Computer Use and Interest in Continuing Education via the Internet by Older, Late-Deafened Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate to what extent are older, late-deafened adults interested in continuing education via the Internet. This increasing population is confronted with many barriers in the traditional classroom but do not usually possess the literacy problems of the congenitally deaf, therefore making them ideal candidates for continuing education via the Internet.

For the study, 500 surveys were mailed to a random sample of members of Self Help For Hard of Hearing People, Inc. The survey consisted of 30 questions pertaining to computer usage, continuing education experience, and interest in continuing education via the Internet. Of the 297 returned 249 met the criteria for the study. Data analyses consisted of descriptive statistics concerning demographic variables of age, education, degree of hearing loss, race, and age of onset of hearing loss. Chi Square analyses were used for investigation of relationships between demographic and other selected variables. An alpha of 0.10 was selected as the significance level for determining an association between variables.

Several conclusions resulted from the research: 1) The majority of the population sampled are computer literate; 2) The majority of respondents (71.9%) were interested in courses for leisure via the Internet; 3) Gender had little effect on computer ownership, Internet usage or interest in web-based continuing education; 4) The more educated the older, late-deafened adult, the greater the likelihood of computer ownership; 5) The level of education has no significant effect on the individuals interest in continuing education via the Internet; 6) Degree of hearing loss has no significant effect on computer usage nor interest in continuing education via the Internet; 7) Age of onset of hearing loss is associated with computer ownership, but not with other aspects of interest in continuing education via the Internet. The subject pool was not sufficiently diverse to study the effects of race on the other variables.