respondents declared not have control of the
file manager. They are not able to organize their
files neither choose locations to save them.
Emails
Most elderly do not know how to send email. They
reported it needs a relative to help with opening it
and to reply.
Knowing the existence of virus and spam also
generates insecurity to use the email tool. They feel
vulnerable without the required knowledge to feel
protected.
Photo Sharing
They often associate the use of email with sending
and receiving photos, because it is a frequent action
performed with family contacts.
The concept of saving a file locally or remotely
is not clear to them. Therefore, the actions of
downloading and uploading photos and attachments
sound confusing.
Consequently, the use of specific software for
performing photo-sharing tasks sounds difficult to
understand, especially if it requires downloading the
application browser.
3.6 Challenges and Limitations
From first sight, elderly consider that difficulties
come from the lack of practice, which they believe
they can overcome.
“It could be easier, but I guess it is a matter of
practice” (woman, 73 yo).
40% of the participants do not have computer in
home, what they consider a strong limitation to their
development and learning process.
They like to learn first, and after getting some
knowledge, then to buy a computer. This position
reflects their need of feeling in control of the
technology. They want to be sure that they will be
able to handle the technology. This result is in
accordance with the work of Karahasanovic et Al.
(2008) about the elderly, when the authors stated -
“their need to feel in control of the technology is
linked with the need to feel safe and secure”.
Elderly declared to be afraid of causing damages
to the machine, by doing wrong actions. One
important related factor is that they easily feel guilty
about the error messages. They often interpret those
messages as a warning for having done something
harmful to the computer.
The amount of technical terminology they need
to learn and understand works as a considerable
limiting factor, added to the fact that most words are
in English.
Those main topics are summarized in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Reported limitations in learning.
The following sections describe some difficulties
pointed by the respondents, concerned to the use of
computer hardware and some tools.
3.6.1 Hardware Constraints
Those reports show evidence that some features and
devices are still not adequate to elderly.
Keyboard
Among the participants, those who had previous
experience with the old typing machines during their
working life pointed typing as quite easy and not
really a problem for them.
However, typing appeared as one of the main
difficulties for those who ever had contact with
computers, neither a previous typing training in their
lives. They say that is not easy to find where the
letters are on the keyboard.
The following declaration refers to the special
keys around the letters on keyboard:
“I think there are too many keys on this keyboard
that I don’t think I need that. I have no idea for what
they can be, just would like it was simple” (man,
78yo).
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Most of them spend lots of time to type, and this
make them not feel comfortable with the technology.
The lack of ability to type fast gives to elderly a
negative feeling of limitation, and inhibits them
from using online media like Instant Messaging, for
example. They feel under pressure to reply fast, as
the same time they feel shame of not being able to
do it “in time”. To overcome this situation, those
who have access to microphone and webcam
appreciated well its use in IM communications.
Mouse
80% of the interviewed people mentioned
difficulties with mouse manipulation. Tasks like
pointing, selecting and drag were reported as very
difficult.
It is important to remark that those functions -
“pointing”, “click”, “select” - work attached in the
mouse device. This coupling increases the limitation
for the ones with reduced motor ability or less
experience. After positioning the mouse over the
desired position, the action of clicking with a
tremulous touch just moves the pointer away from
the right position; as consequence, the person does
not perform the expected action. This fact can make
a simple task of opening a link to become a hard task
to be performed by an elderly computer novice.
Because they do not understand the reason for the
unsuccessful task, they attribute the fact to their lack
of ability only.
Users from different ages, ranging from 60 to 83
yo, reported to have difficulties with the mouse
handling.
Screen
Users reported that they have headache after long
time exposure of the eyes to the computer screen.
Having to bring the eyes closer to the screen and the
neck position also appear as factors of discomfort.
Other Devices
Devices like charger (in case of laptops), modem,
cable, memory stick, which are to be connected to
computers, were pointed as difficulties. To
understand its functioning and management, it
requires more knowledge from them.
A woman of 83 yo declared with disappointment
that she had imagined by just opening the laptop she
would be there on internet and connected with
relatives. All those staff makes the use of computers
much more complex to manage, and discourage the
learning process because it seems to have too much
to learn.
They have difficult in understanding the concept
of internet and connection, dissociated from
electricity, especially for the wireless connections.
They often associate the internet access with the
electricity because most of the times, the computer is
connected to the power. When the internet
connection goes down, it is common to hear the
elderly say that it needs to check out the electricity
plug.
3.6.2 Navigation and Information Retrieval
The main difficulties reported in that topic are the
following:
Scrolling on the Web Page
The limitation with the scrolling action has two
aspects, the difficulty with the mouse itself, already
reported above, and the concept that a page can have
more to see than what is appearing on the screen.
Under this point of view, this limitation is
extendable to other applications.
Links
In general, they do not understand the hyperlink
concept, and therefore, have difficulty in returning to
the previous point, after navigating through a link.
Much Information on the Website
Normally, they do not perceive all information
presented on the website, especially the ones with a
considerable amount of links, pictures and texts.
Their visual focus keeps more at the central area
of the page. Could this behaviour been related to the
reduction of peripheral vision in elderly?
4 DISCUSSION
The concepts of Internet and related technologies did
not exist during the active learning/working period
of life to the majority of elderly. Those concepts are
quite new, and its expansion is very dynamic.
According to the present study results, the
learning process is still not adequate to users’ needs
and it has been one of the main causes of courses
desistance. The difficult in understanding the
concepts was expressed in previous studies as well.
The results found in the present case study are
very similar to results found in works made in 2003,
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for example, as the work of Kantner and Rosenbaum
(2003). Therefore, it signals to the necessity of
improving that process with simplification and
adaptability.
Indeed, an important question is:
Could the many difficulties reported by elderly
nowadays be solved or bypassed, by the mean of
a more appropriate learning process?
