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 (p < 0.05) 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 (p < 0.01) 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.