Motivational Factors and Predictors for Attending a Continuing Education Program for Older Adults

The objectives were to describe the stated motives of participants who enrolled in a program at the Open University for the Elderly (UnATI, in Portuguese), identify correlations between the stated motives and sociodemographic data, and find a set of predictors related to the listed motives. A total of 306 middle-aged and elderly adults aged 50 or older were surveyed through a sociodemographic questionnaire and a five-item scale to check their motives to enroll in the program. The following motivational factors were identified, in order of importance: enhancing general knowledge, investing in personal development, increasing social interaction, learning more in order to help others, and employing one's free time profitably. Age and years of schooling combined were strong predictors of participants seeking new knowledge. Being single and not retired was correlated with the motive Investing in Personal Development. Having attended elementary school only and being married was closely correlated to the motive Increasing Social Interaction. Employing One's Free Time Profitably was associated with single or widowed individuals with family income between 3.1 and 4.0 times the minimum wage. As for Learning More in Order to Help Others, no predictors were found for this motive. It was found that participants seek to satisfy a desire to learn/ know more, to be up-to-date, to exercise their rights as citizens, and to play an active role in society. Our data suggest that these are the assumptions that drive middle-aged and elderly adults to look for various types of educational programs.     

Technology: Education and Training Needs of Older Adults

The impact of the global aging of the population on social, economic, political, and health care institutions is unequaled. Parallel to this, evolving developments in technology promise opportunities for sales and product development to support positive aging. Older adults are excited to utilize technologies that they perceive as practical. However, age, education, technical knowledge, and technological anxiety affect interest in new technologies, creating a technology divide. Providing more accessible and relevant technologies for today's older adults may make the technology more universally accessible. This article reports the results of a survey on technology and education among a sample of 77 adults between the ages of 52 and 92 who attended a week-long lifelong-learning event at Indiana University. Familiarity with technology, age, education, and gender were found to be correlated with familiarity with new technologies as well as operating and shopping for new electronic devices.     

全面建设小康社会与农村成人继续教育探讨

全面小康社会的奋斗目标对农村成人继续教育提出了新的更高要求。观念上存在短视行为、没有配套制度作保证、物质条件普遍不足是农村成人继续教育面临的主要问题。做好农村成人继续教育工作，首先必须转变各级党政领导及农民们的思想观念，同时加强农村成人继续教育制度和网络服务体系建设，加大对农村成人继续教育的投入，并创新农村成人继续教育模式。     

Involving Older Adults as Co-researchers in Social Work Education

This article examines the contribution of older adults as co-researchers to the evaluation of a gerontological social work course. The evaluation was conducted at an Israeli college as part of a collaborative project with a United Kingdom university. Here, we follow the older adults who are service users through their transition to the role of co-researchers and reflect on their experiences in the process. Insights gained by the different stakeholders from the co-researching experience are discussed, and the growing interest in service-user contributions to social work education in various fields such as aging and disabilities is recognized.     

Medication Adherence in Older Adults: A Qualitative Study

To effectively address medication adherence and improve cardiovascular health among older adults, a deeper understanding is needed of the barriers that this age group faces and of approaches that would be most effective and feasible for improving adherence. We conducted a focus group study (n = 25) in a diverse population of older adults with hypertension recruited from the Cohort Study of Medication Adherence in Older Adults (CoSMO). A structured guide was used to collect feedback on barriers to adherence and acceptability and the feasibility of intervention strategies. The final coding framework outlines factors at the individual, relationship, health care system, and environmental or policy level that affect adherence in older adults. These include memory, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, side effects, social support, interaction with healthcare providers, and cost and convenience of medication filling. Patient responses highlighted the varied nature of barriers and the need for interventions that are both multifaceted and tailored.     

美国哥伦比亚大学继续教育学院培训项目运行模式探析

在构筑终身教育体系的今天,继续教育已构成大学的重要任务之一。美国哥伦比亚大学作为世界著名大学在继续教育方面的建设是颇具成效的,其继续教育学院的培训项目模式将继续教育的内容层次化、对象具体化,使得运行和管理效率都得到了显著的提升,并已成为一种经典的教育和商业良好结合的运营模式,值得肯定和研究。     

信息技术在陕北高校课堂中的应用调查与分析

为了了解信息技术在陕北高校课堂中的应用情况,作者采用问卷调查与访谈的方法,在延安大学全校范围内展开了关于信息技术应用的实地调查。通过整理与统计的数据,作者从中发现了信息技术在陕北课堂教学应用中所存在的问题,并给出相应的可借鉴性建议及对策。     

信息技术与教师继续教育的整合

以多媒体计算机和互联网(Internet)为核心的信息技术应用于教学已有30多年的历史,然而,信息技术对教育的影响远未达到最初教育界的种种预想,教育至今还未能由于使用信息技术而产生根本的变革。技术改造现实的伟大只有靠掌握技术才能实现———这是信息技术能否成功应用于教学的关键,所以我们首先要做的是让我们的教师掌握信息技术,对教师进行信息技术的继续教育,使信息技术与教师继续教育相整合,把信息技术应用于教学过程。我们从具体的教育教学方针的实施情况、完善教师应用信息技术的培训模式、开展研究性培训和提升教师队伍应用信息技术的素质等角度分析现状,用典型实例来深究解决问题的方法。     

A Preliminary Investigation of the Use of Videophone Technology as a Training Tool for Students Working with Older Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in student's attitudes toward the use of low-cost videophone equipment as a tool for interacting with elderly residents. Students enrolled in four undergraduate social work courses were asked to observe and participate in a social history interview with a resident volunteer from an assisted-living facility located in north Mississippi. In order to measure changes in participants' attitudes toward technology, students completed the Student Telecommunication Satisfaction Questionnaire prior to and immediately after observing the interview. It was hypothesized that students would demonstrate a positive increase in their attitude toward the use of technology to deliver health care services after being exposed to such technology. The results of this study provide partial support for the hypothesis. In general, students responded positively to the use of video phone technology as a means of augmenting more traditional forms of communication.     

