ageing society
EduSenior offers a free course on Senior Education
The EduSenior project aims to improve the quality of educational institutions that currently are offering courses and activities or wish to implement a learning activity aimed to senior learners (65+ or retired).
Supported by the European Commission’s the Lifelong Learning Programme, EduSenior is offering from June to September 2013 the free online course “Senior education: A Quality of Life approach to assessing educational institutions”, targeted to professionals, decision makers, students and, in general, anybody interested in the topic of adult and senior education.
The virtual classroom will open on May 27th, and the course will start on June 3rd. The course is 100% virtual and will be offered in English and Spanish (different groups). Participants will also have the option to choose the intensity which best suits their needs:
- A 4 months course: June - September 2013.Average time required: 8 h. per week
- Or a 2 months course: June - July 2013. Average time required: 16 h. per week.
The course is organised by the Senior Citizens’ University (Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain) and the Akademia im. Jana Długosza (Jan Długosz University, Częstochowa, Poland) and is part of the EduSenior project “Evaluation toolkit on seniors’ education to improve their quality of life" (QEduSen).
The topics to be addressed during the online training sessions are:
- Introduction to the needs and requirements of the elderly and potentialities of education
- Analysis of educational factors that help increase seniors’ competences and increase their quality of life, with real examples and other case studies.
- Introduction to the evaluation process to increase quality in an institution.
- Application of the EduSenior evaluation toolkit
The online registration to participate in this course will remain open until 26 May.
Teaching and Learning Computer Skills in Ireland
Log On, Learn provides an easy way for people of all ages to learn how to use computers.
The programme, based in Ireland, pairs up a transition-year student with an older person from their local community so that they can share skills with each other. The course spread out over eight modules, during which one-to-one training allows for personalized assessment of the learners' initial level, learning pace, interests, and goals. The website allows users to search for current programmes all over Ireland.
Learn with Grandma
Learn with Grandma is a small, not-for-profit company based in Wales that rallies grandparents who care for children together. This intergenerational network aims are to encourage respect and understanding by engaging younger and older folk alike in a wide range of activities.
The organization was initially set up by two grandmothers who sought to make the most of time spent between grandparents and grandchildren. This amount of time has increased in recent history, as more and more grandparents are caring for their grandchildren. The organisation sets up local Learn with Grandma groups that serve to give support, share tips, and foster skills ranging from art to woodwork, drama to cooking, fishing to sport, and more.
Groups have been created in the UK, across Europe and farther afield such as Tanzania and Uganda. The organisation hopes to build a global network for intergenerational learning using free technology.
Participate in this year's edition of generations@school!
After the great success of the 1st edition of generations@school during the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012, we are pleased to announce the launch of this initiative’s 2nd edition!
generations@school competition invites teachers to organise an activity that brings pupils together with seniors from their communities to explore how dialogue between generations can contribute to a better understanding of each other. This encounter can be a debate on issues of concern to both generations or the launch of a joint project in which old and young cooperate on a more regular basis.
In 2012, more than 600 schools around Europe took the European Day of Solidarity between Generations (29 April) as an opportunity to invite older people into their classrooms. This year we suggest celebrating your generations@school activity on or around 29 April, but you can do it at any time before 30 June, the submission deadline for the competition.
Don’t forget to take photos or videos of the event! The materials produced (drawings, questionnaires, albums, etc.) will not only be a way of documenting the intergenerational dialogue, but also a means of sharing information with other European schools on what your class has done to take part in the generations @ school competition.
Imagine the ideal Europe for all generations!
As the European Union has designated 2013 as “European Year of Citizens” this year would be a good opportunity for teachers, pupils and older people to organise on or around the 29 April discussions about Europe, its past, its present and about what old and young can do together for building the Europe of tomorrow. What does it mean to be a European citizen? Which EU rights have we obtained through the process of European integration? How do the European citizens of tomorrow perceive these rights and how do they intend to make use of them? What kind of Europe should we pass on to the next generation?
All information related to this new edition of the generations@school competition, the awards that can be won and resources to help teachers in preparing their generations@school event can be found on this website: www.generationsatschool.eu.
Get ready to participate!
The Knowledge Volunteers
"The knowledge volunteers" (TKV) project joins older and younger people in a cross-generational initiative focused on promoting digital skills among the elderly.
“The knowledge volunteers” (TKV) project is currently running pilot programs in Italy, Spain, Greece, Czech Republic and Romania. It promotes didactic/organizational ICT learning methodology for elders, a model that has been defined and successfully applied at a local level by Italian partner Fondazione Mondo Digitale. It also encourages a peer-to-peer approach between experienced volunteers and new older students. The inter-generational approach is built on the active role of young students, who act as their elders’s teachers. A special didactic toolkit can be downloaded for free here.
Intergenerational Learning Circle for Community Service
eScouts foments intergenerational learning exchange between elderly and youth volunteers—elders benefit by learning digital skills, while youngsters obtain guidance to help navigate life’s challenges.
