Abstract
Studies about learning to use cell-phones in daily lives by older adults (Mori & Harada, 2007, 2008) showed that learning to use were facilitated by people around users, especially grandchildren who live with. To investigate generalities of this result, this research executed consecutive usability testing among 2 groups of older adults (with/without their grandchildren in their homes) and a group of college students (6 participants in each group), with a program recorder for digital TV. Results showed that people around participants facilitated learning to use, as cell-phones, although both older groups used little advanced functions of device, compared with younger adults. Volumes of interactions with other persons about the device were smaller than cell-phones, which suggested more difficulties for older adults to learn equipments become larger with such a socially novel artifact. Analysis of interactions and its suggestions for supports to older adults' learning of new devices will be discussed.
