Existing research methods are largely intended to be conducted colocated and synchronously with a study population, but this approach is not feasible with remote or distributed populations. We describe a needs assessment study we conducted on Facebook. We report on our use of adapted versions of commonly used HCI research methods and lessons learned from this approach.

Existing research methods are largely intended to be conducted co-located and synchronously with a study population, but this approach is not feasible with remote or distributed populations. We describe a needs assessment study we conducted on Facebook. We report on our use of adapted versions of commonly used HCI research methods and lessons learned from this approach.

Including older adults as full stakeholders in digital society.

No abstract

We present Craftec, an extendable toolkit system to engage older adults in maker technology by supporting their use of crafting skills. Craftec is comprised of LilyPad Arduino-based toolkits to promote easier crafting with hard and soft mediums. We describe the system's design, a pilot test with 8 younger adults, and 2 two-hour single session workshop evaluations by 17 older adults. We found Craftec facilitated efficient integration of circuits in crafted items, including fewer short circuits as compared to a basic LilyPad Arduino kit. We discuss how to create a toolkit for prototyping rather than facilitating STEM education.