“Engaging the 55+ Learner in Online Education”

PowerPoint Presentation - Handout (.doc)

Mary Burns Prine
Associate Professor
San Diego Continuing Education

Brief Description:
Of all groups poised to benefit from online education, perhaps the most prevalent is the older adult. And although age related changes are well known (vision, hearing, memory, comprehension etc.), the implications for the older student have not been addressed by most institutes of higher learning. If we, as educators, want to create courses which are meaningful to older adults, it is important that we include the components which will engage the older learner. This presentation will review the literature on the older learner, discussing the challenges and barriers faced by the older adult to the opportunities that are before us as educators. We will conclude with some practical examples of how to make our classes more “mature adult” friendly. The format of the session will include a power-point presentation as well as a group discussion.

What three specific things will attendees learn from your session?

• Barriers that block the older adult from a successful online experience (performance based, cognitively, psychologically).
• Opportunities that can be realized through online education for older adults (community learning, health care awareness, mental stimulation).
• Specific teaching methodologies which will engage the older learner (constructivism, problem based).