Beyond traditional literacy: Learning and transformative practices using ICT

Educators, government bodies and employers have acknowledged the need for modern learners to acquire 21st century skills using information and communication technologies, to personalise student learning. Students need broader skills than the 3Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic) to operate in the 21st century. These broader skills known as the 4Cs include: creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking. The use of information and communication technologies is crucial in developing the 4Cs in conjunction with understanding how learning takes place. However, simply using technology does not guarantee that deep learning will occur. The use of technology needs to align and adapt with our knowledge of learning to be able to operate in a transformative space. This paper is designed to link the understandings of deep learning, 21st century skills and appropriate use of information and communication technologies to provide direction to educators who wish to lead in a technological environment of change.     

Draw a Young and an Older Person: Schoolchildren's Images of Older People

The goal of this study was to explore stereotypes of older people as expressed in drawings by a sample of primary school children. Sixty children from fourth to sixth grades (30 boys and 30 girls aged 9 to 12 years) were asked to draw a young man, a young woman, an old man, and an old woman. The drawings were content analyzed. Children in our sample seemed to represent old people in varied or multidimensional ways, indicating, thus, that the image they held about elders was less negative than concluded in similar investigations. In fact, although some drawings had negative content, most pictured a positive—and even friendly—image of old people. Moreover, some of the drawings included both positive and negative traits at the same time. Compared with images of young men and women, those of the elderly seem to be more homogeneous and less complex, since there was more agreement on represented details. Suggestions for future research are proposed.     

Usability Testing of BusinessThinkingTM e-Learning CD-ROMs with Older Adults

BusinessThinking^TM is a computer-based e-learning package designed to teach technology skills and business information to adults, ages 50–69, who remain in the workforce. This article outlines results from usability testing for the material on using technology applications (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and the Internet), and career development (career management and preretirement planning. In Study 1, a usability test was conducted to ensure that the material was user-friendly. In Studies 2 and 3, the PowerPoint and career development materials were redesigned according to the findings from Study 1. Results indicated that the redesign was effective in increasing navigation of the material.     

Education for Older People in Italy

This article provides information on trends in formal and informal adult education in Italy, with a particular focus on the older learners (over 65). Main providers, programs, objectives/motivations, and financial and legal framework are described. In general, over-65-year-old people were found to be underrepresented in participation. They were also concentrated in activities of informal education (through, for example, Third Age Universities) instead of formal courses that are oriented mainly towards the development of skills/competencies for the labor market. In order to improve the situation of older people in the future, the question of financing is one of the main challenges to be addressed by policymakers.     

Young People,Politics and News Media: Beyond political socialisation

This article considers the place of news media-particularly television news-in young people's political socialisation. Following a brief sketch of debates about young people's apparent indifference to politics and to news media, it provides a critical review of previous research in this field. It argues that researchers have often operated with a functionalist notion of socialisation and an unduly narrow conception of political understanding. The second part of the article provides a summary of some key themes raised by the author's own research into young people's interpretations of television news. It focuses particularly on the question of young people's apparent cynicism about politics, and on the characteristics of 'critical viewing'. The article concludes with a call for media education as a crucial dimension of political education and contemporary citizenship.     

Orally Positioning Older People in Assessment Meetings

It has been demonstrated that persons with dementia may be positioned as less competent than participants of the same age without dementia, and that persons with dementia possibly also are positioned as less competent than other older persons without dementia. In the present study, we aim to explore this further by analyzing Swedish assessment meetings in which needs and preferences are investigated for older persons without dementia. The material consists five audio-recorded assessment meetings, where there were at least two conversational partners present (a spouse and/or a child) and where the older person applying for social services was not diagnosed with dementia. The ages of the older persons ranged from 81 to 88, while the age of the relatives ranged from 46 to 93. The results of the present study demonstrate that older persons without dementia mainly are positioned as competent. However, it may be related to the degree of frailty, because the frailest person in the present study appears to be positioned as less competent than the other participants. The present paper adds to existing knowledge on how professionals in assessment meetings contribute to the positioning of older persons as competent and capable of making decisions. The results of the present article may be useful to promote development of education and training of communication skills for care mangers in assessments. Such training would further ensure that older persons with and without cognitive impairments can be actively involved in the creation and interpretation of their applications for social services.     

Preparing Counselors for Work with Older People

Several indicators suggest that older persons have been accepted as one of the special populations in U.S. society with whom counselors may appropriately work and for whom counselors need special preparation. Various approaches to providing such preparation are identified, including the integrated, separate course, concentration, and interdisciplinary models. Advantages and limitations of each model are discussed. The basic competencies described in the Accreditation Manual of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (1982) are proposed as an appropriate guide for the content of gerontological counseling curricula. Examples of how gerontological counseling topics can relate to the basic competencies are provided.     

