scholarly journals Building Evidence for the Impact of Older Adult Learning on Active Ageing

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Marvin Formosa
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learning ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Lifelong learning constitutes one of the pillars of active ageing on the basis that learning reinforces wellbeing and enables older people to stay healthy and engaged in society. This paper reports on a pretest-posttest study carried out at the University of the Third Age in Malta that measured the impact of late-life learning on levels of active ageing. The findings demonstrated that participation in older adult learning has a strong positive impact on the participants’ levels of active ageing and constitutes a resilient source of social capital in later life, and that people who presumably have had positive early experiences of education are more motivated to engage in late-life learning. The paper concludes that lifelong learning in later life acts as a possible mitigation to the social isolation, cognitive impairment, and age discrimination that people tend to experience in later life.

scholarly journals A Creative Writing Workshop on Sexuality and Ageing: A Spanish Pilot Case Study

Societies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Ieva Stončikaitė ◽  
Núria Mina-Riera
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Initial Hypothesis ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Negative stereotypes about old age abound in our present-day society, which often considers older people as sexually incapable or even asexual. On the other hand, active ageing ideologies foster the practice of sex in later life as a sign of healthy and active ageing. The aim of this pilot case study was to examine the impact that poetry on sexuality, ageing and creativity had on older individuals. In total eight participants, aged 49–76, participated in a workshop offered by the University of Lleida (Spain). The initial hypothesis was that the participants, following the example set by the poems, would produce pieces of creative writing in which they voiced their own concerns and experiences about sexuality in later life from the distance that metaphor grants. While some of the participants’ writings engaged with the poems that deal with sexuality in older age, none of the participants’ creative pieces contained explicit instances of sexual experiences. The analysis of the participants’ creative pieces suggests that: first, they regard intimacy in older age as essential; and second, their unwillingness to write about sexuality in older age is partly rooted in their upbringing during Franco’s dictatorial regime, in which sexuality for non-reproductive aims was constructed as immoral.

Exploring social inclusivity within the University of the Third Age (U3A): a model of collaborative research

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1580-1603 ◽  
Author(s):  
REBECCA PATTERSON ◽  
SUZANNE MOFFATT ◽  
MAUREEN SMITH ◽  
JESSICA SCOTT ◽  
CHRISTOPHER MCLOUGHLIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Third Age ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
The Third ◽  
North East ◽  
The Social ◽  
The University

ABSTRACTLifelong learning is believed to have physical, social and emotional benefits for older adults. In recognition of this, numerous programmes encouraging learning in later life exist worldwide. One example is the University of the Third Age (U3A) – a lifelong learning co-operative rooted in peer-support and knowledge sharing. This article is based on a collaborative study conducted by university researchers and members of a U3A in North-East England (United Kingdom) investigating the social inclusivity of the group in light of low attendance levels among those from social housing and non-professional backgrounds. A qualitative approach comprising semi-structured interviews and focus groups was adopted to explore knowledge and experience of lifelong learning and the U3A. Sixty individuals aged 50+ were interviewed. The demographic profile of participants largely reflected the socio-economic make-up of the area, with the majority living in areas of high socio-economic deprivation. Several barriers to lifelong learning were revealed, including: poor health, insufficient transport and caring responsibilities. Regarding U3A participation, three exclusionary factors were outlined: lack of knowledge, organisational name and location. Poor comprehension of the purpose and remit of the U3A can result in the development of ‘middle-class' myths regarding membership, perpetuating poor participation rates among lower socio-economic groups. Such perceptions must be dispelled to allow the U3A to fulfil its potential as a highly inclusive organisation.

scholarly journals Using a Quasi-Experimental Study to Examine Outcomes for Older Adult Intergenerational Program Participants

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 543-543
Author(s):  
Skye Leedahl ◽  
Melanie Brasher ◽  
Erica Estus
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Intergenerational Learning ◽  
Senior Center ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The University

Abstract To more rigorously examine the University of Rhode Island Cyber-Seniors Program, we conducted a quasi-experimental study to examine if older adult senior center participants (n=25) improved scores on social and technological measures compared to a sample of senior center participants (n=25) who did not take part in the program. Findings showed that participants improved on technology measures compared to the non-participants, including searching and finding information about goods & services, obtaining information from public authorities or services, seeking health information, sending or receiving emails, and participating in online social networks (p<.05). However, participants did not change on social measures. There is either a need to identify better social measures to understand the social benefits of taking part, or to bolster the program to aid in helping older adults alleviate isolation and loneliness. Information on best practices and challenges for gathering outcomes from older participants will be discussed. Part of a symposium sponsored by Intergenerational Learning, Research, and Community Engagement Interest Group.

scholarly journals The Impact of Embedded iPad Use on Student Perceptions of Their Digital Capabilities

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Elphick
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Key Skills ◽  
The University ◽  
Teaching In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Digital capabilities are recognized as key skills that students must possess to learn and work in our increasingly digital world and have been the subject of a growing focus over recent years. Similarly, smartphones and, to a lesser degree, tablets are now ubiquitous within the student body, and many academics are beginning to leverage these devices for the purposes of learning and teaching in higher education. To further explore the possibilities of mobile technology, the iPilot project was created to explore the effects that embedded iPad use had on undergraduate students’ creativity, ability to collaborate with their peers and their perception of their digital capabilities. Focusing on the digital capabilities aspect of the project, this paper explores the results gathered. While the results are mixed, when combined with data taken from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Digital Experience Tracker, it does appear that using iPads in the university classroom can have a positive impact on certain digital behaviors and students’ perceptions of their digital skills.

scholarly journals The characteristics of anxiety and depression symptom severity in older adults living in public housing

2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 614-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Simning ◽  
Yeates Conwell ◽  
Susan G. Fisher ◽  
Thomas M. Richardson ◽  
Edwin van Wijngaarden
Keyword(s):  
Public Housing ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Depression Symptom ◽  
The Social ◽  
Public Housing Residents

ABSTRACTBackground:Anxiety and depression are common in older adult public housing residents and frequently co-occur. To understand anxiety and depression more fully in this socioeconomically disadvantaged population, this study relies on the Social Antecedent Model of Psychopathology to characterize anxiety and depression symptoms concurrently.Methods:190 public housing residents aged 60 years and older in Rochester, New York, participated in a research interview during which they reported on variables across the six stages of the Social Antecedent Model. GAD-7 and PHQ-9 assessed anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively.Results:In these older adult residents, anxiety and depression symptom severity scores were correlated (r = 0.61; p < 0.001). Correlates of anxiety and depression symptom severity were similar for both outcomes and spanned the six stages of the Social Antecedent Model. Multivariate linear regression models identified age, medical comorbidity, mobility, social support, maladaptive coping, and recent life events severity as statistically significant correlates. The regression models accounted for 43% of anxiety and 48% of depression symptom variability.Conclusions:In public housing residents, late-life anxiety and depression symptoms were moderately correlated. Anxiety symptom severity correlates were largely consistent with those found for depression symptom severity. The broad distribution of correlates across demographic, social, medical, and behavioral domains suggests that the context of late-life anxiety and depression symptomatology in public housing is complex and that multidisciplinary collaborative care approaches may be warranted in future interventions.

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