The fact that the analyzed elderly group do not
know about the accessibility features available, tells
there is a failure in the learning process. Teaching
the accessibility features to elderly would be a
priority in their learning process. That could work to
increase their self-confidence with computers, by
giving to elderly the feeling that technology can be
more adequate to them, instead of the opposite.
Often they do not successfully perform many
tasks because they do not understand the concepts
behind.
Furthermore, there is a considerable number of
good websites dedicated to teach the elderly.
Nevertheless, how can those novices, without the
appropriate knowledge to have access to it, and take
profit of those valuable means?
Based on the present results, our proposition is
that Accessibility, Usability and Education, together
as a trio, would work in favour of the elderly, aiming
at reducing the main problems still faced by them in
the learning process. This trio could change the
actual picture that keeps repeating along the years.
For example, the teaching process could use the
usability heuristics of Nielsen (2005), as a tool to
give to elderly a simplified way of reasoning when
performing tasks, besides been used as a tool to
analyse performance.
5 FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES,
BETTER LEARNING?
This section presents a futuristic scenario for remote
interactivity between family members, since that is
one of the main motivations for elderly to learn
computers. The elaboration below intends to inspire
the conception of future technologies that could be
of popular access, considering some aspects of
usability and accessibility inbuilt in it.
Scenario
“When Bob arrives home he just hangs the keys
on the back door. At the same moment, in his
mother’s home, the place where she hangs her keys
lights. She knows now Bob is in home.
She was watching TV, which works already
connected to Internet. Then she activates a second
window with the TV remote control, and sees the
icon of Bob (identified by his photo), which opens
just with a click on the remote control. The Bob
space shows Icons for messages, camera, photos,
etc.
Alternatively, she has a small handheld screen
with the same image of the one on TV. She can
choose to write a message by just putting the pen
over the message icon and starts handwriting a
message to Bob, or to record a voice message, using
the microphone available either in pen or in the
remote control.
At Bob’s home, his computer screen turns on and
emits a customized sound to tell him he got a new
message from mom. Her mother can visualize in her
panel that Bob still did not read the message, based
on a Bob’s mailbox icon on her screen, which will
be open when Bob reads the message. While that,
she keeps watching her movie on TV.
After finishing his shower, Bob goes to the
kitchen for cooking dinner; he reads the message
from mother. He activates the function of sending his
image, by just pressing the camera icon with a light
pen on the screen.
Her mother perceives the changing on her TV
screen and does the same, so instantaneously they
can see and talk to each other. They wave, say in a
fast manner that they are fine.
He will cook his dinner now, and she puts her
main attention back to the movie on TV, while the
small window keeps showing the Bob image at the
corner of the TV screen. They both keep their
peripheral attention on each other, as if they were
sharing the room while doing different activities.
The connection and image of both keep online, until
she blows him a kiss and goes to sleep, because for
her it is already late”.
This scenario shows improvements in the instant
connectedness for remote communication, pointed
by respondents as a relevant difficulty faced by
them, and a great motivation to learn computers.
Those technologies described in this scenario
intend to give comfort to the elderly, since they can
write messages with a pen, have much more visual
information, can be free of extra devices, with total
mobility inside home.
With this scenario, we also would like to raise
the question: would those technologies make the
learning process easier?
The goal of this proposition is to illustrate a
futuristic situation, and with it stimulate thoughts
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about the future of education for elderly. Although
the details on how to manipulate the technology
itself seems much easier and adapted, in terms of
accessibility and usability than the available ones
nowadays, the basic concepts behind stay the same,
added to other new ones involved.
Therefore, we call attention to the point that
concepts are important issues to be taught to elderly
in their learning process, with simplicity. That is our
suggestion for computer courses. Otherwise, each
time the paradigm of interfaces and interactivity
changes, the learning process needs to re-start again.
6 CONCLUSIONS
The present study intended to discuss important
aspects of the computer learning process for elderly,
based on users’ declarations.
The willingness of being digitally included is
changing the elderly habits, and working as stimulus
to them to become computer literate. In addition,
they are specially becoming users of online media,
such as Instant Messaging, in order to communicate
with remote relatives. This fact has been changing
the classical user profile of those popular
technologies, broadly considered for youth.
Furthermore, this changing in elderly behaviour can
possibly contribute to increase the digital inclusion
in this users’ group.
The participants’ declarations pointed that
nowadays the learning process, as well as the simple
technologies are still not adequate to this group,
since the inadequacy of teaching was pointed as the
main reason to give up the courses.
Furthermore, the obtained results remarked an
important connection between learning computer
and the social wellbeing in elderly lives.
As a general conclusion, and in accordance with
respondents’ feedback, the elderly people expressed
their willingness to feel healthy, alive, and integrated
in society by learning computers.
In addition, the paper discussed and proposed
that accessibility, usability and education together
could work as a trio to improve and support an
adequate learning process for elderly.
Besides, a futuristic scenario was presented to
illustrate one remote interaction between family
members. This scenario takes in consideration some
accessibility and usability aspects. This illustration
wants to emphasize the suggestion of an education
process for elderly, more based on concepts, in order
to bring more sustainability to deal with the
introduction of new paradigms. Otherwise, each
time the paradigm of interfaces and interactivity
changes, the learning process needs to re-start again.
For last considerations, nowadays, children learn
computers, technologies, electronic games, as part of
daily life, as a natural process of learning and
growing. The next elderly generation possibly will
have different needs related to other new
technologies. Many people, that will enter the
elderly group in 10 to 15 years from now, are highly
skilled in computers today. Therefore, under those
considerations, teaching computer technology to
elderly in 50 years probably will not be the same of
teaching today.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to elderly that kindly accepted to give
so valuable information.
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