Keeping In Touch: Talking to Older People about Computers and Communication

Computer-based communication has tremendous potential to support older adults. But if people are to use such systems autonomously, it is necessary to move beyond current interfaces and systems and develop devices that fit into the environment of the user. Using a Grounded Theory approach, three focus groups were held and, subsequently, 9 older adults (age 70–90) were interviewed about the ways in which they kept in touch with friends and relatives. Outcomes included dependence on the telephone as a way of communicating. There is also a specific, supporting role for e-mail, which was used with younger family members or those living abroad to enrich communication with brief, informal messages.     

Sense of Power Among Older People in Iran

Power is a resource for living that is present in all individuals, and has a positively uplifting effect on one's quality of life. In a grounded theory approach, we searched for factors influencing the sense of power, which exist in elders' interactions in their environment. These factors were awareness of personal changes, coping, role taking, perceived satisfaction, independence, and being in control. Self-management was at the core of all these factors. Educational interventions by health care professionals based on the elders' needs for empowerment comprise a major part of wellness approaches.     

Family,Close Relatives,Friends: Life Satisfaction Among Older People

This study examined the influence of socioeconomic (age, education, marital status, income, and health) and demographic variables and the quantity and quality of relationships with adult children, grandchildren, siblings and friends on life satisfaction of the elderly. Participants were 200 persons older than 60 years of age. Hierarchical regression analysis was used for data analysis. The three sets of regression models were run for each gender. Regression equations involved three sets of independent variables: socioeconomic, demographic, and relational (i.e., frequency, satisfaction) variables. When the three models were examined together, health and education made the highest contribution to females' life satisfaction. Health had a similar effect on the life satisfaction of males.     

The Engagement of Older People in Civil Society Organizations

This article reviews recent international literature on the opportunities and restrictions experienced by older people to act as volunteers in civil society organizations. Our aim was to develop a conceptual framework applicable to the European ageing society. This aim was pursued through a computerized database search focused on studies analyzing the individual, organizational, and/or societal levels. Findings show that senior volunteers are characterized by “younger” age, good health, and a high level of both educational and socioeconomical status. Volunteers are involved mainly in religious organizations as well as in social and personal care, while main barriers are represented especially by ageist practices. The review shows that the debate on this topic has been barely developed in Europe, both from an individual and societal point of view. Therefore, European countries might take advantage from experiences made in other contexts, but the identification of how this can occur requires further and more specific cross-national research.     

Ego Integrity of Older People with Physical Disability and Therapeutic Recreation

Ego integrity, the last developmental task in Erikson's psychological theory, develops naturally among older people. However, the presence of loss–like physical disability–can considerably affect the quality of life, interactions, and well being of older adults. Hence, older people with physical disabilities need more assistance in accomplishing tasks of ego integrity. This study aimed to utilize traditional Filipino art to capture the essence of the lived experiences of a select group of older people with physical disabilities in relation to their ego integrity. Four Filipino elderly with physical disabilities were purposely selected for this study. Picture prompting and doodling sessions were held as pretest and posttest to ascertain the effectiveness of puni-making in facilitating ego integrity of participants. A series of interviews were pursued to elicit experiences and feelings of participants regarding their disability and old age. From the analysis of the triangulated set of data, two findings emerged. First, four activators of ego integrity, namely: work, family, belief in self and belief in God, were identified as essentials in the formation of the participants' ego-integrity. Second, shifts related to the activators were identified indicating ego integrity's source, meaning and connection elements have become more grounded, certain and integrated. The influence of puni-making in understanding the ego integrity of older people with disabilities was found to be a sound and novel recreational therapy. It can stimulate a select group of Filipino elderly for openness to share their subjective and yet illuminating life experiences.     

Leisure Experiences and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Older People: A National Survey in Taiwan

We aimed to explore older people's subjective leisure experiences and to further examine associations of such experiences with their depressive symptoms in Taiwan. Known correlates of depression, such as demographics, physical health, and social support, were taken into account. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data using structured questionnaires from a national representative sample of community older people (N = 1308, aged 65 +). We found that (a) being female, older, single, less educated, and having lower family income were demographic risk factors of depression; (b) worse physical health, lack of independent functioning in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), and disability were related to more depressive symptoms; (c) greater social support was related to fewer depressive symptoms; (d) having controlled for effects of demographics, physical health, and social support, positive leisure experiences were independently related to fewer depressive symptoms. The benefits of meaningful leisure pursuits for successful aging are discussed.     

