Chandra M. Mehrotra

IN DEFENSE OF OFFERING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS

Education and training play major roles in the lives of older adults. They serve preventive, facilitative, remedial, and preparatory functions. In this paper we present demographic changes related to education, outline motives and educational needs of older adults, examine the role of education in reducing the decline in mental functioning, discuss the need to engage underserved segments of the population, and offer suggestions for designing educational programs for older adults.

Measuring up : educational assessment challenges and practices for psychology

Psychology teachers and administrators in high school through graduate programs are repeatedly challenged by parents, politicians, and school reformers to provide solid evidence that their instruction is both effective and demonstrative. This practical volume addresses that challenge head on, by providing the most up-to-date thinking and concrete practices of experienced scientist-educators. Using the information provided in this volume, educators will be able to demonstrate learning, track and measure student achievement, and gauge quality of instruction.

Follow-Up Evaluation of a Faculty Training Program in Aging Research.

In collaboration with distinguished scholars and National Institute on Aging (NIA) staff, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a research training program in aging for psychology faculty from 4-year colleges. The goal of the program was to build and sustain a community of college faculty committed to conducting aging research, incorporating recent advances in their courses, and engaging undergraduate students in aging research. Program design included an initial 2-week summer institute, ongoing consultation, a midyear meeting during the intervening year, and a follow-up institute. The initial institute focused on research methodology, selected content areas, and procedural matters related to preparation and submission of grant applications. There were 2 follow-up meetings that provided participants with extended opportunities to discuss the proposal they were developing. Between 1998 and 2004, 6 cohorts of psychology faculty (with 13–15 members in each cohort) participated in the program. This paper reports the results of a follow-up evaluation we conducted in September 2004.

ENHANCING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING THROUGH FACULTY DEVELOPMENT

A faculty enhancement program was developed to enable psychology instructors incorporate up‐to‐date content on aging into their courses. With support from the National Science Foundation, I conducted a 2‐week institute for 22 teachers from 2‐ and 4‐year colleges, provided them with consultation during and after the institute, maintained contact with them through reunions and newsletters, and organized a follow‐up institute to allow them to share their new efforts. Evaluation before and after the initial institute indicated that the institute had strengthened participants’ disciplinary expertise and fostered positive attitudes toward aging. In addition, evaluation after the follow‐up institute indicated that a large number of participants were reading much more about aging than they had before the initial institute and had begun to incorporate their new knowledge and skills into the courses they taught. Similar programs may be developed for gerontology faculty from other disciplines.

Enhancing Research Capacity in Gerontological Social Work

There is an untapped potential of social work faculty to conduct aging research aimed at enhancing the well-being of older adults. To better exploit this resource, we have designed, implemented, and evaluated a postgraduate training program in aging research. The goal of the program is to build and sustain a community of social work faculty committed to conducting aging research, to incorporating recent advances in their courses, and to engaging their students in aging research. Program design includes an initial institute (which focuses on research methodology, selected content areas, and procedural matters related to preparation and submission of grant applications); ongoing consultation; and a midyear meeting during the intervening year and a follow-up institute that provide the participants with extended opportunities to discuss the proposals they develop. Evaluation data presented in this paper focus on the first two cohorts (who entered in summer 2004 and summer 2005). These data indicate that the program has been highly effective in expanding the pool of faculty engaged in aging research. Lessons learned with regard to program structure, content, recruitment, evaluation, and sustainability are shared.

Utilizing and evaluating ITV workshops for rural community leadership training

SUMMARY Interactive television has potential merit as a medium for reaching rural audiences. The Blandin Foundation has recently explored the use of ITV for its workshops for leadership training in rural Minnesota communities. This paper presents the findings of a formative evaluation of a pilot ITV workshop on “Attracting and Sustaining Community Volunteers,” in terms of its technical aspects, acceptability to participants, learning impacts, and accessibility. Criteria for selecting distance learning modalities and ITV networks and providers are suggested.

Impact of serious mental illness online training for certified nursing assistants in long term care

ABSTRACT Certified nurse assistants (CNAs) spend the most staff time with nursing home residents, yet they receive little training in addressing the mental health needs of residents with serious mental illness (SMI). Forty CNAs from four long-term-care facilities took the online interactive CARES-® Serious Mental Illness™ training consisting of two modules guided by the Recovery Movement philosophy of care. Responses from pre–post testing, Likert-type items, and open-ended questions indicated that CNAs gained information, changed their perspectives, and had more confidence in dealing with SMI. Although there were minor concerns regarding length, clarity of content, and technical issues, CNAs found the online format acceptable and easy to use, and many said they would recommend the training. CARES Serious Mental Illness online training appears to be a viable way of helping CNAs address the mental health needs of long term care residents. Additional testing on CARES Serious Mental Illness is planned.

Introduction: Fostering Aging Research in Undergraduate Psychology Programs

Faculty at 4-year colleges and other universities that have teaching as their primary focus are an important potential resource for conducting research on the psychology of aging and for training undergraduates who can fill the ranks as the next generation of researchers. This special-theme issue presents 9 articles that describe the components of a successful training program for faculty at these institutions; examples of student involvement in National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded research being carried out at 6 institutions; the reflections of distinguished scholars who served as program faculty; and information on applying for the NIAs R15 Academic Research Enhancement Award.

Appraising the Performance of Older Workers

Performance appraisal should receive critical and effective priority in personnel management. This recommendation is based on a number of reasons: the aging of the workforce, the desire of many individuals to continue working past normal retirement age, the disclosure rights granted by the Freedom of Information Act, the 1978 amendments to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the large magnitude of individual differences among older workers, demands for equal employment opportunity, the growing emphasis on communication and participation in employee relations, and the motivation of organizations to make the best use of the available work force. Performance evaluation provides an accurate measure of how well a person is performing on the job. This information allows the management to (a) make personnel decisions regarding salary, productions, layoffs, etc. and (b) help employees improve performance, plan work, develop skills for career growth, and strengthen the quality of their relationship as managers and employees. This dual purpose of performance appraisal creates problems for managers as they find it difficult to serve both as judge and as counselor simultaneously. Many organizations have, therefore, developed separate appraisal programs for performance evaluation and performance planning and review (Meyer, Kay, and French, 1965).