Review for Full-Context Videos for First-Time, Non-Literate PC Users

The paper describes a study of non-literate users of PCs and how a video explaining the use helps them understand the value of PCs in their everyday life. It is a very sensitively conducted study, which highlight previously untouched issues with technology use in non-literate communities.

The paper's strength is in how it presents thorough studies of technology use among a population where this was previously unavailable and impossible due to their non-literacy. THe application used as example is clearly valuable to the target group, adding to the appropriateness of the study. The paper is nicely illustrated with pictures and clear in its explanations.

There were only a few issues that could be more clear: was the non-video group (B) using the application completely without instructions? In that case the counter balancing makes it difficult to distinguish the two groups, the group who had the video first, had great advantage over the other.

Finally, I felt it was a bit demeaning to have non-literate participants try to perform tasks on a text-based interface. The authors point to it themselves, that obviously the users sometimes refused to even look at it, but I think the study wouldn't have suffered if the participants had been spared this experience.