Study of Effectiveness of Prior Knowledge for Smart Home Kit Installation

Abstract

Smart-Home in a Box (SHiB) is a ubiquitous system that intends to improve older adults’ life quality. SHiB requires self-installation before use. Our previous study found that it is not easy for seniors to install SHiB correctly. SHiB CBLE is a computer-based learning environment that is designed to help individuals install a SHiB kit. This article presents an experiment examining how smart home sensor installation was affected by knowledge gained from two methods, SHiB CBLE, and a written document. Results show that participants who were trained by the CBLE took significantly (p0.05) less time in the installation session than those in the control group. The accuracy rate of SHiB kit installation is 78% for the group trained by the CBLE and 77% for the control group. Participants trained by the CBLE showed significantly (p0.01) higher confidence in the actual installation than those in the control group. These results suggest that having a training before the actual installation will help installers avoid unnecessary work, shorten the installation time, and increase installers’ confidence.

Keywords

• smart home kit installation
• prior knowledge
• online tutoring system