Using Technology to Connect Generations
Nowadays, as ageing increases in Western societies it has become more evident that multiple generations are ageing concurrently at any given time in history. Therefore, ageing must be approached as a multi-generational phenomenon, not just as a question of elders. In this context, situations that engender increased interactions between generations are garnering more attention. There is a growing emphasis on expanding the role of technology in intergenerational programmes within the field of intergenerational studies. Consequently, this paper is focused on education and learning processes within intergenerational programmes with a strong technology component. Information from a total of 46 intergenerational programmes from 11 countries has been gathered through a survey. Level of impact, status of generational groups and centrality of technology have been appraised for all programmes in the sample. Technology learning-teaching constitute the main area of intended impact of these programmes. However, the surveyed programmes employ as well a wide range of strategies to facilitate intergenerational communication, cooperation and relationship formation between generations involved. Interest of programmes examined does not just consist of teaching the use technology but of experimenting with technology in different forms and functions and exploring the positive potential for enhancing intergenerational relationships.
Sánchez, Mariano; Kaplan, Matthew; Bradley, Leah: Using Technology to Connect Generations: Some Considerations of Form and Function. Comunicar: Media Educational Research Journal, 7/2015 http://www.revistacomunicar.com/index.php?contenido=detalles&numero=45&articulo=45-2015-10
Slovenian Third Age University students redefine age-friendly community approaches
Age –friendly communities are becoming the epicentre of interests of those dealing with population trends, growing urbanisation, older age, communities, inclusion, environmental questions to name just a few of them. The ‘’age-friendly city’’ term appeared for the first time in 2005, when WHO launched the Global Age-Friendly Cities Project. In the meantime the terms ‘’livable community’’ in the United States and ‘’lifetime neighborhood’’ in the UK became some of the terms describing environments better suitable for the older population. But it is not the naming, but rather the term by which such a development of a community is achieved, that should be of great interest. Basically there are two approaches: top down governance where local authorities and policy makers tend to implement age friendly changes in their development plans and bottom up governance, where different programmes help older people to gain more community participation skills (3). Slovenian Third Age University is empowering its students for volunteering, greater social inclusion, participation in the local community through many of its educative programmes and in this way works at the bottom-up part of the age-friendly community involvement trajectory. Yet this time a small project has emerged, putting elderly U3 students into a new perspective. This time the students of the ‘’Designing gardens’’ U3 study circle decided to became volunteers designing a garden for a local community, namely for the municipality Ljubljana owned ‘’Centre for the help for the elderly’’.
The idea from the institution ‘’Centre for the help for the elderly ‘’was to engage local community to reconstruct its small garden to become not only older visitor friendly, but to become a part of public open places as well, its small green lawn to invite walkers to sit down for a moment . U3 mentor Mitja Škerjanec and his ‘’Designing gardens’’ study circle students took a chance to participate in the project, which gave them the opportunity to have some practical lessons outside the classroom proving their theoretical knowledge and to help building an age-friendly community. Moreover, some other U3 student groups got involved by now: Garden volunteers are ready to help planting the new garden while Ceramics circle students are designing some ceramics pieces to decorate the garden.
This project is an example that there are not only two approaches towards building an age-friendly community, namely top down or bottom up. Sometimes good approaches evolve just from the people’s strong feeling that something should be done and at that point it is perfect when bottom up or upper-down governance are no hindrance to the idea that had evolved out from the needs and wishes. Needless to say, learning and education in later life do have something in common with such an approach. (Tamara Jare, Slovenian Third Age University)
Lui, Everingham, Wartburton, Cuthill, Bertlett. What makes a community age –friendly: A review of international literature. Australian Journal on Ageing. Vol. 28 No September 2009, 116-12
European Agenda for Adult Learning 2012-2014
Final reports from European member states on the European Agenda for Adult Learning. This project has been funded with support from the European Union under the Invitation to submit grant applications for the Implementation of the European Agenda for Adult Learning addressed to the National Coordinators (period 2012-2014).
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/project_reports/project_reports_adult_learning_en.php
EPALE – ePlatform for Adult Learning in Europe
EPALE is a multilingual open membership community for teachers, trainers, researchers, academics, policy makers and anyone else with a professional role in adult learning across Europe.
Community is at the heart of EPALE. It is set up around the sharing of content related to adult learning, including news, blog posts, resources, and events and courses. Members of the community can engage with adult learning colleagues across Europe through the site’s features, includingmforums and commenting blogs. There is more information about various projects and professional connections to be found.
EPALE is funded by the European Commission, as the latest development in an ongoing commitment of improving the quality of adult learning provision in Europe. More information under https://ec.europa.eu/epale/
Digital Agenda for Europe
Link to the Education subsection of the Digital Agenda for Europe. The Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE) aims to help Europe’s citizens and businesses to get the most out of digital technologies. It is the first of seven flagships initiatives under Europe 2020, the EU’s strategy to deliver smart sustainable and inclusive growth.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52010DC0245R%2801%29:EN:NOT
Innovating Pedagogy 2014 – Open University Innovation Report 3
This series of reports explores new forms of teaching, learning and assessment for an interactive world, to guide teachers and policy makers in productive innovation. This third report proposes ten innovations that are already in currency but have not yet had a profound influence on education. To produce it, a group of academics at the Institute of Educational Technology in The Open University proposed a long list of new educational terms, theories, and practices. We then pared these down to ten that have the potential to provoke major shifts in educational practice, particularly in post-school education. Lastly, we drew on published and unpublished writings to compile the ten sketches of new pedagogies that might transform education. These are summarised below, starting with two updates of last year’s report, followed by eight new entries, in an approximate order of immediacy and timescale to widespread implementation.
Mike Sharples, Anne Adams, Rebecca Ferguson, Mark Gaved, Patrick McAndrew, Bart Rienties, Martin Weller, Denise Whitelock: Innovating Pedagogy 2014. Exploring new forms of teaching, learning and assessment, to guide educators and policy makers.
http://www.open.ac.uk/iet/main/sites/www.open.ac.uk.iet.main/files/files/ecms/web-content/Innovating_Pedagogy_2014.pdf