Involving older people in inclusive educational research

Abstract

Young people entering the workforce will increasingly be working alongside older people and developing strategies to meet the needs and aspirations of older people. Students can be supported to understand the experience of ageing through Intergenerational contact programmes. Newcastle University Ageing Generations Education (NUAGE) is an example of an intergenerational programme in a higher education environment, bringing together undergraduate students and older people to discuss the subject of ageing. NUAGE was designed and delivered in collaboration with students and older people, and this article reports on the outcomes of an inclusive approach to pedagogic evaluation. Older people contributed to a series of consultations to assess the feasibility of an inclusive approach to evaluation of NUAGE and agree on research objectives. Older people subsequently contributed to the methodological plan, gathered data through questionnaires and interviews with student alumni and analysed the data alongside academic staff, providing intuitive and valuable contributions. We found that NUAGE alumni were positive about the impact of participation and cited examples of outcomes such as improved confidence in communicating with older people. Older people who took part in the inclusive evaluation found it to be a rewarding experience, despite some challenges. Our project demonstrates that an inclusive approach to pedagogic research in higher education is feasible and effective.