Action research was conducted to improve the teaching of the analysis of the population pyramid to Grade 7 female Geography students. Instrumental Enrichment was selected as a tool to teach the analysis of the population pyramid. Firstly, the concept of a population pyramid was introduced and taught using an existing teaching method and a baseline assessment was conducted. Instrumental Enrichment was then introduced, and students used the tool to analyse four population pyramids. A concluding assessment measured the improvement in students’ ability to analyse the population pyramid. The use of Instrumental Enrichment did enhance the students’ understanding of the population pyramid. However, they were not able to use it consistently and independently. This agrees with Willingham (2009) that students remember what they think about and the findings of Bellaera (2017) and Adams (1991) that students are not able to develop critical thinking purely by interacting with the subject matter. A refinement of Instrumental Enrichment was proposed considering these principles.
The population pyramid is being inverted and the designers are facing challenges in the way they design products, spaces, and services for elder people. Although the design is composed of both cultural and social aspects, the functional aspect takes relevance for autonomy and empowerment of the person that gets older. To design products centered on the physical capacities of the elder population, the aging suit has being used as a tool for the gerontodesign. In countries like Mexico, its application is limited by the manufacturing cost. For this reason, as part of a design methodology for elder people, a low-cost suit was developed focus on the design students and professionals located in Latin America.
Objectives: Covid-19 is a betacoronavirus that was initially transmitted to humans from an animal host. It enters the cell by binding its protein S with angiotensin-converted enzyme receptors. It is transmitted through direct contact and respiratory drops. The most affected population so far are older adults and people with chronic conditions. The objective of this research is to analyze the possible association between the structure of the population pyramid, the Gross Domestic Product, the type of isolation and screening used to detect Covid-19 in the countries with the highest and lowest mortality from this disease.Design and Methods: Some variables take part in the Covid-19 mortality worldwide, such as the population structure, expressed in the population pyramid by country, the type of isolation adopted in each nation, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as the type of screening that is implemented in the different countries analyzed.Results: After analyzing the mean difference in the countries with a regressive and progressive population pyramid, an association was identified between the regressive population pyramid structure and the higher mortality rate (p<0.001).Conclusions: The countries with a progressive population pyramid are the most benefited by making their population more screened since the mortality rate decreases significantly compared to the countries with less attribution (p<0.036).
The use of Instrumental Enrichment as a method to teach the analysis of the population pyramid to Grade 7 Geography students
