Suzanne Prior

Methods for human - computer interaction research with older people

Experimental research in human – computer interaction commonly uses participant groups that are unrepresentative of demographic realities, being young, technically knowledgeable and highly educated. One way of reflecting society more accurately in research is to include older adults in research groups, but the elicitation of high-quality data from these participants requires alterations in research methods and organization. In the present paper, methodological and organizational experiences from a range of research studies with older participants are reported. It concludes with a list of guidelines for maximizing the research outcomes of working with older adults.

Interface metaphor design and instant messaging for older adults

Instant Messaging is currently not widely adopted among older computer users. An investigation has therefore been conducted into the use of Instant Messaging by older computer novices, with particular emphasis on the use of an alternative metaphor in the user interface to try to produce a more usable and acceptable solution for older adults. Two messenger interfaces (a traditional one and an experimental alternative) were designed for the study and compared in use by older computer novices, through measurement and participant interview. Results showed that the alternative metaphor interface performed better overall and that the majority of the participants preferred it for future use.

HCI methods for including adults with disabilities in the design of CHAMPION

The demand for software, suitable for users with complex communication needs and other disabilities, is increasing. However, traditional HCI design methods are not always suitable for these users. To address this, the CHAMPION project is piloting adapted methods in the development of a patient hospital profile for this user group. Initial results show that users with cognitive and communication disabilities can be involved in participatory design. The challenge is now to develop meaningful evaluation methods for this group.

Focus groups as a requirements gathering method with adults with severe speech and physical impairments

Technological supports have the potential to greatly improve the quality of life and independence of adults with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI). In particular, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices can enable people with little or no speech to communicate with others. However, the rate of rejection of AAC devices is estimated to be as high as 53.3%. It is suggested that a major reason for this rejection is a lack of user-centred design in the development of these devices. As part of a wider study looking at involving adults with SSPI in all stages of user-centred design, this paper looks at the use of focus groups in requirements gathering with this user group.

Use of an agile bridge in the development of assistive technology

Engaging with end users in the development of assistive technologies remains one of the major challenges for researchers and developers in the field of accessibility and HCI. Developing usable software systems for people with complex disabilities is problematic, software developers are wary of using user-centred design, one of the main methods by which usability can be improved, due to concerns about how best to work with adults with complex disabilities, in particular Severe Speech and Physical Impairments (SSPI) and how to involve them in research. This paper reports on how the adoption of an adapted agile approach involving the incorporation of a user advocate on the research team helped in meeting this challenge in one software project and offers suggestions for how this could be used by other development teams.

Chronicles: supporting conversational narrative in alternative and augmentative communication

Individuals share experiences and build relationships through the medium of narrative. Lifelong personal narratives play a key role in developing social identity. Individuals with little or no functional speech due to severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI) find it difficult to share personal narrative as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems do not support interactive story telling. As a result, people with congenital SSPI who use AAC may not have learned the linguistic skills involved in sharing narratives. The Chronicles software was developed to support the sharing of personal narrative. Conversational analysis of a conversation using Chronicles illustrates how the system can support more natural conversations when using AAC.

A straight-talking case study

The Straight-Talking User Group within Dundee Universitys School of Computing aims to create a place where adults with complex disabilities can meet to explore technology and where they can work with researchers to develop better technology. A pilot project has shown the potential for this type of centre is terms of increasing the self-esteem and motivation of participants and raising expectations of what people are able to achieve.