EPILOGUE: SPACED‐RETRIEVAL MEMORY TRAINING IN AN ADULT DAY‐CARE CENTER

A memory‐impaired client at an adult day‐care center was trained to remember the name of a staff member using the spaced‐retrieval technique. After two brief training sessions, the client demonstrated long‐term retention of the target name. Retention was maintained at follow‐up testing 6 months later. Details of the unique aspects of this cognitive intervention, along with implications of this project for cognitive aging research in general, are discussed. In particular, the social and emotional components of memory‐ and cognitive training tasks are emphasized.     

PLANNING AN ELEARNING DEMENTIA CARE PROGRAM FOR HEALTHCARE TEAMS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES: THE LEARNERS’ PERSPECTIVES

This paper presents a needs analysis conducted to obtain information concerning online dementia care training of healthcare workers in long-term care (LTC) facilities. The resulting information was used to guide the development of an online dementia care training program designed to facilitate the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary for healthcare teams to deliver better care to the residents with whom they work. Three focus groups were conducted at two sites across Canada. Data analysis revealed five major themes that will help program designers develop effective online learning programs. Recommendations for the development of an online dementia care program are proposed.     

A SURVEY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRAINING OF EUROPEAN (WHITE) TEACHERS IN SOUTH AFRICA 1652‐1960

The Society of Jesus, which was founded at the University of Paris in 1540, aimed at developing both humanism and Catholic faith by means of teaching the youth. This Jesuit order insisted on a standard formation of its teachers in the humanities t'litterae humaniores'). To this purpose, they established special classrooms in the main provinces for novices who wanted to enter the teaching profession. But the diversity in age and school level of the future teachers was so great that these classes could not have had a uniform function. Only in the northwestern provinces a professional and academic formation could be organized since those who attended it had already finished their studies in humanities and philosophy.     

IN‐SERVICE TRAINING IN GERONTOLOGY: A CASE STUDY OF STATEWIDE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

This report describes the design and conduct of a statewide training needs assessment based on joint state agency and university planning. Sample findings are presented for both the statewide population (N = 736) and various job function groupings. Differences in expressed training needs across job function groups are examined, and strategies for providing effective and efficient training are discussed.     

A RESPONSE TO UNCERTAINTY: THE INCREASED UTILIZATION OF PART‐TIME INSTRUCTORS IN AMERICAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Financial uncertainty and projections of changing enrollment patterns of students are forcing community colleges into positions of maximum flexibility. As a result, they continue a trend of increased reliance on part‐time instructors to deliver their services. This trend is noted by full‐time faculty as cause for alarm. Allegations of poorer quality instruction provided by part‐time instructors cannot be documented. However, it is clear that part‐time employee practices in the areas of selection, orientation, evaluation, and development need dramatic improvement. Implications of this research point to the need for college administrators to reexamine management procedures with regard to part‐time faculty.     

TRAINING AND ORIENTATION OF CERTIFIED OMBUDSPERSON VOLUNTEERS FOR LONG‐TERM CARE FACILITIES

We report findings on learner retention and satisfaction as a result of certified ombudsperson volunteer (COV) training. Specifically, two research questions were addressed. First, did individuals who completed COV training learn the content? The result of the analysis was significant. Second, were individuals who completed COV training satisfied with its content? Survey results indicated satisfaction with the content, format, and utility of the COV training. In addition, a review of the literature was conducted, and recommendations for further research are offered.     

ALTERNATIVES IN AURAL REHABILITATION: PROVIDER TRAINING OF NONAUDIOLOGISTS IN THE DELIVERY OF HEARING‐AID SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO OLDER PERSONS WITH HEARING LOSS

Recently, Patterson and Dancer (1987) suggested a model wherein persons who normally come in contact with older hearing‐impaired persons can be trained to assist the older hearing‐aid user in adjustment to amplification. Their four‐phase educational model offers an alternative to traditional aural rehabilitation programs by using personnel from senior centers, nursing homes, and state and local agencies as program providers.

The present article elaborates more fully on the training that protocol providers will receive from audiologists certified by the American Speech‐Language‐Hearing Association. Providers will be carried through five stages: empathy, effective communication skills, knowledge of the interaction of aging and hearing loss, the phases outlined in the Patterson and Dancer model, and guidelines for referrals. Objective‐based provider and client response criteria are outlined for moving the client from the initial receipt of the hearing aid to its ultimate acceptance and use on a doily basis.     

THE FUTURE OF TWO‐YEAR COLLEGES: AN ADMINISTRATOR'S‐EYE VIEW

Individuals in eight different types of administrative positions in two‐year colleges were asked to rate the importance of a variety of external and internal issues in the next five years. The purpose of the study reported here was first to identify those internal and external issues that administrators viewed as being of high importance. A second purpose was to assess the degree of consensus among differing types of administrative positions. The third objective was to identify differences between public and independent two‐year college, between men and women, and minority and white administrators perceptions of issues identified as being most important. There was a high degree of agreement across administrative groups as to the importance of five external issues; and when asked to indicate the two most critical issues, administrators were almost unanimous in their assessment. There is less agreement on the two critical internal issues. Some differences by gender and racial/ethnic group were noted, but the differences were not as great as might have been expected.     

