“LEARNING” AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR “SENIOR” AUSTRALIANS

Barry Russell

Abs t rac t Although there is a change in the learning process

itself, the ability to learn even in extreme old age. is more dependent on personal motivation, and one’s ‘self-concept as a learner’, rather than on age itself.

Strategies for teaching the elderly are also treated in the paper as well as brief descriptions of new educa- tional programs introduced in South Australia, Vic- toria and New South Wales in the last few years.

Research into learning, and the ageing process itself, has resulted in innovative educational programs being developed for elderly Australians. These programs, which cater for a wide range of needs, have thus pro- vided greater opportunities for the elderly in satisfying their lifestyles. This is an important change from past educational programs which tended to treat the elderly as a homogeneous group - all with failing mental abilities and requiring the same type of program.

Leading the new research into the learning abilities of older Australians is the University of Queensland with its longitudinal studies. This research, by such people as Harwood, Naylor, Enticknap and Job, has consequently shown that, “in relation to older people’s intelligence, the average decline was negli- gible until the ninth and tenth decades, when the loss reached approximately two per cent per annum”. (Harwood and Enticknap, 1984).

This research is supported by the Task Force set up by the U.S.A. White House, which concluded that ‘Normal aging does not include gross intellectual im- pairment, confusion, depression, hallucinations or delusions’. (American National Institute on Aging. 1980, 259) and by Fales (1980, 5), who states ‘for all practical purposes, learning ability is maintained or even increased throughout the life span and is ultimately affected not by age, but by disease and physical deterioration associated by extreme old age’.

Before looking at the new educational programs, let us examine what learning is, some of the facts about the elderly and their learning abilities, and teaching strategies that will assist older people’s learning.

Simply put, learning is attempting to change or enrich knowledge, values, skills or strategies. For older adults, learning mainly relates to transforming or re-arranging some knowledge, value, skill o r strategy they already possess.

DEVELOPMENTAL LEARNING - changes through the passage of time and the accumulation of life experiences. ADAPTIONAL LEARNING - changes which occur in our internal and external environments. SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING - changes occurring because of self-initiated moves.- REFLECTIVE LEARNlNG - where final connec-

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The four types of learning are:

tions among learning from seemingful different ex- periences, different situations and different knowledge, values, skills and strategies are found. (From Fales, Mackeracher and Vigoda, 1981, 36)

With this understanding, it should be apparent that in fact people, informally at least, can and d o learn at any age.

Whether they can learn in a formal structure, however, will depend on their personal motivation and their ‘want to learn’. I f the impression in the past has been that older people couldn’t learn, then perhaps the reason was that the older people didn’t see a ‘need to learn’.

The ability of the individual to learn is also partly determined by h idher self-concept as a learner. I f the self-perception is that of a poor learner, then the in- dividual will avoid situations seen to be threatening. The previous educational experience of the individual has a lasting effect on self-concept and will affect future personal and educational expectations.

As intellectual performance is affected by physical health, the healthier a person is, the better the learning abilities tend to be. Therefore, if research on the ‘elderly’ is conducted in a nursing home, the physical disabilities experienced by the patients will have a debilitating affect on their learning capabilities. Similarly, people with cardio-vascular diseases (resulting in reduced oxygen supply to the brain caus- ing vascular lesions which destroy small portions of brain tissue) will also have reduced learning efficiency. As the sensory organs are adversely affected by age- ing, older people may also not be receiving the necessary information to guide their next steps in lear- ning. Once this fact is recognised, however, it becomes a teaching strategy problem.

It is true that older people, when learning something new, require more time than d o younger people. This may be because they are more cautious or conscien- tious, but in any case, the decline in speed is usually offset by the older person’s efficiency and accuracy.

One previously accepted fact, which appears to have foundation, is that many older people experience a decline in short term memory. This, however, is not universal and new research shows that even short term memory can be improved by regular mental exercise.

A most difficult thing for older adults to learn is in the actual learning of a new form, skill o r concept already known, in a different manner. But this, of course, is just as true for younger people. I doubt whether 1 will ever be fully conversant with some bran- ches of the metric system.

