Several innovative projects have been conducted at the Slovenian Third Age University (U3A), creating important new social practices. The project results impact exploratory learning as well as ...learning and development in the wider community. The aim of the paper is to describe selected research practices at the Slovenian U3A and to interpret them through the theory of expansive learning. In terms of methodology, the research is designed as ethnographic research with elements of the phenomenological and reflexive research paradigm. Selected examples of exploratory learning at the Slovenian U3A are used to identify the factors that influence the development of exploratory learning and the way they are experienced by those involved in exploratory learning processes. It has been found that expansive learning at the Slovenian U3A leads to innovative and socially engaged practices.
As our bodies age, the performance of all bodily organs and systems deteriorates, adversely affecting their functional capacity and increasing overall falls-risk, even in the most active individuals, ...including female students of the Third Age Universities (TAU). A well-developed and implemented physiotherapy programme makes it possible to appreciably reduce the falls-risk in TAU students, as well as any attendant negative consequences mitigated.
The study aimed to assess the impact of a 6-month original physical therapy regimen on the attendant falls-risk, as established in the female TAU students.
The study covered 131 female TAU students, aged 60 and over. The subjects were randomly split into two groups, i.e. Study Group (n = 66; mean age 67.2 5.4 years), and a Control Group (n = 65; mean age 66.2 3.5 years). All subjects were assessed twice, prior to, and up-on the conclusion of a 6-month physical therapy regimen. Falls-risk and individual sense of balance were assessed by a "Step Test" (ST), "One-Leg Standing Test" (OLST), and a "Func-tional Reach Test" (FRT).
The study group ST and OLST test scores upon conclusion of the physical therapy regimen were significantly higher (i.e. longer time of a one-legged stand), as compared to the Control Group, for both right and left lower limbs (p > 0.05). FRT scores upon conclusion of the phys-ical therapy regimen were also significantly higher (p > 0.05), as a greater range of body ex-tension was observed.
Falls-risk in the TAU students aged 60 and over was significantly decreased through the im-plementation of an original, 6-month physical therapy regimen, while an individual sense of balance in a standing position was also found to be appreciably enhanced.
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In the paper the results of the experimental study of the adult distance learning management are suggested. The urgency of the research is based on the tendency towards the aging of population, ...development of the third age universities network, active implementation of the lifelong learning philosophy, the analysis of recent publications and studies. It is determined that despite the growing popularity of the lifelong learning philosophy, there is a lack of systematic research on the use of ICT for the elderly. In the paper the historical essay on the problems of distance learning for the elderly is offered. The conceptual framework is analyzed. The methodology of the research and features of the target audience selection are described; the specifics of data collection and analysis at different stages of the research are defined. The purpose of the research is determined – to distinguish pedagogical conditions for an effective distance learning introduction into foreign language education of the elderly. The research has been conducted on the basis of the Center for Innovative Education. The emphasis is made on the formation of the target group of participants in the study and their foreign language learning motivation. The stages of data collection and analysis are specified, namely: before the beginning of training, at the stage of the curriculum development, after the start of the first module of the distance learning course, after the completion of the first module of the course, at the end of the course and two months after the course is completed. Detailed results of data analysis for each stage of the research are delivered. The analysis of these data is carried out. The features of the distance course for the elderly and the methodological recommendations on its development are defined. The study has also allowed to confirm the results of the personal and cognitive potential of the elderly and revealed that the ability to learn under certain conditions even increases instead of decreasing. The prospects for further research, adjacent to neurophysiologists’ and neurobiologists’ studies, are suggested. The aforementioned prospects raise the issue of the further scenarios for the use of distance learning platforms for the elderly.
Tolerance for uncertainty in elderly people KHRYSTYNA KACHMARYK; Sophia Grabovska; Kateryna Ostrovska ...
