CONNECTING THE DOTS: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AMONG OLDER ADULTS, STUDENTS, AND INSTRUCTORS

Abstract

Although the aging process is a universal phenomenon, misconceptions regarding late adulthood are prevalent, such as loneliness and dependency, which often lead to negative stereotypes and poor developmental outcomes (Kotter-Grühn, 2015); thus, it is important to minimize these stereotypes in an educational platform. Intergenerational discussions have been shown to be a robust approach in reducing stereotypes (Canedo-García et al., 2017; Golenko et al., 2019); especially if it is used to dismantle “othering” the groups by creating community and collectivist perspectives (D’Antonio, 2020). My goal is to explore how intergenerational discussions can be used in the classroom to facilitate collaborative learning among older adults, students, and instructors. In the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semesters, I partnered with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) to connect undergraduate students with older adults from the community. The course centered around the students’ social innovation project- address how current systems may not adequately support older adults and propose a creative solution. The students interviewed the OLLI members throughout the semester about course content (e.g., their awareness of age-related discrimination and barriers in their community). At the end of the semester, students used their accumulated information from both the OLLI members and the course material to propose their social innovation to the OLLI members. The OLLI members asked questions, made recommendations, and highlighted limitations in the students’ work. I observed collaborative thinking and sharing across both groups during these presentations. Overall, intergenerational discussions were a valuable tool in the classroom.

Full text

Innovation in Aging, 2023, Vol. 7, No. S1 25
narratives gleaned from focus group participants revealed
six self-identity themes: vocation, family role, personal
characteristics, hobbies and interests, religious afliation,
and social networks. Although the deterioration of explicit
memory, including autobiographical memory, is a hallmark
of dementia, overfocusing on this as the sole component
of self-identity contributes to the representation of persons
living with dementia as less than whole and lacking “selves.”
Our ndings suggest critical components of self-identity
other than memory that should be recognized and supported
in persons living with dementia.
SESSION 1080 (SYMPOSIUM)
Abstract citation ID: igad104.0082
EMPOWERING ALL AGES THROUGH
INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTION AND
LIFELONG LEARNING
Chair: LisaHollis-Sawyer Discussant: LauraDonoro
This symposium will share a variety of pedagogical
approaches designed to foster age-inclusivity and
intergenerational learning. The authors will share research
and outcomes of different educational designs utilizing
intergenerational programming and other approaches to
engage older and younger adult learners. The rst pres-
entation will explore how intergenerational discussions
can be used in the classroom to facilitate collaborative
learning among older adults, students, and instructors.
The second presentation will discuss the development of
a course abroad in Scotland called “Global Aging & Age-
Friendly Initiatives,” aiming to promote intergenerational
connection and global age-inclusivity. The third presenta-
tion will discuss "Between Islands," an intergenerational
virtual contact intervention designed to promote creativity
and intergenerational connection between younger and
older adults while challenging stereotypes about aging. The
fourth presentation will explore the experiences of emeriti
faculty in engaging online with Introduction to Gerontology
students in a novel intergenerational classroom activity.
The nal presentation will review intergenerational class-
room design guidelines to optimize multiple generations'
learning experiences, aging understanding/appreciation of
others, and age-inclusivity. The empowerment and benets
of these efforts for the life-long learning of the generations
involved will be discussed.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.0083
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN FOR
INTERGENERATIONAL AND AGE-INCLUSIVE
LEARNING: LESSONS FROM A GERONTOLOGY
CLASSROOM
LisaHollis-Sawyer, Northeastern Illinois University
(Chicago), Chicago, Illinois, United States
The paper will present a multi-year research study that
examined the learning needs of rst-generation younger
and older learners in a graduate-level online learning
environment. Ageism and related stereotyping will be
reviewed as concepts that reect a potentially biased
understanding of all age groups that should be addressed
in intergenerational learning activities. Students' per-
ceptions of understanding aging issues and stereotypes
were compared pre- and post-course. A model will be
presented about designing an age-inclusive, age-friendly
online course design utilizing intergenerational learning
activities to optimize learning outcomes while redu-
cing ageist assumptions through targeted virtual discus-
sions about diversity perceptions in the classroom—the
design of intergenerational engagement discussion and
other learning assignment activities in an introductory
graduate gerontology course. Implications for creating
intergenerational programming will be discussed.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.0084
CONNECTING THE DOTS: COLLABORATIVE
LEARNING AMONG OLDER ADULTS, STUDENTS,
AND INSTRUCTORS
CaitlinReynolds, North Carolina State University, Raleigh,
North Carolina, United States
Although the aging process is a universal phenomenon,
misconceptions regarding late adulthood are prevalent, such
as loneliness and dependency, which often lead to negative
stereotypes and poor developmental outcomes (Kotter-Grühn,
2015); thus, it is important to minimize these stereotypes in
an educational platform. Intergenerational discussions have
been shown to be a robust approach in reducing stereotypes
(Canedo-García et al., 2017; Golenko et al., 2019); especially
if it is used to dismantle “othering” the groups by creating
community and collectivist perspectives (D’Antonio, 2020).
My goal is to explore how intergenerational discussions can
be used in the classroom to facilitate collaborative learning
among older adults, students, and instructors. In the Fall
2022 and Spring 2023 semesters, I partnered with the Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) to connect undergraduate
students with older adults from the community. The course
centered around the students’ social innovation project- ad-
dress how current systems may not adequately support older
adults and propose a creative solution. The students inter-
viewed the OLLI members throughout the semester about
course content (e.g., their awareness of age-related discrim-
ination and barriers in their community). At the end of the
semester, students used their accumulated information from
both the OLLI members and the course material to propose
their social innovation to the OLLI members. The OLLI
members asked questions, made recommendations, and
highlighted limitations in the students’ work. I observed col-
laborative thinking and sharing across both groups during
these presentations. Overall, intergenerational discussions
were a valuable tool in the classroom.
Abstract citation ID: igad104.0085
INTERGENERATIONAL COURSE ABROAD EXPLORES
AGE INCLUSIVITY IN SCOTLAND
AndreaJune, and CarrieAndreoletti, Central Connecticut
State University, New Britain, Connecticut, United States
In 2017, Central Connecticut State University (CCSU)
joined the Age-Friendly University (AFU) global network.
Guided by the AFU framework to promote age inclusivity
in higher education, many programs and services at CCSU
have been expanded to encourage the participation of older
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