A review of how older adults’ computer skills and proficiency are reported in the literature

Abstract

Participants’ technology knowledge and proficiency can directly impact their experiences with new technologies and affect study outcomes. This paper presents a review of studies from the ACM Digital Library published between 2010-2020, with the aim of synthesising existing practice in reporting older adults’ computer skills, proficiency and related concepts. The results highlight that there is no standard practice for reporting these characteristics, and that papers assess a range of metrics including technology use, frequency, experience, familiarity, purpose, attitude, and confidence.