For the educator, it is important to remember that the “learning process” itself can be learnt just as ef- fectively as anything else, and it may be that special sessions on learning techniques should be included in a

Australian Journal on Ageing, Vol 6, No. 2. May 1987

program’s timetable. The educator should also review hidher teaching strategies - special consideration should be given to seating arrangements (back pro- blems, hearing and sight disorders etc.) and to the fact that although we tend to talk of the wealth of ex- perience we have in senior classes, there is also a greater diversity in the interests, past experiences, levels of skills and attention spans than in younger classes.

The older learners also appreciate good feedback. Feedback however, should be descriptive and not judgemental. Feedback should inform the participants of what they have already done, how closely their work approximates the set goal, and what they can do to improve their performance. Feedback is an ex- cellent motivational strategy.

Care should also be taken to ensure that the physical facilities provided in the actual learning setting, are comfortable and appropriate for the participants. Rooms should be well li t and comfortable chairs pro- vided. Primary or High School chairs are not the ap- propriate seating for seventy-five year olds. The loca- tion of the classroom is also important and no classroom should be located in a setting that requires the actual climbing of more than one flight of stairs. The classroom should also have toilets located close to it and for both mental and physical reasons, sessions need to be reasonably short - perhaps with reflective segments after each 45 minutes.

Despite this better understanding of the learning abilities of our senior citizens, I am not advocating that all persons over the age of fifty-five years should enrol in an educational class. For some of our older people, the connotations associated with education are so distasteful that a formal approach to education would be harmful. Better in these instances for learn- ing to be a secondary by-product of some other activi- ty which is meaningful to the individual concerned.

For older people who do wish to extend their horizons, however, the community must provide a smorgasbord of creative outlets leading to individual development, social inter-relationships and to mental and physical experiences. This is necessary as people will need to follow different paths to their own goals, and the opportunities must take into account such fac- tors as are reflected in the individual’s interests and choices. No one educational program can cater for all needs, and effort spent arguing the benefits of in- tergenerational programs versus age specific programs is also wasteful. Both types of programs are necessary and the choice should be made by the recipient of the learning, not by the provider. Programs should aim to satisfy all or some of the following needs: - the need for mental stirnulation - the need for absorbing activity - the need to fulfil a long desire to learn - the need for companionship - the need to develop new skills and appreciations - the need to develop a leisure value system together

with leisure tastes. (The first four needs have been Ausrralian Journol on Ageing, Vol 6, No. 2. May 1987

identified by The South Australia Department of Further Education Working Party [ 1980,901)

For specific programs for the aged, however, care must be taken to provide the three A’s i.e. programs must be readily ‘available’ to the elderly population; they must be ‘accessible’ to them - and here transport, setting, time of program etc. must be con- sidered; and finally, programs must be ‘acceptable’ to older people. With the new found time available to older people, the joys of learning should be able to come together in a more pleasurable and effective way than ever before.

I would now like to briefly describe some of the in- novative programs that have emerged in the past few years.

South Australia has led the way with a host of ex- citing programs, all recognising the fact that education must fit the needs of the student and not reqliire the students to fit into established programs. The most successful programs are: THE OVER 60’s EDUCATION PROGRAM:

Groups meet for a weekly lecture on an educational and socially relevant topic, the aim being to provide continued mental stimulation, the company of people with like interests, and a knowledge of what is going on in the community. There are 5 such groups operating in Adelaide, each with a membership of ap- proximately 300 members and with an average atten- dance of 200 students per meeting.

THE OVER 60’s RADIO: Operated through a community access station, the

Over 60’s Radio goes to air between 3.00pm and 5.00pm on each weekday, to an estimated audience of 50,000. The program is completely controlled and pro- grammed by elderly volunteers.

KEEP FIT FOR T H E ELDERLY: These programs promote activities that are safe and

help people stay more supple, and more independent. All leaders are either elderly o r people who work in ‘caring roles’. Over 1,OOO instructors are presently ac- credited in the program which also plays an important role in the state’s nursing homes. W.E.A. SENIOR TUTOR TEAM PROGRAM:

This team travels t o community centres, neighbourhood centres, senior citizen centres or wherever a group has gathered together, in order to train seniors to conduct their own adult educational courses. This is a very positive program as the end result differs from most programs where leadership is usually provided by experienced younger members of the community.

