Transcript Slide 1

Learning How to Use Computers:
The Role of Cognitive Abilities
Jason C. Allaire
Department of Psychology
North Carolina State University
Individual Factors that Influence
Learning to Use Computers
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Interest
Attitudes towards technology
Familiarity of computers
Knowing what computers can do
Understanding the breadth of
information that is available on the
web
• COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING
What is Cognitive Functioning?
• Mental processes and abilities that
help us understand our surroundings
and function in our environment
• Cognitive abilities are used when
solving problems
• Cognitive abilities are used when we
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
Cognition Across the Life Span
Knowledge Abilities
Performance
Fluid Abilities
25
Age
70
Not Everyone Ages the Same
Performance
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70
Fluid Abilities--Memory
• Working Memory – remembering
new information and doing something
with that information
• Our working memory becomes less
and less efficient as we get older
• Less information can be kept in
Working Memory
Example of Working Memory
Learning How to Save
• To save the word document that you
are working on your mouse to “File”
click the scroll down to “Save” and
click on it. If you have not save the
document before you will have to
name it. A box will appear and you will
be able to name it.
Lots of things to remember while
having to do it
• To save the word document that
you are working on move your
mouse to “File” click the scroll
down to “Save” and click on it. If
you have not saved the document
before you will have to name it. A
box will appear and you will be able
to name it.
Fluid Abilities--Memory
• Long-term Memory—retention of
learned information over a long period
of time (days, weeks)
• Our ability to recall information that
we recently learned decreases as we
get older
Example
Long-Term Memory
• In Tuesday’s class you taught your
students how to save a word
document
• The following week you teach your
class the basics of EXCEL
– You ask them to save their spreadsheet.
– You assume they remember how to save?
– You assume they realize that saving in
EXCEL is the same as saving in WORD?
Fluid Abilities—Visual Search
• Visual Search—the ability to find a
specific target in a visually display
• It is tougher for elders to find a target
quickly or at all
– Distracted by other images on the
screen
– They don’t search the visual field
effectively
– Might have poorer vision
Please click on “My Computer”
Please Start your “Paint” Program
The Good News
Knowledge Abilities
Performance
Fluid Abilities
25
Age
70
Knowledge Abilities
• Knowledge abilities—the information
that we acquire through involvement
in our culture
• Knowledge includes:
– Information we learned in school
– Information about our jobs
– Information about ourselves
– Information about our interests
• We don’t lose Knowledge as we age
Putting Knowledge to Work
• We learn new information faster if it is
related to things we already know
• We can “hook” new information to old
information
• Older adults learn new information
faster and retain it longer if it is
related to something they already
know
Compensation
• Older adults are MASTERS at
developing skills to compensate for
certain declines
• They know to go slower and try to
process information more deeply
• They tend to use preexisting knowledge
to remember new information
• When taught to use strategies to
improve memory these use them better
than young folks
Relevancy and Motivation
• On tasks that older adults consider
relevant to their lives they:
– They are extremely motivated to learn new
material
– They often perform as well as younger adults
• The goal then is to make sure older
adults understand how computer use
can be relevant in their lives
So What does the Research Say
About All This?
• Not very much
• Studies have not specifically
examined which cognitive abilities are
associated with learning how to use
computers
Potential Benefits
• Tailor the training to decrease the
impact of cognitive functioning on
learning how to use computers
Potential Benefits
• Individualized training protocols
based on a specific profile of
strengths and weaknesses
Potential Benefits
• Improve cognitive functioning through
practicing cognitively challenging
computer tasks
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Letter Series
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P retest
P osttest