| CODE | GER2019 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Educational Gerontology | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Gerontology and Dementia Studies | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The field of ‘educational gerontology’ is a multi-faceted concept that includes three distinct, albeit related, aspects: (1) educational endeavours for persons who are middle-aged and over, (2) educational endeavours for a general or specific public about ageing and older people, and (3), educational preparation of persons who are working or intend to be employed in serving older people in professional or para-professional capacities. Educational gerontology can hence be instrumental and expressive, formal and informal, for and about older people, a study and a practice, remedial and preventive. However, it is always designed as a positive approach to helping people better understand and assist themselves. As an area of practice, its purpose is to prevent premature decline, to facilitate meaningful roles, encourage psychological growth, and to improve societal attitudes towards ageing. As a knowledge domain, its focus is on the intellectual changes that occur throughout later life. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims to focus on the interface between these two facets of interest, that of lifelong learning and population ageing. Its goal is to explore, analyze and discuss the potential of lifelong learning for those cohorts who have reached the later years of the life course, and at the same time discuss the role of older adults in the complex terrains of lifelong learning. It throws light on the ongoing debate of older adult learning through an informed and critical analysis of its underlying philosophical bases, and practical trends and patterns. It does so by discussing the participation patterns of older adults in education, by highlighting studies which draw on psychological models of behaviour that analyze learning behaviour in terms of personal motivations, as well as sociological analyses which look at participation in terms of social groupings and collective life course experiences. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - define the field of educational gerontology and chart its historical development in the past six decades; - compare different philosophical rationales for older adult learning; - explain the psychological motivations and sociological barriers that act as pull and push factors in the field of older adult learning; - define geragogy and outline the good practices in teaching older adults; - explain the importance of intergenerational learning in developing democratic practices in older adult learning; and - differentiate between third and fourth age learning. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - assess the learning needs and interests of older adults living in the community or in long-term care; - list and describe the key curricular topics for older adult learning; - document the participation rates and trends of older adults in formal, non-formal and informal learning avenues; - demonstrate critical evaluation skills of ongoing projects in older adult learning; - write reports on the aims and objectives of the range of learning projects for older persons in the community; - take part in organising and delivering small-scale learning projects targeting older adults; - analyse the extent to which actual learning projects lead older adults to higher levels of active, successful and productive ageing; and - explain how residential home managers can plan and implement projects in older adult learning for residents in long-term care. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main text: - Findsen, B. & Formosa, M. (2011). Lifelong learning in later life: A handbook on older adult learning. Amsterdam: Sense. Supplementary readings: - Formosa, M. (2021). The French and British models of the University of the Third Age: A socio-historical analysis. World Studies in Education, 21(2), 27-43. https://doi.org/10.7459/wse/21.2.03 - Formosa, M. (2021). Late-life learning and older women: A feminist commentary. Gender and Research, 22(1): 178-200, http://dx.doi.org/10.13060/gav.2021.007. - Formosa, M. (2021). Building evidence for the impact of older adult learning on active ageing: A quantitative study. Studies in Adult Education and Learning, 27(2), 53-74. https://doi.org/10.4312/as/9934 - Formosa, M. (2021). From invisibility to inclusion: Opening the doors for older men at the University of the Third Age in Malta. Gerontology and Geriatrics Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2021.1913413 - Formosa, M. (2021). Manifestations of internalised ageism in older adult learning. University of Toronto Quarterly, 90(2), 169-182. https://doi.org/10.3138/utq.90.2.08 - Formosa, M., & Galea, R. (2020). Critical educational gerontology at a senior centre in Malta: Possibilities and limitations for critical consciousness. Educational Gerontology, 46(2), 59-71. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2020.1711587 |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | This study-unit is only offered to students following the Higher Diploma in Gerontology and Geriatrics course | |||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Independent Study and Online Learning | |||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Marvin Formosa |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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