TWO programs of importance from Victoria are: LEARNING FOR T H E LESS MOBILE:

This project provides access t o further education for some eighty people with limited mobility, students ranging from 19 to 98, with the biggest single group being in their seventies. Transportation (to and from classes) is provided for students, and the aim of the

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program is to provide opportunities for people to en- joy themselves by widening their horizons and to develop socially, emotionally and intellectually through learning.

THE UNIVERSITY O F T H E THIRD AGE: Probably the most exciting program in Australia

today, this is a self-help program where groups of retirees teach and learn together. The term ‘Universi- ty’ is taken from the medieval concept of a group of scholars working together, and Third Age is that of the Third Stage of Life’s Journey: childhood and adolescence, working life, active retirement and dependency in extreme old age. Although the first U3A only commenced in January 1985, there are now seven campuses in Victoria, one is newly established in Queensland and planning is taking place to commence operations in N.S.W., A.C.T. and South Australia. Fees in a U3A are either non-existent or minimal; there are no entry requirements, nor is there formal accreditation.

U3A’s have been able t o tap into the enormous pool of active retirees whose skills and knowledge have, up to this stage, remained under-utilised. Their other main attraction is the fact that the teaching model is a collaborative, contributive participating one, rather than the passive, didactic teaching models of formal education.

The two new programs in N.S.W. which commenc- ed in the past few years and which are now national programs are:

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE VACATIONING: The basic aim of these programs is to provide a low

cost, health education holiday for the over 50’s. The camp aims to assist participants in adjusting to the changes in their own lifestyle, to make them aware of basic nutrition and relaxation needs. The programs provide the opportunity of being responsible for one’s own health and of meeting new friends and getting out of the rut in which so many retired people find them- selves.

AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE FOR SENIORS: This program combines the best traditions and ex-

periences from holidaying and education. The pro- grams are low cost, short-term residential academic programs of one week, each week containing approx-

imately 20 hours of formal tertiary tuition, corn- plemented by field trips and an active social program.

The objectives of The Australian College for Seniors are: * To provide the opportunity for older people to

satisfy their needs for intellectual stimulation and new life experiences. * To provide an informal and human atmosphere where the individual is important, making new friends is easy and learning can be a truly liberating experience. * To provide new skills and interest in activities which can be continued once the participants return to their normal environment.

t To maintain mental health in old age, by providing opportunities to expand mental activities.

Programs are now held in 22 Australian Universities and Colleges of Advanced Education and oppor- tunities are provided for overseas programs at Univer- sities in New Zealand, U.S.A., U.K. , Indonesia, Thailand and China. Topics are as varied as “What you always wanted to know about computers but were too frightened to ask”, “Greek Philosophy”, “Marine Biology”, “The Meaning of Life”, to “The Media and how it Manipulates our Society”.

Educational programs for the elderly in the past were designed to help the aged adjust to the stereotyped limitations of age, while those outlined above, extend horizons, present leisure opportunities and offerings which will enable participants to explore their individual and social identities and which will lead to a more positive self-image.

Barry Russell Senior Lecturer. Centre for Continuing Professional Education. University of Wollongong. Wollongong. NS W 2-700.

REFERENCES American International Institute on Aging. ‘Senility: Reconsidered’.

Pales. A . ‘Transition, loss and growth: Process of positive adaption’.

Fales. Mackeracher & Vinoda. Contents of Aninn in Canada OlSE

Journal of Ihe American Medical Association, July 18. 1980.

Education Gerontology 5:315 - -

Press, Toronto, 1981. - Harwood. E. and Enticknap. L. E. ‘Longitudinal study of in-

tellinence. the sixteenth year in omration retirement’. ‘Journal on Agehg’. i984 3 (3) 3

South Australia Department of Further Education Working Party (1980) on Provisions of Educational Programs for the Aged, Adelaide

24 Australian Journal on Ageing, Vol 6. No. 2. May 1987