E. Michael Brady

PARTICIPATION IN LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTES: WHAT TURNS MEMBERS ON?

ABSTRACT Research among rank and file members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Portland, Maine was conducted to investigate the perceived benefits of participation in a peer-governed and taught elder learning program. Interviews were conducted with 45 long-term members of the program by 6 focus groups. Benefits were reported in 4 categories: intellectual stimulation, experiencing a nurturing and supportive community, enhancing self-esteem, and having opportunities for spiritual renewal. Implications of the multidimensionality of older learners and the outcomes they seek from participation in lifelong-learning institutes are explored. The older adult, simply by virtue of time-spent-in-living, is the most complex of all individuals. Mary Alice Wolf

Participation Motives and Learning Outcomes among Older Learners.

Although older students are participating in formal educational programs at increasingly higher rates, few studies have examined learning outcomes or the relationship between motivational factors for participation and outcomes. This research project surveyed 560 older students attending Elderhostel programs. The purpose of the study was to examine self‐reported learning outcomes and study the predictive relationships between reasons for participation and outcomes. Students reported moderate levels of growth on two outcomes factors: humanities/critical thinking and human relations/personal development. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the best predictors of learning outcomes among older participants in Elderhostel programs were setting clear goals for learning and the specific nature of the courses and institutions attended.

Education for Older Adults with Early-Stage Dementia: Health Promotion for the Mind, Body, and Spirit.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 13-week adult education class for older adults with early-stage dementia titled Health Promotion for the Mind, Body, and Spirit. The mixed method research design (N = 14) used a quasiexperimental one-group pretest/posttest and the qualitative methods of focus group and phone interview with caregivers. Pre and posttest measures included the Mini-Mental State Exam, Geriatric Depression Scale–Short Form, and the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale. There were significant changes in general perceived self-efficacy scores and a reported increase in “growth through confidence” from the participants and caregivers. Age range of the participants was 67 to 89 years of age (M = 78.8, SD = 5.9) The course was theoretically driven by the Corbin and Strauss Trajectory Model for Chronic Illness Management (Corbin & Strauss, 1991). The study highlights the inclusion of an adult education course for people with early stage dementia as part of the Osher Life Long Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Southern Maine.

JOURNAL WRITING AMONG OLDER LEARNERS

This qualitative study explored the personal history, current practice, and perceived benefits of keeping a journal or diary among 15 older learners(averageage=69.2 years) who are members of an institute for learning in retirement in Maine. Interviews revealed that there are three primary areas in which older persons benefit from journal writing. Keeping a journal assists older persons to cope with day-to-day situations, it enables them to experience the joy of discovery, and it helps to nurture their own voice and spirit. Implications for educators who work with older learners are discussed.

The Quest for Community in Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes

An open-ended online survey designed to explore issues related to learning communities was administered to directors of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Programs across the United States. Sixty-five directors responded to this survey. Findings included a description of a learning community, which is constituted by learners having common goals, a sense of ownership, sustained relationships, holistic engagement, and meaningful peer interactions. Any successful strategy to build community rests on the foundation of committed volunteers and a responsive host institution. In addition to these, directors nurture their learning communities through a variety of strategies that include special interest groups, educational travel, sponsoring socially-focused activities, and consistent communication. Implications for international lifelong learning programs and the future of learning communities in the face of increased online and other distance education modalities are explored.

Lifelong Resiliency Learning: A Strength-Based Synergy for Gerontological Social Work

The significance of the synergy between promoting resiliency and the strengths-based perspective is well established in gerontological social work. This article reports on qualitative research that suggests another potentially productive synergy, one that can result from the interaction between the capacities for resiliency and lifelong learning. These findings emerged from a qualitative study involving 12 older women (ages 64–72) participating in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine. Lifelong learning is defined as a cognitive process by which individuals continue to develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes over their lifetime. The implications of the data are considered from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes gerontological social work, educational gerontology, and adult learning. Specific social work research and practice initiatives that could confirm and operationalize this synergy are suggested.

PRERETIREMENT EDUCATION MODELS AND CONTENT: A NEW ENGLAND STUDY

Representatives from 245 organizations in four New England states were interviewed to determine whether they offered preretirement education and planning (PREP) programs and, if so, what formats and content were involved. Slightly more than half the sample sponsored some type of retirement education. One‐on‐one counseling was the most frequently offered PREP format, followed by group sessions. Most retirement education was offered by personnel internal to the organization. The content usually highlighted in these programs was related to financial concerns. Implications for educational gerontologists and organizations sponsoring PREP programs are discussed.