Inquiry-Based Learning for Older People at a University in Spain

With the increasing number of older people in the world and their interest in education, universities play an important role in providing effective learning methodologies. This paper presents a new instructional methodology implementing inquiry-based learning (IBL) in two courses focused on alternative energies in the Program for Older People at the University of Lleida (UdL) in Spain. The instructional methodology is evaluated and results are discussed after two years of studies. The instructional methodology presented in this paper helped students to build and reinforce scientific skills and knowledge construction. This work may have potential relevance to other instructors involved in adult education.     

Relating to Older People Evaluation (ROPE): A Measure of Self-Reported Ageism

The Relating to Older People Evaluation (ROPE) is a 20-item questionnaire that measures positive and negative ageist behaviors that people may engage in during everyday life. In this article, we report the first findings from several administrations of the ROPE along with initial psychometric information on the instrument. Respondents were college students, community-dwelling older adults, and persons affiliated with a university community. Results indicate that most people of all ages readily admit to positive ageist behaviors. Younger and older adults appear to participate in similar amounts of ageist behavior. Analyses by gender indicated that women endorsed the positive ageism items more often than did men. Psychometric analyses yielded estimates of adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency reliability. Implications for current views of ageism as a social phenomenon and strategies for reducing ageist behaviors in everyday life are discussed.     

Older People Learning through Contemporary Visual Art – Engagement and Barriers

This article addresses how older people understand and engage with contemporary art in the gallery context – whether there is something unique to the art, the format of the visits, the pedagogical approaches used by gallery educators, the social contact, or a combination of all these factors. It also addresses the psychosocial barriers to engagement. It draws from ‘Contemporary visual art and identity construction – wellbeing amongst older people’, a two‐year research project funded by the cross‐research council New Dynamic of Ageing Programme. Over 21 months, 43 participants aged 60–92 made three visits to contemporary art galleries in north‐east England. The potential for art galleries to develop lifelong learning opportunities for post‐retirement people has implications for the cultural, health and voluntary sector.     

Confidence and Expectations About Caring for Older People With Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Student Nurses

Older people who are living with dementia often need healthcare, including hospital admissions, due to additional health conditions. Caring for older people who are living with dementia is, therefore, a core nursing role. This study investigated student nurses’ expectations of, and confidence about, caring for older people with dementia and the effect of students’ age, precourse experience, and their academic year. The design was a cross-sectional survey using questionnaires to collect data. The participants (n = 328), based at one university in England, had all had at least one practice learning placement. Most student nurses (n = 202; 62%) had precourse contact with older people with dementia and had cared for them during the course (n = 291; 89%). The student's academic year significantly affected confidence about caring for older people with dementia (p = .006), but still only 52% (n = 26) of third-year students felt “generally confident.” Precourse contact with older people with dementia had a significant impact on expectations (p = .001) and confidence in caring for people with dementia (p = .002). Students who were >25 years were significantly more likely to have had precourse contact with older people with dementia (p = < .001). Nurse educators should ensure that students entering nurse education appreciate that caring for older people who are living with dementia will be a core part of their role. They must proactively prepare nursing students to care for people with dementia, recognizing that some students have no previous contact, which may affect their confidence and experiences.     

网络课程可用性现状的调查与分析

网络课程是一种信息密集型技术制成的教育软件产品,可用性是衡量其质量高低的要素之一.笔者从2009年国家评审出的50门网络精品课程中随机抽取了30门,根据可用性专家Jakob Nielsen提出的十条可用性启发式准则,对这些网络课程进行了可用性启发式评估,随后笔者对我国网络课程可用性总体水平相对低下的原因进行了分析,并提出了改进建议.本文旨在利用Jakob Nielsen总结的十条通用的可用性启发式准则,来透视我国网络课程的可用性质量现状.     

Exploring ICT Integration as a Tool to Engage Young People at a Flexible Learning Centre

The Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) Flexible Learning Centres aim to provide a supportive learning environment for young people who find themselves outside of the mainstream secondary schooling system. Drawing on twenty first Century learning principles, the Centres aim to deliver a personalised learning experience with an emphasis on flexibility and individual choice. Provision of a comprehensive curriculum enables young people to make positive future life choices and successfully transition into employment and further training. The aim of this research project has been to work with teaching staff at a Flexible Learning Centre in North Queensland, Australia, to explore the value of integrating ICT in the form of Web 2.0 technologies to enhance young people??s engagement with the subject of science. The findings of this case study suggest that ICT integration is effective in revitalising science education interest for disengaged young people. This may have wider implications in relation to general concerns of declining student interest and participation in science in the secondary years of schooling.