It’s not Just Illiteracy

Abstract

There is increasing interest in using computing applications towards the socioeconomic development of the poor. However, because poverty commonly correlates with illiteracy, researchers have identified various usability challenges that low-literate users may encounter in interacting with traditional text-based UIs. To counter such problems, researchers have proposed non-textual UIs for these users. However, most current work focuses exclusively on illiteracy (the inability to read) per se, with little recognition to other problems or the overall context in which a user is situated. In this paper we suggest that the inability to read is only one of several possible concerns that prevent useful interaction of existing computing (PC and mobile phone) UIs by low-literate users. Through our ethnographic and usability studies with 400 low-literate, low-income subjects across India, the Philippines and South Africa, we find a host of nuanced issues which mediate how a user interacts with computing technologies. Such issues include: cognitive difficulties, collaboration, cultural etiquette, experience and exposure, intimidation, mediation, motivation, pricing, power relations, social standing, and others. We observe that these factors can have far-reaching influence on the design of UIs as well as services for low-literate populations.

Understanding Interaction Design Challenges in Mobile Extreme Citizen Science

“…those with an inability to read or writeand semi-literatei.e. those that are able to read only with difficulty (Medhi, Cutrell, & Toyama, 2010). The term lowliterate in this paper has the same meaning.…”

“…Furthermore, mixed text/picture interfaces could be used as a proxy-literacy aid . Lack of education and literacy skills influence not only one's ability to read text, but also that person's cognitive abilities and linguistic sequential memory (Medhi et al, 2010). This has a direct influence on a person's ability to understand abstractions that are now commonly used in interface design, such as hierarchical menus.…”

“…This has a direct influence on a person's ability to understand abstractions that are now commonly used in interface design, such as hierarchical menus. Thus, a number of studies conclude that linear structures are more appropriate for low-literate users (Chaudry et al, 2012;Lalji & Good, 2008;Medhi et al, 2010;Winschiers-Theophilus, Bidwell, Blake, Kapuire, & Rehm, 2010). Nevertheless, extended exposure to technology may lead to improved digital literacy skills and familiarity with mobiles phone use and can support low-literate users overcome interface usage problems (Medhi, Gautama, & Toyama, 2009).…”

Exploring Low-Cost, Internet-Free Information Access for Resource-Constrained Communities

“…Others understandably disagree (e.g., [Nielsen et al 2006]). Furthermore, while we have been successful in achieving similar results between diverse groups when focusing on audio and the readability of a foreign language, clearly there are many elements of field studies it is not possible to mimic -for example, differences in power dynamics, cultural etiquette, comfort with technology and so on [Medhi et al 2010].…”

Diversifying Future-Making Through Itinerative Design

“…Other improvised solutions aim to reduce the cost of airtime or phone calls (e.g., [13]) or dependence on network infrastructures (e.g., [1,35]). There are also services that address the issues surrounding technological exposure [26], cultural and contextual differences [24], and barriers caused by literacy or language [3,27,28,46].…”