Barriers to Work Among the Elderly: A Connecticut Study

This study examines interest in labor force participation among persons age 55 and over in Connecticut. Phone interviews with 818 low-income elderly were conducted in 1984 to examine participation patterns and perceived barriers to employment. Wefound that reasonsfornot working involvedpredominantly situationalfactors such as personal health, problems with transportation, and issues relating to qualifications for training. Regression analysis indicated that the strongest predictors of an interest in work are the connection between training opportunities and good jobs, perceived income adequacy, willingness on the part of the worker to work on weekends, and having the appropriate qualifications for a job. Implica tions for social intervention and policy development for older workers are discussed.

Aging, society, and the life course (5th ed.), By Leslie A. Morgan and Suzanne R. Kunkel

It’s usually a sign that a book is useful to its intended audience and, therefore, successful when it is published over time in multiple editions. Now in its fifth edition, Aging, society, and the life course has stood the test of time as a solid text designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying gerontology. This book distinguishes itself from other general gerontology texts by “its emphasis on social context, social processes, and social structures as part of a broader understanding of the sociology of aging and the life course” (springerpub.com/aging-society-and-the-life-course-fifth-edition. html). Leslie Morgan (University of Maryland at Baltimore County) and Suzanne Kunkel (Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University, Ohio) are sociologists by training and both teach in and direct social gerontology programs in their respective institutions. Hence, they are well prepared to provide a wide and deep investigation into the social nature of human aging. The broad approach to the sociology of aging this book provides includes chapters on world demographic perspectives, the aging individual in a societal context, the family, work and retirement, health, the politics of aging, and issues associated with global aging. One feature that I found of special interestwas themanner inwhichMorgan andKunkel dealt with social theories of aging. Instead of clustering disengagement, activity, modernization, age stratification, and other theories into a single chapter, these are separated and explored in specially marked sections in each chapter entitled “Applying Theory.” For example, in what I thought was an especially strong chapter on work and retirement, the authors introduce the reader to disengagement and activity theory. In a chapter on politics and government, the “Applying Theory” section focuses on age stratification. And toward the end of the book, in their treatment of global aging, the authors introduce modernization theory. Seeing social theories of aging situated in specific contexts sharpened their meaning, and it appears to be an effective way to introduce these important concepts to undergraduate and graduate students of gerontology. As an educational gerontologist who has focused much of his teaching career and research on older learners, lifelong learning institutes, and related issues, I was disappointed by the brief (almost nonexistent) treatment this important aspect of aging received in Aging, society, and the life course. Mention of older learners appears in only three of the 400+ pages in the book, and some of the information that is presented is not up-to-date. For example, in the penultimate chapter about aging and baby boomers, the authors state that a variety of lifelong learning opportunities have recently emerged including Elderhostel which is “now called Exploritas” (p. 325). This was true in 2009; but in 2010, this well-known learning and travel organization rebranded itself to Road Scholar, which remains its name today. All things considered, however, I enjoyed this book and believe it would be an excellent text for the audience for which it is written, i.e., upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying aging and, especially, social gerontology.

Demographic and Behavioral Characteristics of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Members

Abstract The number of lifelong learning institutes (LLIs) is growing across the United States and it is important for educational planners and administrators to know about current demographic and behavioral characteristics of program participants. A 14-question survey was administered via SurveyMonkey to members who use computers in eight Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) programs. Questions focused on selected demographic characteristics and also retirement trends such as relocation, extent of part-time or full-time employment, and technology utilization, as well as experience with distance education and areas of interest for lifelong learning courses. A total of 3,023 older learners responded to this survey. The largest age category of respondents was 65 to 69 years of age. Seventy percent of the sample was female. The educational level of OLLI participants is high, with 86% having completed college and more than 50% having completed a graduate program. As expected, the use of technology (e.g., tablets, Facebook, etc.) was lower among older participants, particularly above the age of 70. A substantial proportion of the sample reported either being employed full-time or part-time or seeking work. Implications of these and other demographic and behavioral characteristics are discussed.