AGING AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: SERVICE PROVIDER HEALTH‐CARE TRAINING NEEDS

The numbers of aging and older persons with developmental disabilities are rapidly growing. Knowledge based on new and ongoing research is fast beginning to accumulate. Efforts to provide training, both preservice and in‐service, are beginning to be implemented. This article (a) reports on existing health‐care training materials, (b) discusses service providers’ training needs in the area of developmental disabilities and aging, and (c) provides recommendations for future training and curriculum development. The investigation included a search of library and archival records for existing information on health, aging, and developmental disabilities; semistructured interviews with 20 “expert” providers of health care to developmentally disabled elderly individuals; and a survey of 245 service providers for their perceptions of providers’ training needs in the area of health care for older adults with developmental disabilities.     

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE: AN IN‐SERVICE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Assessment of student performance is a crucial professional responsibility of teachers. At the tertiary level in New Zealand there is no pre‐service training requirement and staff are ‘trained’ on the job. In New Zealand polytechnics, the academic staff (tutors) are entitled to 12 weeks induction training, but with the increasing use of internal assessment there is a recognised need for in‐service training and resources.

This paper describes the development and content of an in‐service professional development programme designed to meet the needs of part‐time staff as well as experienced staff. The principal sponsor of the project was an external examination body.     

GUIDELINES FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF LEARNER SATISFACTION IN GERONTOLOGICAL SHORT‐TERM TRAINING

As emphasis on intensive educational training increases, effective gerontological curricula and content planning to assure learner satisfaction are becoming more important. This article considers four key variables related to learner satisfaction: class size, seating arrangement, training methods, and participant motivation. Six guidelines for increased training effectiveness are suggested: preassessed and structured environment, planned group size to serve content and objectives, seating arrangements, discussion group utilization, preassessed learner attitudes, and continuous evaluation with necessary restructuring.     

IMPACT OF AN INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAM ON BLACK ADOLESCENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ELDERLY

This study examines changes in black adolescents’ perceptions of the elderly following participation in an eight‐week intergenerational project. The project matched 19 teenagers with 19 elderly subjects from a large senior citizens center. Using an experimental design, students were matched by age with a control group (n = 20). A 20‐item semantic differential scale and the Children's Perceptions of Aging and Elderly (CPAE) inventory were used to measure attitude change. Posttest results from a matched pair t‐test found significant attitude change in the experimental group: semantic differential (t = 2.8, p < .01); CPAE (t = 4.2, p < .01). Qualitative comments from the youth and elderly participants further indicate positive qualities of the partners program.     

THE SOCIAL PATTERN OF THE LENGTH OF FULL‐TIME EDUCATION IN ESSEX

Based on the work of Barron (1966) and Hudson (1966), the hypothesis is set up that science pupils are more obsessional than arts pupils. This is confirmed on a substantial sample of sixth‐formers. However, it also appears that the possession of obsessional traits is a hindrance to performance in the sciences. The educational implications of these findings are discussed.     

PUTTING CONTEXT IN CONTEXT: AN EXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCE FOR THE BENEFITS OF ��CONTEXTUALISED�� TASKS

The professional literature in mathematics education is replete with calls to use tasks that are ‘authentic’, ‘relevant’ and related to ‘real life’ and the ‘real world’. Such activities are frequently advocated for their potential to motivate and engage students, but evidence of their ability to do so is rarely presented. This paper examines evidence in relation to the effectiveness of context problems in achieving their intended purposes and thereby contributing to enhanced student participation, engagement and achievement in mathematics education. It is argued that context problems are not a panacea and that categorising problems as contextualised or de-contextualised is less helpful than the consideration of more salient aspects of tasks that impact on their effectiveness. Such aspects also relate to the purposes for and affordances and limitations of particular tasks in relation to the purposes they are intended to serve, along with attention to the contexts in which students learn mathematics. Examples of theoretical and empirical programs built on these considerations are reviewed in terms of their potential to enhance participation, engagement and achievement in school mathematics.     

THE MULTIDIMENSIONALITY OF EDUCATION,RESEARCH AND TRAINING IN SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY−THE ISRAELI EXPERIENCE

This article examines the multidimensionality of education, research, and training in gerontology through a discussion of the significance and implications of developments in this area based on the Israeli scene. The discussion focuses on the issue of whether gerontology is an academic discipline based on the development of specialized knowledge, along with education and training, in a distinct academic framework, or whether it constitutes part of professional training in a variety of academic fields. The article begins with a presentation of milestones in the development of gerontology in Israel, focusing mainly on social gerontology. It then offers a definition of an academic discipline and of a profession and distinguishes between them by examining the development of curricula in the field of aging in two contexts: social work studies, on the one hand, and specialization in gerontology toward a Master's degree in this area at Haifa and Ben-Gurion Universities, on the other. A model is presented that examines the mutuality among the evolutions in technology, demography, and information, and their significance in the development of standards in education, training, and the dissemination of gerontological knowledge.     

THE RESPONSE OF OLDER WOMEN TO A CREATIVE PROBLEM‐SOLVING PROGRAM

Little work has been done in the development of creativity in older adults. The limited research seems to support the notion that older people are not as creative as younger people.

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether or not creative behavior as measured by Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking can be increased in older adult women through a creative problem‐solving program. The major hypothesis under investigation was: The use of a specific problem‐solving program designed to increase certain creative thinking abilities will increase those abilities at a significant level in older adult women. Forty women volunteers, ranging in age from 60 to 82, participated in the six‐week program.

Experimental subjects did not score significantly higher on the Torrance tests than the control subjects who had not participated in the program. However, information collected via the teacher's log and a questionnaire given to the subjects at the end of the class showed that the experience was unusually positive and creatively beneficial.

It is concluded that the program was not of sufficient intensity and that in order to measure change in creative thinking with older people, a more creative approach in testing may need to be developed.