The "eScouts" project fits European guidelines with regards to Digital Divide reduction and LLP (Lifelong Learning Programme), and implements innovative ICT practices with a special focus on groups in risk of exclusion. The curriculum will be based on a blended learning environment inspired by Web 2.0 and teaching methods focused on end users.
The project includes three main phases:
-Training groups of young people to become teachers of ICT, and thereby reduce the default prohibitive nature of new technologies for the elderly.
-Training the elderly to become mentors for young people, providing them with support through life experiences and values, with a focus on employability.
-Training facilitators of intergenerational learning, to be key actors and mediators of the two groups.
CARER+ - Developing Digital Competences of Care Workers to Improve the Quality of Life of Older People
An interdisciplinary and international team of 14 institutions launched the Carer+ project earlier this year for care-workers all around Europe. The project identifies and enhances ICT competences of care-workers who support elderly persons at home - anticipating a new and vital role for care workers. Introducing new, easy-to-use internet-based technology tools for elderly, in the next 2 years scientific research, a competence framework, curriculum and training tools in theory and practice, training for trainers and policy exchange visits as well as an open online learning space and community for care-workers will be put in place to realise the challenging aims of the project.
In today’s social care systems in most European countries, it is possible to receive the care needed at home, especially if one suffers from multiple chronic illnesses. Europe battles with an aging society and with the financial crisis holding a firm grip on European economy, it becomes increasingly crucial to take a close look on social care systems in place. For many elderly citizens the transition to a life in need of care is accompanied by lack of qualified caregivers, an absence of basic services such as transportation, no access to appropriate housing, and loneliness. Recent research has shown that a growing number of older people can be encouraged to use online services, and that modern ICTs and AAL (Ambient Assisted Living) technologies can radically change their lives. The key mediator between technology and ever-day life of elderly people are the domiciliary care-workers.
CARER+ is there to care for care-workers. It will create a unique a list of ICT knowledge and skill-based competences for domiciliary care workers with related certification process for digital competences of care-workers. Based on this framework and non-formal hard and soft skills, a special learning environment and resources will be put in place and disseminated. To make sure, the CARER+ framework works in real-life conditions, the project will pilot its framework and methodology in 5 countries with 500 care-workers. Following the lessons learned during the pilot phase, a complete set of guidelines will be developed to ensure transferability for all areas of the field. News and updates on project events and activities will be continuously shared on the web, on social online platforms and at events.
Details of on the project can be found at the project website: http://www.carerplusproject.eu/
European Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations Awards
The European Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations Awards are primarily inspiring initiatives that promote active ageing and solidarity between generations.
Please read the general and the specific rules for each category below. Entries will only be accepted if submitted using the online entry form by the deadline set for each category (see table above).
For more information about the generations@school competition and the Life Story Challenge go to http://www.historypin.com/gats/en/page/generations-school-project-contribute-content and http://www.lifestory-historypin.com.
Workplaces for all Ages awards – Specific rules and information
Social Entrepreneurs awards – Specific rules and information
Journalists awards – Specific rules and information
Towards Age-Friendly Environments awards – Specific rules and information
eLearning Papers 29 on Learning and Active Ageing is out!
This issue of eLearning Papers explores what teaching methods and learning environments are being used effectively to promote lifelong learning among older people. Enrichment and skill building educational programmes for older people must be continuously supported, promoted and facilitated as part of the active ageing process.
The issue, that has been guest edited by Anne-Sophie Parent, Secretary General, AGE Platform Europe and Tapio Koskinen, www.elearningpapers.eu, Director of the Editorial Board, includes the following articles:
In Depth articles
Checklist for a Didactically Sound Design of eLearning Content
Key words: checklist, instructional design, didactic, formative evaluation, feedback
By Cornelia Schoor Researcher (University of Bamberg, Germany) and Hermann Körndle Professur für die Psychologie des Lehrens und Lernens, TU Dresden
The Ageing Brain: Neuroplasticity and Lifelong Learning
Key words: neuroscience, lifelong learning, adult education
By Eleonora Guglielman, PhD, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
The Virtuous Circle of Use, Attitude, Experience and Digital Inclusion
Key words: knowledge society, ICT skill acquisition, attitude, aptitude
By Roger Esteller-Curto and Raul Marín, Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Jaume I Uiversity. Spain and Pilar Escuder-Mollon, Senior Citiziens’ University. Jaume I University. Spain
From the Field articles
eLearning and Social Networking in Mentoring Processes to Support Active Ageing
Keywords: intergenerational dialogue, digital inclusion, employability, training
By Ileana Hamburg, Institute for Work and Technology/WH Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Fostering Older People’s Digital Inclusion to Promote Active Ageing
Keywords: ICT training, accessibility, digital inclusion
By Conor Browlee, ECDL Foundation – Brussels, Belgium
The International Student and the Challenges of Lifelong Learning
Keywords: distance learning, non-traditional students, pedagogy, e-learning
By David Mathew, Centre for Learning Excellence, University of Bedfordshire, UK and Susan Sapsed, Health and Social Sciences, University of Bedfordshire, UK
To read eLearning Papers 29 on Learning and Active Ageing click here