INFUSING AGING AND PUBLIC POLICY CONTENT INTO GERONTOLOGY COURSES: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING METHODS TO TEACH ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITYAND MEDICARE

Abstract

Aging and public policy content are indispensable in gerontology and geriatric courses. Reform efforts targeting Social Security and Medicare, the two largest social welfare programs for the aged, appear regularly in academic journals as well as the popular press. Institutions offering gerontology courses need to infuse aging and public policy into the curriculum, and the use of collaborative teaching and learning strategies provide faculty with a means to accomplish this goal. Collaborative methods can effectively stimulate interest and active participation, especially in the area of public policy, where students often view the material as somewhat dry and out of their own frame of reference. This paper discusses the development of two teaching modules, one on Social Security and the other on Medicare, using resources obtained during the authors' participation in the 2000 summer workshop entitled Getting Aging Public Policy Into the Curriculum sponsored by the Center for Policy Research at Syracuse University. Collaborative methods are emphasized in each module as a way to promote the learning process.