Journal of education, culture and society,
09/2014, Letnik:
2014, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The aim of the study. The aim of the paper is a comparison of tolerance to uncertainty in two groups of elderly: the students of the University of the Third Age (UTA) and older people who are not ...enrolled but help to educate grandchildren. A relation to uncertainty was shown to influence on decision making strategy of elderly that indicates on importance of the researches. Methods. To obtain the objectives of the paper the following methods were used: 1) Personal change readiness survey (PCRS) adapted by Nickolay Bazhanov and Galina Bardiyer; 2) Tolerance Ambiguity Scale (TAS) adapted by Galina Soldatova; 3) Freiburg personality inventory (FPI) and 4) The questionnaire of self-relation by Vladimir Stolin and Sergej Panteleev. 40 socially involved elderly people were investigated according the above methods, 20 from UTA and 20 who are not studied and served as control group. Results. It was shown that relations of tolerance to uncertainty in the study group of students of the University of the Third Age substantially differ from relations of tolerance to uncertainty in group of older people who do not learn. The majority of students of the University of the Third Age have an inherent low tolerance for uncertainty, which is associated with an increase in expression personality traits and characteristics in self-relation. The group of the elderly who are not enrolled increasingly shows tolerance of uncertainty, focusing on the social and trusting relationship to meet the needs of communication, and the ability to manage their own emotions and desires than a group of Third Age university students. Conclusions. The results of experimental research of the third age university student’s peculiarities of the tolerance to uncertainty were outlined. It was found that decision making in the ambiguity situations concerning social interaction is well developed in elderly who do not study. The students of the University of Third Age have greater needs in conversation, social interaction than the control group and should learn to make decision in ambiguity or uncertainty situations.
As universidades da terceira idade objetivam promover a saúde, o bem-estar psicológico e social e a cidadania dos idosos. O presente estudo teve por objetivo investigar os motivos que levaram idosas ...a participar da Universidade para a Terceira Idade (UNITI/UFRGS) e as mudanças ocasionadas por essa participação. A amostra foi composta por 103 idosas, que responderam sobre questões sociodemográficas, motivos para freqüentar a UNITI e as mudanças ocasionadas pela participação. O método amostral foi o de conveniência. Os resultados demonstraram que os motivos para a participação foram a busca por novos conhecimentos, novas amizades, novo sentido de vida, ocupação do tempo livre e lazer. A participação ocasionou menos sentimentos de solidão, melhor auto-estima, novos conhecimentos, mais alegria e prazer em viver e novo sentido de vida. Conclui-se que as universidades da terceira idade vêm contribuindo positivamente para o bem-estar de idosos, atuando como um possível preditor de uma velhice bem-sucedida.
Protective vaccination against influenza is one of the most beneficial methods of preventing this viral disease. The use of vaccines brings not only the health benefits but also has positive ...implications related to diminishing the costs of treatment, prolonged hospitalization or post-influenza complications. Promoting vaccinations against influenza among the elderly is especially important. The article concerns the perception of these vaccinations and evaluation of the general knowledge on influenza among listeners of a university of the third age in Warsaw, Poland. It aims also at assessing the potential to change opinions and decisions regarding vaccinations against influenza and widely understood influenza prevention among this target group. The research tool, apart from the scientific lecture-like presentation rich in examples, was a self-reported questionnaire designed by the authors specifically for this study purpose. This paper presents the results of survey conducted with the questionnaire completed by 29 persons over 60 years of age. We found that the recent vaccination rate against influenza was just was about 20% in the studied sample of the elderly. The study demonstrates that educational training through a professional lecture presentation facilitates the promotion of health and vaccination coverage against influenza in the elderly.
Poland has been working for years to implement the idea of lifelong learning, including by adopting a document“Lifelong Learning Perspective”. One of the issues noted in this document is the ...importance of learning tokeep active seniors. Statistics show that between 32 and 52 percent of this population are people with reducedability. For them, the use of UTW depends on taking into account their special needs arising from disability.The article shows requirements of the Act on ensuring accessibility for people with special needs and accessibility standards for cohesion policy 2014–2020. The author analyzes the content of UTW websites, seekinganswers to the question: are they targeted at people with disabilities? The analysis shows that disabled seniorsare still a marginalized group. The exact answer to the question about the access of people with disabilities toUTW could only give a study conducted on a larger scale.
The growing number of the elderly in many countries has made it necessary to develop a wellthought-out policy. In the European Union, the concept of lifelong learning is being promoted which includes ...third-age universities aimed to activate the elderly through education, learning, expanding knowledge and developing interests, as well as a way of actively spending free time and meeting new people. Third age universities (U3A) have been operating in Poland for over 40 years, but they are very rarely analysed. This article measures the efficiency of twenty U3As operating within state universities in Poland in the 2017/2018 academic year. A non-radial SBM model, which is a non-parametric DEA method, was used to analyse efficiency. The results show that seven U3As were 100% efficient. Two were in a quantitative (number of students) or a qualitative (number of classes) model, and five in both models simultaneously. However, most universities focused on the number of students rather than the number of classes offered to their students.
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