AGING AND HIGHER EDUCATION: PROSPECTS FOR INTERVENTION

Consistently low participation in higher education programs by older adults suggests the need for theory‐derived research efforts to uncover barriers to educational activity in later life. In the present paper it is argued that an understanding of adulthood educational participation be developed according to a criterion of environmental and situationally dependent factors rather than solely to one of inexorable and cross‐situational biophysical decline. Specific environmental and organismic factors that may relate to chronically low rates of educational participation by older learners are pinpointed and described and suggestions are made for examining and rearranging the ecological context of life‐span education in order to stimulate greater educational involvement in the later years. Changes in cross‐age attitudes and behaviors that may result from an influx of older adult learners into college and university classrooms are also considered in light of recent research evidence on inter‐generational contact.     

EDUCATION ABOUT AGING FOR NIGERIAN ADOLESCENTS

This study reports an investigation of the perceptions of Nigerian adolescents concerning problems of different classes of older adults in Nigeria. A sample of 1,063 students from secondary schools and universities completed a questionnaire about adult life in Nigeria. Results show that the primary sources of information about aging are personal observation and instructions from community elders, friends, and peer groups. It was also found that both the educated and illiterate aged in elite communities are perceived to have more serious problems. Of the students surveyed, 55% prefer to grow old in traditional communities. It is suggested that aging education be provided in secondary schools and universities so that students may acquire adequate knowledge of problems and issues affecting older adult life.     

EDUCATION ABOUT AGING: A RATIONALE

Based on a review of studies on children's and adolescents’ attitudes and conceptions about aging and older people and on studies analyzing media content such as children's literature, textbooks, and public television programs to determine how older persons are portrayed, a rationale is provided for systematic education about aging in the public schools of the United States.     

EDUCATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARD TRAINING AND PROFESSIONALISM AMONG PRACTITIONERS IN THE FIELD OF AGING

This study is based on questionnaire responses of practitioners in agencies in a nine‐county area in Ohio. Data indicate that existing levels of specialized gerontological education are low, but that practitioners tend to be supportive of further training and increased professionalism. Educators should therefore find practitioners receptive to efforts to increase gerontological knowledge and professionalism. There is some contradictory evidence, however, and the question of the desirability of increased professionalism is raised.

This paper is based on data compiled as part of a wider study on aspects of the labor force in the field of aging. The original study was funded by the Ohio Commission on Aging through a grant to the Scripps Foundation Gerontology Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The author thanks Mildred M. Seltzer for her helpful comments.     

EDUCATION TO PROMOTE HEALTHY AGING IN HUNGARY

Demographic changes have altered medical practice, shifting the focus to the health care problems of the aged. These changes challenge health policy and services and require adjustments in the content of both undergraduate and postgraduate health professional curricula. The undergraduate and postgraduate medical teaching at the Gerontology Center of the Semmelweis University of Medicine in Budapest is described. In the future, it will be important to include medical gerontology in the curricula of all four medical schools in Hungary.     

THE PERFORMANCE OF ADMINISTRATION ON AGING MULTIDISCIPLINARY GERONTOLOGY CENTERS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING

The Administration on Aging (AoA) Multidisciplinary Gerontology Centers (MGC) play an important role in the history and development of aging in educational institutions. As MGCs are institutions that form a key part of the educational foundation of gerontology, it is important to document and assess their development. This study analyzed the historical development of the original set of twelve MGCs that were awarded developmental grants by the AoA in 1976; it assessed the organizational performance and success of MGCs by evaluating compliance with Older Americans Act guidelines; and it determined factors and patterns that contributed to the successful development of MGCs. Results indicate compliance with AoA guidelines alone could not assure or predict the continuing support and cooperation of MGCs in educational settings. Creation of a strong foundation based on multiple budgetary and environment components was the critical factor that predicted the continuing success of an individual MGC.     

AGING EDUCATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: PREPARING FOR THE 21st CENTURY

Institutions of higher education have a stake in the demographic shift that will occur in the 21st century. Employers will depend on colleges and universities to produce a trained workforce and the general public will request information about aging processes and how to successfully age. By responding to the demands of employers and the general public, institutions of higher education will be faced with a number of challenges. This article considers six challenges facing institutions of higher education in the 21st century and how higher education might respond to these challenges. Potential barriers to meeting these challenges are also discussed.     

GOALS,PURPOSES, AND FUTURE OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING

The study of aging can bridge divisions between biology, social sciences, and humanities, develop an understanding of causal interrelationships, and help in distinguishing between fact and opinion. An introductory course in gerontology should, therefore, be firmly tied to the liberal arts core of higher education, and not merely provide an assembly line of facts. Why particular problems have been investigated is as worthy of discussion as the findings themselves. The practical implications of research deserve emphasis, but the aim of university education is not to train pressure groups. Undergraduates should be helped to appreciate difficulties in designing and interpreting gerontological studies, as well as to realize that they are not yet ready to undertake independent empirical investigations.

The work of the first author is supported by the Canadian National Research Council (APA 89) and the Department of National Health and Welfare.     

GRADUATE TRAINING IN EDUCATION AND AGING: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL SURVEY; PART 1

The graduate departments of adult education at 88 universities in the United States were surveyed for information pertinent to their programs in and about aging. Results show that 55% of the departments offer no courses dealing exclusively with education and aging. Only one department offers a program concentration per se in educational gerontology. Those adult education academic programs that have a seeming interest in education and aging typically offer only an isolated course or two. Much needs to be done if adult education programs are to begin preparing people to meet the learning needs of older adults.     

