• Dip.T, British Columbia Institute of Technology (2001)

• BA, University of British Columbia (2005)

Research Interests

I assist in organizing, coordinating and executing various projects conducted within the Memory and Cognition Lab.

Momentum

Time based prospective memory is the ability to form and carry out a plan at a specific moment in time, such as submitting term papers by the deadline, taking cookies out of the oven after 15 minutes of baking, and arriving on time for a final exam. In order to gauge the flow of time, some people use external devices such as clocks or alarms, while others use more internal and intuitive devices. Does time flow more quickly when we are engaged in interesting and attention demanding activities, as opposed to performing tedious and less attention demanding tasks? You know what they say... "Time flies when you're having fun!"

PDA Usability in the Adult Lifespan

Although they recognize their usefulness, older individuals tend to be reluctant to adopt new computer technologies. We want to learn what specific factors prevent them from effectively using those technologies. The long-term goal of this project is to learn about the usability of new technologies such as handheld computers and cell-phones which could be used to augment the memory and communication skills especially of older individuals.

Our work in this domain is part of the Aphasia project, a UBC based undertaking focused on developing handheld computer based aids and assistive devices (e.g., an appointment calendar, an electronic cookbook) primarily for individuals with aphasia.

Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun.
~Colleen C. Barrett