Engaging graduate students & lifelong learners with intergenerational justice issues

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.

Lifelong learning and cognitive resilience are integral to a changing 21st century education paradigm for learners of all ages, as they are for health and well being of the individual student and wider community. Neuroscience in particular is continually making inroads on the impact that learning has on the brain and the interrelationships between body and mind that help to maintain physical and intellectual capacity over a lifetime. There is a long-standing community dedicated to sustainable lifelong learning on campus, the McGill Community for Lifelong Learning (MCLL). There are also worldwide efforts underway to promote lifelong learning in the context of age friendly cities under the auspices of UNESCO and the World Health Organization. Moreover, the international network of Age Friendly Universities, Lifelong Learning Institutes and over 200 University Based Retirement Communities (UBRCs) in the USA offer resources, guidelines, operating principles and research for building unique and innovative local responses to the changing demographics, increased cultural diversity and technological changes in education futures for learners in a given community. The poster will highlight national and international research initiatives and networks to enhance well-being and mental health through lifelong learning.Different L4 community options will be explored, building on MCLL’s peer learning experience over the past 27 years. It will reflect opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with university and wider Montreal community stakeholders, including health care professionals, caregivers, and educators.The poster will demonstrate that a lifelong learning approach to whole person care has the potential to be transformative.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the effects of self-directed learning ability and social capital on lifelong learning participation and satisfaction of adult learners participating in lifelong learning programs. Methods In this study, the quantitative research method of the questionnaire survey was applied to 223 adult learners who are taking adult learning programs at the Lifelong Education Center in G Metropolitan City. The collected questionnaires were analyzed by frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, reliability test, multiple regression analysis, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS program. Results There was a significant positive relationship between self-directed learning ability, social capital, learning participation and satisfaction perceived by adult learners, and self-directed learning ability and social capital were found to have a positive effect on lifelong learning participation and satisfaction. In addition, in the relationship between adult learners' self-directed learning ability and learning participation and satisfaction, social capital was found to have a significant effect as a partial and complete parameter. Conclusions Self-directed learning ability of individual characteristics and social capital of environmental characteristics are important variables to predict adult learners' participation in lifelong learning and satisfaction, especially self-directed learning ability and social capital are core competencies that adult learners should cultivate in lifelong learning society. Therefore, it is necessary to play a leading role in planning, implementing, and evaluating learning by learners themselves in order to improve the achievement and satisfaction of learning expected by adult learners participating in various lifelong learning programs. However, it is necessary to find ways to strengthen social capital such as trust and network through mutual communication between lifelong learning institutions, learners and learners.

The number of lifelong learning institutes serving older adults in the U.S. has increased in the last few decades. To date, these institutes have functioned primarily in traditional, in-person classroom, and seminar formats; however, technology-enhanced methods may help provide greater access to high-quality lifelong learning experiences. This research note reports the results of a cross-institutional survey of Osher Lifelong Learning Network participants. The survey participants’ high levels of computer utilization and experience with modern distance education capabilities opens the possibility that Technology-Based Instruction (TBI) can augment or supplement in-person lifelong learning experiences. Specifically, TBI may be effective in expanding access for older adults who have mobility or other health limitations, as well as those who live far from the location of any such program. Example approaches are suggested for developing blended, hybrid in-person, and online lifelong learning environments, which may offer enriching intellectual engagement and meaningful socialization.

Over the last two decades, there have been numerous attempts to review and re-examine whether conventional learning and teaching approaches are still useful or relevant. Lifelong learning institutions have grown in number and scope, and now fulfil a significant function in bridging the gap between what traditional formal education systems provide and what the rapidly changing labour market requires. Lifelong learning is a mode of seamless learning, whereby informal and experiential learning acquired in various settings can be converted to recognised learning, thereby helping to systematise the various learning experiences into knowledge formation, knowledge building and knowledge creation. This paper analyses certain features of the 21st century such as the knowledge economy, diversity and plurality, and equity. Communities now need to provide more opportunities for everyone to learn for their individual needs, especially when societal changes are happening at a fast pace and in an unpredictable manner. Anticipatory learning for the unknown will become a significant agenda of teaching and learning in the new times, and thus, the availability of lifelong learning opportunities will be essential for preparing citizens of the new times to meet the changing needs that confront them.

Lifelong learning as a field has leapt forward, but work remains to inform the structuring and practice of lifelong learning institutes. This study furthers the field of institution-based lifelong learning by utilizing cross-institutional research regarding the value of lifelong learning to older adults. A content analysis coding approach is undertaken to categorize and organize 4,400 lifelong learners’ responses to the question: “What about your Osher Institute has been valuable/important to you?” Responses came from 12 institutes across the United States. The organization and interpretation of the themes fell along four dimensions: (a) learning experience, (b) community environment, (c) learning quality, and (d) learning access. Subthemes within each of the four broad themes are identified and discussed. Slight demographic differences regarding codes assigned are highlighted. Institutional differences were more notable demonstrating that the structures and practices of institutes warrant more research.

