1 of 72

Elderly inclusion in E-Learning - Part 2. �

Jane Lee

Dept. Technology Enhanced Learning, MTU

2 of 72

Session overview

Common Challenges faced by Elderly Learners.

Best Practices in designing for Elderly Learners

Examples of digital learning – e.g. Babbel, Ted talks, Training for Seniors

Introduction

3 of 72

Some Examples of Accessibility Improvements

Challenges

4 of 72

Be mindful of common

issues for elderly learners

Documents

5 of 72

Remember: Online Environment

Canvas

Common issues

Loss of Vision and Colour differentiation

Hearing Loss

Memory may be impaired

Decreased Motor Skills

Lack of Prior Knowledge

Social Factors

�

6 of 72

1. Vision Loss

As we get older, the lens in our eyes hardens resulting in impaired vision.

Small text or complex images may be difficult to read.

Challenges

7 of 72

2. Colour Differentiation

Blue is the most difficult colour to read as you get older. It tends to fade out. Bright colours are easier. Red and Green are the colours most affected by colour blindness

Documents

https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/

8 of 72

3. Hearing Loss

1 in 3 adults over the age of 65 suffer from hearing loss. In particular, Synthetic Speech may be harder to register as it can become distorted.

Documents

https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/

9 of 72

4. Memory Loss

Working Memory - how you remember things in the short term –

and Prospective Memory – remembering to do things in the future – may also be affected.

Documents

10 of 72

5. Motor Skills

Fine motor skills may become impaired. Restricted joint movement or trembling hands may make it difficult to interact with small buttons.

Documents

11 of 72

6. Mixed Prior Knowledge

Don’t assume prior knowledge. Scrolling or searching may be a new function for your learner. Some learners may not recognise common acronyms or icons.

Documents

12 of 72

7. Social Factors

Some elderly learners may have low-efficacy beliefs when it comes to digital learning. Others enjoy the social aspect of learning.

Documents

13 of 72

Quick Activity

Discuss any experience that you have had working with elderly learners and some challenges that they faced

14 of 72

Live Delivery and Online Learning

Best Practice

15 of 72

�Vision Loss

16 of 72

1. Vision Loss

Take font sizes into account
Keep background plain
Make images clear and simple
Use alt text

Solutions

Clear images

17 of 72

Fonts

Sans Serif Fonts such as Verdana, Helvetica

At least 16 points

Use headers

Plain language on a plain background

Avoid multiple fonts and condensed fonts

Solutions

18 of 72

Backgrounds

Plain Backgrounds

Minimalist Design – clear of distractions

Make images clear and simple

Plenty of white space

Solutions

19 of 72

Alt Text

Short, concise text is necessary for all images, including graphs, infographics, etc. unless the image is decorative

Solutions

20 of 72

Consider Mixed Modalities

Video

Audio

Solutions

21 of 72

Quick Activity

Discuss any experience that you have had working with elderly learners and some challenges that they faced

22 of 72

�Colour Differentiation

23 of 72

2. Colour Differentiation

Use high contrast bright colours

Avoid blue for interface items

Do not use colour only as a signifier

Solutions

Clear images

24 of 72

WCAG�Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Use a colour contrast checker to check that your colours work for accessibility standards.

Remember, blue can seem faded to elderly learners

Red and Green are the colours that are most usually affected by colour blindness. Use text to indicate actions as well as colour.

Solutions

25 of 72

Colour not the only signifier

Use text descriptions or symbols in conjunction with colour so that the meaning of an interaction is not dependent on the colour only

Media

26 of 72

Quick Activity

Discuss any experience that you have had working with elderly learners and some challenges that they faced

27 of 72

�Hearing Loss

28 of 72

3. Hearing Loss

Use close captions on video and make transcripts available

Show person talking on video

Avoid loud or distracting music / noise

Solutions

29 of 72

Captions

Include closed captions for video content to improve accessibility.

If appropriate, show speaker talking directly to camera.

Media

30 of 72

Transcripts

Provide alternative formats for audio and video content.

Media

31 of 72

Speech Delivery

Ensure speaker speaks clearly at an appropriate volume

Media

32 of 72

Background Noise

Avoid distracting music or ambient noise when speaker is talking.

Media

33 of 72

Quick Activity

Discuss any experience that you have had working with elderly learners and some challenges that they faced

34 of 72

Break

35 of 72

�Memory Loss

36 of 72

4. Memory Loss

Provide focused content
Give clear feedback
Simple navigation and cues
Adequate time and pacing

Solutions

37 of 72

Focus

Help to remove distractions for your students by removing any redundant text or images.

Deal with one item per page

Live E-learning

38 of 72

Clear Feedback

Give clear feedback on progress and completion

Make it easy to understand when an interaction has occurred – e.g. a button changes colour when it is selected

Solutions

39 of 72

Good Design

Design is consistent so that a pattern can be established

Solutions

40 of 72

Icons

Images on icons are obvious with text explainers beside them

Solutions

41 of 72

Navigation

Use plain direct language for instructions

Outline learning outcomes for each section

Make it simple to access instructions and help

Use breadcrumbs or make it clear how the user can get home

Keep menu items simple

Solutions

42 of 72

Cues

Use cues as reminders of upcoming tasks

Solutions

43 of 72

Time and Pacing

Avoid timeouts

Introduce project features gradually over time

Allow appropriate pacing for your learner group. Is self-paced an option? In-depth reading may be appropriate.

Allow opportunities for repetition to practise

Be aware of pain thresholds and allow for breaks

Solutions

44 of 72

Quick Activity

Discuss any experience that you have had working with elderly learners and some challenges that they faced

45 of 72

�Motor Skills

46 of 72

5. Motor Skills

Tablets are generally easier to use
Make buttons large and clear
Simple gestures
Interface items placed at correct distance

Solutions

47 of 72

Devices

Tablets are generally easier to use than small screens or even a computer mouse. Seniors perform better using touch interfaces.

Solutions

48 of 72

Buttons

Buttons should be easily understandable

Large enough – at least 44 x 44 px

With enough white space to make them easy to hit

Solutions

49 of 72

Gestures

Keep gestures very simple. One finger only. Simple horizontal or vertical or diagonal movement is fine. Do not choose interactions that require two fingers or complex gestures

Solutions

50 of 72

Interface items

Create appropriate distance between interface items

The user needs enough white space to easily interact, but shouldn’t have to travel too far to choose items that are likely to be used in sequence

Solutions

51 of 72

�Prior Knowledge

52 of 72

4. Mixed Prior Knowledge

Don’t assume prior knowledge. Scrolling or searching may be a new function for your learner. Consider onboarding for your user

Documents

53 of 72

Keep your learning recognisable, relevant and relatable.

Best Practice

54 of 72

2. Plain language

Use language that is clear and understandable. Pair icons with text. Do not assume prior knowledge.

Live E-learning

55 of 72

2. Icons

Use images that are recognisable as objects in the real world. Pair icons with text. Do not assume prior knowledge.

Live E-learning

56 of 72

Quick Activity

Choose

57 of 72

Content

58 of 72

Take a look at what is existing

Documents

59 of 72

Keep your learning recognisable, relevant and relatable.

Best Practice

60 of 72

YouTube