Enabling Continual Digital Inclusion of Older Adults

About us

Effectively using online applications and services is becoming essential to fully participate in our society, democracy, and economy2,6. But that has put many older adults at a significant disadvantage2,4,7. Although tech ownership among older adults has increased significantly over the past half-decade, most still use very few digital apps and services. 

To advance the digital inclusion of older adults, we are studying the sociotechnical barriers they face in the continual use of digital apps and services—beyond onboarding and early adoption1-8. The Enabling Continual Digital Inclusion of Older Adults (ENCODE) research project aims to identify and address these barriers via tech or social innovations.

Our research is human-centered and community-centered1-8. As part of our research, we organize different community events for older adults and their loved ones, where we provide digital literacy skills and tech support and learn about older adults and their tech use. These events and programs are informed by the latest research in aging and technology and funded by the University of Illinois Chicago and the National Institute of Aging.

Community Programs

Upcoming

Managing iCloud storage

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Managing iCloud storage

This workshop will cover the basics of using iCloud for storing files like photos, videos, text messages, and emails. Bring along your mobile devices and laptops to learn how to backup, retrieve, and delete files on iCloud.

November 8, 2024, Friday 2 pm – 3:30 pm

Chicago Public Library, Hegewisch Branch
3048 E. 130th Street, Chicago, IL 60633
312.747.0046

Rideshare and Parking Apps

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Rideshare and Parking Apps

This “bring your own device” (BYOD) workshop will cover the basics of using rideshare apps and parking apps common in Chicago (e.g., Lyft, Uber, SpotHero) via your smartphone or tablet.

November 22, 2024, Friday 2 pm – 3:30 pm

Chicago Public Library, Hegewisch Branch
3048 E. 130th Street, Chicago, IL 60633
312.747.0046

Managing iCloud storage

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Managing iCloud storage

This workshop will cover the basics of using iCloud for storing files like photos, videos, text messages, and emails. Bring along your mobile devices and laptops to learn how to backup, retrieve, and delete files on iCloud.

December 5, 2024, Thursday 3 pm – 5 pm

Chicago Public Library, Budlong Woods Branch 5630 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL 60659 312.742.9590

Searching for information with text, pictures and voice

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Searching for information with text, pictures and voice

This workshop will cover the basics of searching for information on the internet using your smartphone or tablet, with text, pictures, and voice queries.

December 12, 2024, Thursday 3 pm – 5 pm

Chicago Public Library, Budlong Woods Branch 5630 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL 60659 312.742.9590
Past

Rideshare and Parking Apps

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Rideshare and Parking Apps

This workshop will cover the basics of using rideshare apps and parking apps common in and around Chicago via your smartphone or tablet.

Cloud Storage Basics

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Cloud Storage Basics

This workshop will cover the basics of how to use the cloud (Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and iCloud) via your smartphone or tablet.

Taking, editing, and sharing photos

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Taking, saving, and sharing photos

This workshop will cover the basics of taking photos, making albums, and sharing photos with family, friends, and social media via your smartphone or tablet.

Searching for information with text, pictures and voice

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Searching for information with text, pictures and voice

This workshop will cover the basics of searching for information on the internet using your smartphone or tablet, with text, pictures, and voice queries.

Using Google Drive

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Using Google Drive

This workshop will cover the basics of how to use Google Drive for backing up files and documents.

People

Debaleena Chattopadhyay, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator
debchatt@uic.edu

Hasti Sharifi, MS

Researcher, Ph.D. Student
hshari3@uic.edu

Nina Sakhnini, MS

Researcher, Ph.D. Student
Project Coordinator
nsakhn2@uic.edu

Tasneem Mubashshira, BS

Researcher, Ph.D. Student tmubas2@uic.edu

Published Research

[1] Sakhnini, N., Sharifi, H. & Chattopadhyay, D. (2024). How Proficiency and Feelings impact the Preference and Perception of Mobile Technology Support in Older Adults. In Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (pp. 1-5).[link]
[2] Sharifi, H., Michaelis, J., & Chattopadhyay, D. (2024). Development and Evaluation of the Mobile Tech Support Questionnaire for Older Adults. In Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (pp. 1-18).[link]

[3] Yu, J. E., & Chattopadhyay, D. (2024). Reducing the Search Space on demand helps Older Adults find Mobile UI Features quickly, on par with Younger Adults. In Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-19). [link]

[4] Sharifi, H., & Chattopadhyay, D. (2023). Senior Technology Learning Preferences Model for Mobile Technology. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 7(MHCI), 1-39. [link]

[5] Yu, J. E., Parde, N., & Chattopadhyay, D. (2023). “Where is history”: toward designing a voice assistant to help older adults locate interface features quickly. In Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-19). [link]

[6] Sharifi, H., & Chattopadhyay, D. (2023). A Cross-Cultural Study of Relational Maintenance in Tech Caregiving. In Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-10). [link]

[7] Sakhnini, N., & Chattopadhyay, D. (2022). A Review of Smartphone Fact-Checking Apps and their (Non) Use Among Older Adults. In Adjunct Publication of the 24th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (pp. 1-8). [link]

[8] Knowles, B., Hanson, V. L., Rogers, Y., Piper, A. M., Waycott, J., Davies, N., … & Yuan, I. Y. (2021). The harm in conflating aging with accessibility. Communications of the ACM, 64(7), 66-71. [link]

[9] Yu, J. E., & Chattopadhyay, D. (2020). “Maps are hard for me”: identifying how older adults struggle with mobile maps. In Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (pp. 1-8) [link]

[10] Yu, J. E., & Chattopadhyay, D. (2020). Supporting Older Adults in Locating Mobile Interface Features with Voice Input. In Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (pp. 1-4). [link]

Upcoming Events

Nov 8, 2 – 3:30 pm

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Managing iCloud Storage

3048 E. 130th Street, Chicago, IL 60633
312.747.0046

Nov 22, 2 – 3:30 pm

Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Rideshare and Parking Apps

3048 E. 130th Street, Chicago, IL 60633
312.747.0046

Dec 5, 3 – 5 pm
Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Managing iCloud Storage
5630 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL 60659 312.742.9590
Dec 12, 3 – 5 pm
Mobile Tech Workshop for Older Adults: Searching for information with text, pictures and voice
5630 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL 60659 312.742.9590

Community Partners

Contact Us

If you want to host a digital literacy event for older adults in your community or collaborate with us, please email our ENCODE Project Coordinator, Nina Sakhnini, at nsakhn2@uic.edu.

Funding

Human Subject Research

This research study is approved by the UIC Institutional Review Board (IRB), STUDY 2023-1319.