This Ideas in Practice article investigates lifelong learning practices in a women’s studies course at a program of Osher OLLI (Lifelong Learning Institute). The course adopted a holistic and positive approach by celebrating lifelong learners’ strengths—their invaluable backgrounds and life experiences—fostering vitality and wholesomeness in older adults. By engaging them in active and participative learning, the instructor enabled students to enrich the classroom and validate their values and attitudes toward women's issues. Proven feminist pedagogy, employed by the instructor, constructed a classroom culture of community, belonging, and connectedness. Implications for lifelong learning education are examined.

This article describes in a firsthand perspective the process of creating a Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI). What was to become a University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute began in 2002 as a project for a small group of undergraduate students and one graduate student. This article describes the year of start-up leading to the first semester of a new lifelong learning program.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a period of unprecedented uncertainty, profoundly affecting societies worldwide. Older adults often faced heightened risks of isolation and health complications. As research in the aftermath of the pandemic has sought to understand its multifaceted impacts, there remains a notable gap in examining older adults’ access to education, particularly within the Lifelong Learning Institutes (LLIs) or Universities of the Third Age (U3A). Methodology In the course of a broader study focusing on older adult peer educators, the topic of COVID-19 emerged as a prominent and recurring theme of 14 interviews with US-based peer educators. Using a qualitative content analysis approach supported by WebQDA (Qualitative Data Analysis Software) we identified key themes and subthemes in the interview data. Findings Major themes included the impact of COVID-19 in the classroom and institution and also in the personal lives of the students and educators. A prominent subtheme was the introduction, or shift, in technology. Technology was seen as a powerful tool for expanding educational opportunities for older adults and engaging a broader audience. The resilience and adaptability of educators in navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic were also frequently discussed. Conclusion This study highlights the way in which the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped education within Lifelong Learning Institutes. The findings underscore the importance of addressing the specific needs and challenges faced by older adult peer educators and highlight the opportunities for enhancing specific person-based support and allocating resources effectively in the evolving post-pandemic educational landscape.

Inter-generational equity index for assessing environmental sustainability: An example on global warming

Persistent drought is not a unique phenomenon in East African countries, different research findings cite different reasons for it, but the environmental problem is currently a major concern worldwide and in East African country (EAC) the problem is not an exception to this phenomenon; policymakers and researchers are interested in knowing the cause in order to mitigate environmental degradation and support policies and institutions for environmental sustainability. Therefore, this study examines the environmental sustainability laws and institutions in 18 EAC to determine the relationship between foreign direct investment and environmental quality. Using the generalized method of moments for analysis, the results show, among other things, that foreign direct investment, when associated with environmental sustainability policies and institutions, improves environmental quality in the long run while degrading it in the short run. Long- and short-run environmental improvements in EAC are also enabled by domestic investment, environmental sustainability institutions, and policies. The study, therefore, concludes that environmental sustainability institutions and policies are critical in EAC because they improve environmental quality and interact with foreign direct investment in the long run. Therefore, the study recommends that policymakers and other stakeholders in EAC take action to improve environmental quality and sustainable economies.

1. Introduction: the social designation of deserving citizens The private discourse: expectations of vulnerability - the public discourse: responsibilities for intervention - values, interests, and symbolic equity: a framework of analysis 2. Two communities - two societies: West Haven - Westside Odawara - comparing communities 3. Rights and responsibilities in the public domain: entitlement, obligation, and equity - individual, family, and state 4. The practice of protection and intervention in the private domain: inside the household - outside the household - family and network - the recognition of vulnerability 5. The Japanese viewpoint: the protective approach 6. The American viewpoint: the contingency approach 7. Cultural assumptions and values: trajectories of need - conditions of security - intergenerational equity - primary bonds of affection - units of self-sufficiency - visions of resource affluence 8. The social regulation of interests: credit, debt, and mutual interests - rights, responsibilities, and collective interests - the logic of symbolic equity - distribution of symbolic resources: empowerment and disempowerment - social and cultural constructions of support - vulnerability and security - entitlement and obligation - reciprocity and dependency - failures and costs 9. Conclusion: Reflections on diversity and change.

As local systems shift to meet their constituents’ needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, lifelong learning institutes showcase positive responses to addressing the older adults’ needs. Older adults have not only greater susceptibility to contracting COVID-19; they also are at higher risk of social isolation and its adverse health outcomes. During COVID-19, the quarantine and distancing procedures can exacerbate social isolation. As local communities seek to bolster their residents’ well-being during COVID-19, older adults cannot be overlooked. This essay shares brief coverage of the issue of social isolation among older adults to set up a discussion of the response of a lifelong learning provider in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. This essay uses the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University as an exemplary case in addressing older adults needs, specifically community and learning needs, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The essay concludes with questions for future research and practice.

As local systems shift to meet their constituents’ needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, lifelong learning institutes showcase positive responses to addressing the older adults’ needs. Older adults have not only greater susceptibility to contracting COVID-19; they also are at higher risk of social isolation and its adverse health outcomes. During COVID-19, the quarantine and distancing procedures can exacerbate social isolation. As local communities seek to bolster their residents’ well-being during COVID-19, older adults cannot be overlooked. This essay shares brief coverage of the issue of social isolation among older adults to set up a discussion of the response of a lifelong learning provider in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. This essay uses the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University as an exemplary case in addressing older adults needs, specifically community and learning needs, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The essay concludes with questions for future research and practice.

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