HEARING AND AGING

Although changes in hearing acuity are expected to occur with aging, the impact of that sensory loss is frequently obscure, often discounted, and not appreciated. However, significant elements of communication comprising a complex matrix of sounds often are lost or distorted as individuals age. The invisible handicap of hearing loss must not be ignored. Across the many types of auditory differences among the aging, an appreciation of the effect of reduced access to meaningful sounds can help both the student and practitioner of gerontology gain insight into clients response behaviors that are socially adequate but insufficient or those that seem off target, out of place, or even unacceptable. Such knowledge can give gerontologists an advantage in handling otherwise stressful situations. Additionally, they can gain the ability to assess the need for changes in communication patterns or for professional consultation to ensure the quality of life of those aging individuals in their care.     

AGING EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

From kindergarten to college, as today's students learn to see the world as a global village, they can also learn that aging is part of the human condition, that older people do exist, and that the increasing numbers of older people is both a national resource and a national problem. Students can develop an awareness of the interdependence not only of cultures and countries but also of generations. Still scarce, though increasingly available, are curricular materials and programs that help young people explore how we and other cultures deal with aging and the elderly.     

CONSUMERISM AND THE AGING

The need for consumer health education for the aged has been expressed by a variety of authors. This paper focuses on the rationale, development, implementation, and evaluation of a consumer health education program for the aged.     

RETIRED EDUCATORS AS ADVOCATES: PROMOTING K-12 EDUCATION ABOUT AGING

Retired educators and other older adults can be influential advocates for K-12 education about aging, by promoting balanced and accurate education related to aging across grade levels and core disciplines. This article presents the processes, outcomes, and evaluation of a pilot project involving retired educators in Colorado and Montana. The experiences from this pilot project can help guide future efforts of retired older adults to increase teacher awareness of the need for K-12 education about aging.     

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONTINUING EDUCATION IN A RURAL AND REMOTE AREA: THE APPROACH OF THE NORTHERN EDUCATIONAL CENTRE FOR AGING AND HEALTH

This article describes an interdisciplinary continuing education approach for health professionals in a rural remote area implemented by the Northern Educational Centre for Aging and Health (NECAH) at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The article discusses issues of rural health care practice and the implications for practitioners’ educational needs. The key components involved in delivering interdisciplinary education and teamwork training are reviewed, followed by a discussion of the relevance of an interdisciplinary participatory approach for rural practitioners given their practice context and work style. Using NECAH's experience in planning and delivering a 5‐day interdisciplinary education program in palliative care as a case example, it is argued that simultanous attention to these issues in the design and delivery of continuing professional education for rural professionals contributes to a relevant educational experience in the short‐term and an increased interdisciplinary collaboration in the long‐term. The article suggests that NECAH's interdisciplinary participatory approach is a significant model for the continuing education of health professionals in rural remote areas.     

MEDICAL EDUCATION IN GERIATRICS: THE LASTING IMPACT OF THE AGING GAME

In an effort to sensitize medical students to the problems of the frail elderly, a simulation experience known as the Aging Game is a required portion of the Introduction to Clinical Medicine course for medical students at Duke University. The immediate positive effect of the Aging Game has been documented (Journal of the American Medical Association, 262, 1507‐1509), but its long‐term impact has not been established. To obtain follow‐up, a brief 10‐item questionnaire was mailed to all medical students. Both objective and subjective data were collected to ascertain the impact of the Aging Game over time (class years two through four), and objective responses were analyzed by the Mantel‐Haenszel chi‐square test of general association. The lasting effect of the intervention was confirmed over the 2‐year follow‐up period. The experiential nature of the intervention and the resultant increase in empathy for the frail elder explain the success of the Aging Game.     

LIFELONG EDUCATION,LIFELONG NEEDS: FUTURE ROLES IN AN AGING SOCIETY

This article proceeds from the assumption that the aging of American society has consequences for the life roles of midlife and older persons. Seven points are developed in support of the assumption. They are as follows: dynamics and demographics of an aging population; education, a critical component of life in the future; a model of education for older adults; new roles for an aging society; literacy for older persons; older persons' activities in pursuit of lifelong education; and a view of the future that includes lifelong education for lifelong needs. The final section offers some speculations about what lifelong education will be like in 2010.     

CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION AND CHARACTER EDUCATION: SIMILARITIES AND CONTRASTS

ABSTRACT:  We suggest that there is a need for those who seek to explore issues associated with the implementation of citizenship education in England to clarify its specific nature. This can be done, at least in part, through a process of comparison. To that end we review some of the connections and disjunctions between 'character education' and 'citizenship education'. We argue, drawing from US and UK literature but focusing our attention on contexts and issues in England, that there are indeed some broad areas of overlap between these two fields. Citizens should be of 'good' character and the educational initiatives that we consider both emerge from a concern about current trends in society. However, we suggest that the overlaps with citizenship education principally apply when character education is drawn very broadly. When we examine a particular approach to character education that is often US-based, and titled as 'citizenship', we note many contrasts with citizenship education as formulated in the National Curriculum for England. We suggest that citizenship educators in England need to interpret claims about the similarity between these two fields with caution, or meanings that apply to both character education and citizenship education will be distorted.