A comparison of Web browser interactions by older users using a keyboard or a mouse as an input method.

Abstract

The lower levels of usage of computers and the Internet by older people compared to usage levels for younger members of society is recognised and acknowledged. The reasons for this lower use are manifold. The natural ageing process has recognised impacts. These include physical, visual and cognitive impacts. Additional aspects such as lower levels of usage during their working lives also make the older person less likely to be a computer user. Today¿s information society can mean that older people are disadvantaged by not having access to computers and especially not having access to the Internet. In this thesis the ageing process and its impact on the mouse as a specific input method for Web browsing is investigated. User interactions using a mouse are compared against those using a prototype browser interface method that allows the user to interact with a standard Webpage using single key strokes only. The primary research showed that for the test population, performance was a factor of 1.9 times faster with the keyboard input method than with the mouse. However, even though the keyboard method performed considerably faster, the users in the test group expressed a significant preference for the mouse as an input device. However, a single test subject suffering from a minor had tremor found the keyboard method considerably easier and preferable as an interface method. The thesis findings indicate that further research into the disparity between user performance and preference for proposed method is valuable. Additionally further research into the proposed input method for users with neurological and motor challenges is indicated.