Lifelong Education,Quality of Life and Self-Efficacy of Chinese Older Adults

This study aimed to identify the relationships between lifelong learning, quality of life, and self-efficacy of older adults. One thousand and three participants of a lifelong educational program participated; the mean age was 50.6 (SD = 7.8, range: 18–78). Findings revealed that the patterns of study established a positive association with quality of life, but a negative correlation with their psychosomatic complaints. It also found that the more respondents enrolled in courses, the more somatic complaints they suffered. Multiple regression analysis models indicate that the determinants of good quality of life in older adult learners aged 60 and over were good self-efficacy and the continuation of study after graduation.     

关于成人高师院校信息技术教育的思考

鉴于成人高师院校学生的特殊性，成人高师院校的信息技术教育应将学生对信息技术的掌握应用与信息意识观念的更新有机地结合起来，积极探索信息技术教育与专业学科教学相整合的教学新思路，以探究性学习为中心，把信息资源、信息技术和专业课程紧密地结合起来，使学生在完成学习任务的过程中，创新精神和创新能力不断提高，信息意识和信息技术应用能力逐步养成。     

Cultural Diversity Among Older Adults: Addressing Health Education

ABSTRACT

The diversity of the older adult population is increasing, and health professionals need to learn new knowledge and skills to improve the adherence of older ethnic clients to their health recommendations. Much of the existing research literature on diversity in gerontology concludes that ethnic older adults are at a health disadvantage. Few if any of these studies, however, offer practical applications for health promoters. This article reports on a paradox: there is a surprising amount of diversity within each group of ethnic elders, but it may be the similarities across these groups that lead to practical applications of use to health-promoters. The article ends with health-promotion questions of relevance to older adults, regardless of ethnicity.     

我国老年教育政策的逻辑演变——基于历史制度主义视角

用历史制度主义的分析范式,检视老年教育政策的历史变迁与逻辑演变,是解读老年教育政策的一个新视角。改革开放以来,我国老年教育政策从初步探索到体系逐渐形成,呈现多元化和特色化的发展趋势。通过历史制度主义分析框架,采用扎根理论编码方式,梳理我国老年教育政策文本,审视我国老年教育政策的逻辑演变,可以发现,老年教育政策的发展受到教育实践定位、宏观制度环境、内生动力机制、教育发展理念、主导强化机制和关键时间节点的影响,在路径依赖和制度变迁两个方面表现出较为明显的特征。未来我国老年教育政策应完善制度体制,保障老年教育政策的运行;关注老年人需求,注重老年教育资源的有效开发;抓住关键节点,精准定位老年教育的发展方向;科学调整布局,加强老年教育内部的组织管理,促进老年教育政策体系的完善。     

新加坡的教育信息化

本文描绘了近几年来新加坡基础教育信息化的发展状况,在此基础上分析了新加坡教育信息化取得成功的一些主要的具有可操作性的经验,旨在对我国当前的教育信息化的发展有所启示.     

信息技术学习、教育和培训质量保障体系标准及其应用研究——以免费师范生学习管理平台的设计为例

本文在研究信息技术学习、教育和培训质量保障体系标准的基础上,结合华中师范大学开展免费师范生教育的契机,依据质量保障活动模型,利用质量方法描述参考框架(RFDQ)的过程模型进行免费师范生学习管理平台的需求分析和框架分析.     

Teachers as Carers: A Case Study of a Secondary School's Pastoral Process

This paper describes the review and evaluation of the house/pastoral system at the Anglican Church Grammar School. The main findings were: an overwhelming acceptance of the house system; a high level of caring and commitment; and a desire to offer new challenges and support to permeate the whole educational process. There was also an almost total disregard for and antagonism towards the tutorial system. Based on interviews with staff, a representative staff working party agreed the changes that needed to be undertaken and improvements were made. The approach to the evaluation is an example of collaboration.     

教师继续教育新模式:网络研修

网络研修是信息时代背景下教师继续教育发展的新模式,它不只是网络技术的引入,而且是对传统教研与培训的变革与创新。教师网络研修模式的要素框架包括网络研修平台、学习共同体、混合式学习、资源与互动、评价与管理系统。未来,网络研修模式在推广应用中将越来越发挥出它的潜在优势,越来越受到广大教师欢迎。只要坚持继承、改革、发展、创新的指导方针,教师继续教育必将走出一条具有时代特征、中国特色和地区特点的混合式研修之路。     

中医学高职毕业生继续教育培养体系初探

中医学高等职业教育是我国中医学专业人才培养的主要途径之一,但是在某种程度上,中医学专业毕业生尚不能完全胜任基层医疗卫生服务工作。中医学高职毕业生的培养与发展,贯穿于院校基本教育、毕业后医学教育和继续医学教育三个教育阶段。将终身学习理念融入其毕业后中医教育和继续中医教育过程,创新中医高职人才培养体系,全面提升其自主学习能力,对解决上述问题具有积极意义。     

IEEE: A Partner for Continuing Education

The first part of this paper provides a brief analysis, based on the author's experience, of some key requirements of continuing education in electrical engineering arising in industrial environments, with particular reference to the European situation. The second part of the paper recalls briefly the structure of the IEEE and its European branches, outlines the contributions that it could provide to satisfy the requirements stated above, provides some suggestions to make the best use of the available tools and discusses possible ways to improve the situation.