This study involves students in a Computer Science class on Aging and Technology visiting a community centre group for older adults: Pembina Active Living (PAL55+). The students will bring various technologies (for example: seated virtual reality (VR) experiences or GenAI software that runs on laptops or tablets) and allow older adults to try out the technologies. Students will collect survey feedback from the older adults about their experiences trying the technologies and will also record observations about challenges, barriers and facilitating factors that they observe as older adults try out the technologies. This project will consist of two visits to the PAL 55+ Centre. During the first visit, the technologies that older adults try out will be existing commercial technologies. During the second visit, the older adults will interact with prototypes of technologies that the students have designed as part of their class project. The course instructor and primary investigator, Dr. Celine Latulipe, will be present and supervising all activities to ensure older adult participants are safe, comfortable and respected. The community centre facilitator, Renée Vincent, will also be present to ensure older adult participants feel comfortable and are supported.

Objectives:

1. To expose older adults to new technologies they may be interested in trying and observe how well the technologies work for older adults. We are testing the technologies, not the older adults!
2. To expose Computer Science graduate students to working with older adults as research participants and as a target audience for technology design and development.

Research Questions:

1. What are barriers that older adults face when trying out new technologies?
2. What facilitating factors help older adults successfully interact with new technologies?
3. What types of new technologies are older adults most excited about and engaged in?
4. What types of technologies are older adults less interested in, ambivalent about, or opposed to?
5. Are there gender differences in older adults’ experiences interacting with new technologies?

What will participants do during the study?

Session 1: “Fun with Technology” involves participants testing existing technology (planned for Tuesday March 3rd during the PALs 55+ drop-in session)
Three stations will be set up in the multi-purpose room at Pembina Active Living Centre. Each station will have a computer and possibly a VR headset and will be managed by a team of three to four students from the course.

After participants have given consent, they will be given gift cards to thank them for their participation and reminded that they should only try technology they feel comfortable trying, and they can keep the gift card even if they don’t try the technology at all three stations. They will sign a form to verify they have received the gift card. They will be asked to choose a pseudonym that will be used in reporting on the research. Only the researchers will know this pseudonym.

Participants will be given name tags to wear with their real names on them. The name tags are needed so that the researchers can address participants by name and also so that they can write observations about what participants do and how they react to the technology. Then they will be able to begin participation.

Older adult participants will be able to visit each station in whatever order they prefer and they don’t have to visit all of the stations. At each station, the older adult will be able to sit at a table and try out the technology for 5-10 minutes, with students making observations about how the older adult interacts with the technology and any issues that they encounter in trying to use the technology. These observations will be typed into files on laptop computers (there will not be any audio or video recording). After using the technology, the older adult will have the option to fill out a short anonymous paper survey about the technology they just tried. Participation at a single station should take 5 to 15 minutes, though participants may have to wait while others try the technology. There will be chairs provided for older adults to sit in if they have to wait. After finishing at one station, they can stay there and watch others try the technology, or move to a different station.

Near the entrance to the room, there will be a table where we will provide coffee and Timbits for participants, as suggested by Renée Vincent, the PALs 55+ facilitator. As this is a drop-in session, participants can come and go as they please and there is no formal presentation.

Session 2: “Testing student prototypes!” (planned for Tuesday March 31st during the PALs 55+ drop-in session)
Three stations will be set up in the multi-purpose room at Pembina Active Living Centre. Each station will have a computer or tablet with a prototype of technology designed specifically for older adults by a team of students for their course project. The stations will be managed by a team of three to four students from the course.

After participants have given consent, they will be given gift cards to thank them for their participation and reminded that they should only try technology they feel comfortable trying, and they can keep the gift card even if they don’t try the technology at all three stations. They will sign a form to verify they have received the gift card. They will be asked to choose a pseudonym that will be used in reporting on the research. Only the researchers will know this pseudonym.

Participants will be given name tags to wear with their real names on them. The name tags are needed so that the researchers can address participants by name and also so that they can write observations about what participants do and how they react to the technology. Then they will be able to begin participation.

Older adult participants will be able to visit each station in whatever order they prefer and they don’t have to visit all of the stations. At each station, the older adult will be able to sit at a table and try out the prototype for 5-10 minutes, with students making observations about how the older adult interacts with the prototype and any issues that they encounter in trying to use it. These observations will be typed into files on laptop computers (there will not be any audio or video recording). After testing the prototype, the older adult will have the option to fill out a short anonymous paper survey about it. Participation at a single station should take no more than 5-15 minutes, though participants may have to wait while others try the technology. There will be chairs provided for older adults to sit in if they have to wait. After finishing at one station, they can stay there and watch others try the technology, or move to a different station. Near the entrance to the room, there will be a table where we will provide coffee and Timbits for participants. As this is a drop-in session, participants can come and go as they please and there is no formal presentation.

Risks and Benefits

Participants will get to try out new technologies and will get to help graduate students understand their older adult demographic, and those students may eventually design technology used by older adults.

The risks are low, but participants may experience frustration or embarrassment if they find it difficult to use some of the technologies. We will seek to reassure participants that we are testing the technology, not them.

Approval and Consent

This study has been reviewed and approved by a Research Ethics Board at the University of Manitoba. However, this does not mean that participation is risk-free. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the Office of Human Research Ethics at humanethics@umanitoba.ca or (204) 474-7122.

If you are interested in participating, please attend the session on March 3 or March 31st at the Pembina Active Living Centre or contact Dr. Celine Latulipe. Consent forms will be available at the sessions.

Summary of Results

After the study is over, a summary of results will be posted here, likely by June 2026. The researchers will also return to PALs55+ to give a presentation about their findings. Research results may also be disseminated in research publications and presentations.