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Dissertation Information for John D'Angelo

NAME:
- John D'Angelo
- (Alias) John J. D'Angelo

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Computer Information Systems

SCHOOL:
- University of North Texas (USA) (1991)

ADVISORS:
- William Miller

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- None

MPACT Status: Incomplete - Inspected

Title: A study of the relationship between the use of color for text in computer screen design and the age of the computer user

Abstract: This study addresses an individual's performance, relating it to eyesight changes due to the aging of the individual and to color computer screens used for computer-based-instruction not designed specifically for older students.

This study determines how existing research in gerontology, human-computer interface, and color use in visual graphics can be applied to the design of computer screen displays containing color text and backgrounds and how various color combinations will affect performance by adult learners forty years of age and older.

The results of this research provide software developers and instructional designers guidelines to use when designing computer screen displays for use in instructional computing settings involving older adults.

The participants came from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They were drawn from several environments, using an opportunity sample. They included students from the University of North Texas, teachers from Kent Elementary School in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, and training classes in the Plano Independent School District. The Plano participants were teachers, administrators, and staff personnel. Sixty participants in all were chosen. Thirty of these were younger than forty, and thirty were forty and over. Virtually all participants had some computer experience. Most were not experts, however.

The information received during the implementation of the data gathering phase of this study was analyzed using a simple repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Chi-square test of independence, and the Chi-square test for goodness-of-fit.

Results revealed no significant difference in performance for any of the color combinations used by either group, although the combination on which each group performed best was different for each group. While the results were not significant, the white on blue combination showed the best performance and was most preferred by both groups. Developers should either use this combination or allow the user to choose their preferred combination.

MPACT Scores for John D'Angelo

A = 2
C = 2
A+C = 4
T = 2
G = 1
W = 2
TD = 2
TA = 0
calculated 2010-09-02 16:08:07

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