Researching the Factors Involved with the Participation of Hispanics in a Computer Training Program

The research project is based on a computer training program designed for low income seniors who live in a sample of 23 public housing facilities located in northern Illinois. The program’s purpose is to encourage computer and Internet use among low income seniors. The program lasted six months, after the six months the amount of low income Hispanic senior’s participation rate was low. The purpose of the research project is to identify factors leading to participation and nonparticipation in a computer training program for low income Hispanic seniors. A questionnaire in Spanish and in English was designed to be conducted through the telephone to participants and non-participants who stated that their first language was Spanish. The questionnaire consisted of open ended questions that were separated based on whether they participated in the program or not. The results showed that residents had no significant language barrier because their primary language was English. All of the participants chose to do the telephone interview in English. This may have been caused by the residents misunderstanding the question asking what their primary language is which was previously asked in another survey prior to the student researcher’s participation in this research project. There were different observations done and there was a large amount of French speakers who did not know English. They used their children as translators. The significance that was brought out through this research project was the need to evaluate the different languages that participants spoke prior to having a computer training program.