By the year 2030, 1 out of every 5 Americans will be 65 or older. -U.S. Census Bureau

1. By the year 2030, 1 out of every 5 Americans will be 65 or older. -U.S. Census Bureau

2. And Here They Come….!!!of U.S. Population

3. Teaching Technology skills to older adults: Meet the Baby Boomers!

4. Life Experiences Massive Social, Political and Technological Change • First “protest generation” • First to changes sexual mores • First generation born under threat of nuclear war • Women more likely to work outside the home • Unprecedented divorce rates • Likely to have encountered computers in the workplace or at home prior to retirement

5. Typical Characteristics of the Baby Boomers • Tend to be better educated • Articulate • Opinionated • Well-organized • Socially/Politically minded • Environmentally conscious

6. Current Life Challenges • Relatively affluent, but hit hard by the recession • Likely to be working past the usual retirement age • First generation to see their parents live to frail old age (84+) • More likely than previous generations to be raising their own grandchildren • Higher % are single through divorce or death of a spouse.

7. How Do Boomers Relate to Technology? • Likely to have worked with computers in their jobs • Have likely had experience with it in their personal lives • Tend to view themselves as adept with computers and other technology

8. Why Should Librarians Care? Boomers use the library- actually, quite a lot They Want and Need to Stay Current with Technology And when leaving the main workforce, or moving to part-time work, they will be losing a major source of their technology information; formal job training and the informal information they got from coworkers

9. Physical Changes • Visual • Auditory • Motor Skills

10. Physical Changes • Visual • Nearsightedness • Changes in lens of the eye • Changes in color perception

11. Overcoming Visual Barriers • Nearsightedness • Adjust monitor distances • Larger screen monitors • Adjust font size, browser bar buttons, cursor size • Use sans-serif fonts for digital and print materials • Screen Glare • Tilt the monitor screen • Keep screens clean & fingerprint-free • Avoid bright overhead lights • Keep away from windows, or close the blinds • Use glare screens if needed • Color Perception • High contrast colors on web sites used for training • Same for chalkboards or dry erase boards

12. Pick up the new iPad and suddenly, it’s clear. You’re actually touching your photos, reading a book, playing the piano. Nothing comes between you and what you love. To make that hands-on experience even better, we made the fundamental elements of iPad better — the display, the camera, the wireless connection. All of which makes the new, third-generation iPad capable of so much more than you ever imagined. "I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." --Marilyn Monroe 'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this lifeTrying to make ends meetYou're a slave to money then you dieI'll take you down the only road I've ever been downYou know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah -The Verve

13. Physical Changes • Auditory • Can’t hear higher pitches well (female voices worst) • Decreased ability to suppress external noise

14. Overcoming Auditory Barriers • Slower, distinct speech • Somewhat louder, but don’t shout! • Be aware that female voices are harder to hear • Avoid turning your back while speaking • Use visual aids to reinforce what you say • Set the room up so you can be seen by everyone

15. Physical Changes • Motor Skills • Central nervous system degradation • Arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid

16. Overcoming Motor Skills Barriers • Adaptive equipment available- only if really necessary • ergonomic mice • trackballs • expanded keyboards • keyguards • Change mouseclick speed on the computer • Teach two-handed methods for mouse clicks

17. * attentional processing * memory * cognitive slowing * spatial visualization * attentional processing * memory * cognitive slowing * spatial visualization * attentional processing * memory * cognitive slowing * spatial visualization * attentional processing * memory * cognitive slowing * spatial visualization Cognitive Changes • Attentional Processing • Memory • Cognitive Slowing • Spatial Visualization

18. Cognitive Changes • Attentional Processing • Difficulty focusing on tasks • Make incorrect inference about new data • The more complex the information, and the greater the quantity of information presented at once, the more difficult it is to focus attention

19. Cognitive Changes • Memory • No real decrease in memory, just more selective about what they choose to remember • Store details better than general information • Information must be perceived as relevant and useful to them

20. Cognitive Changes • Cognitive Slowing • “Automatic Attention Responses” (AARs) will develop in older adults, but more slowly than in younger people, and tend to be less strong • Problems with text comprehension due to prior associations (inhibition) ex. drag and drop

21. Automatic Attention Responses Means that you don’t have to be paying conscious attention to a task in order to perform it. The actions areautomatic. Implications for Older Adults: - Longer learning curves - More difficulty doing two tasks at once Example: keyboarding

22. Cognitive Changes • Cognitive Slowing • “Automatic Attention Responses” (AARs) will develop in older adults, but more slowly than in younger people, and tend to be less strong • Problems with text comprehension due to prior associations (inhibition)

23. Inhibition The ability to suppress prior associations in order to incorporate new meanings to words and phrases. Example: “drag and drop”

24. Cognitive Changes • Spatial Visualization • Associating what the hand is doing (mousing) with what is happening on the screen takes longer to become automatic

25. Overcoming Cognitive Barriers • Attentional Processing • Minimize distractions • Allow practice time • Present discrete, logical packages of information • Memory • Use multiple learning modalities • Use captions with illustrations • Make classes (and what they’re named) practical and relevant • Schedule morning classes (better retention)

26. Overcoming Cognitive Barriers • Cognitive Slowing • Simple, clear instructions. Minimize technical explanations. • Demonstrations on a large screen to reinforce your words • Practice time! • Spatial Visualization • Practice exercises to help master a new function • Keep directions simple

27. Post -Instructional Assessment A scenario would be introduced for assessment, and the participants would be asked to critique the instructors environmental setup, sensitivity to possible problems the learners may be experiencing as they work, and interpersonal interactions with the learners. Ideally, this would be in the form of a brief video clip, followed by discussion. http://teachingolderadults.pbworks.com