EPALE discussion: social inclusion of the ageing population and intergenerational learning
EPALE
Editor
The lifelong learning needs of older learners should be a priority for education providers who need to develop high quality and specific training programmes.
At the same time, intergenerational learning can contribute to social cohesion by promoting cooperation between different generations.
On Wednesday 28 October, starting from 10 a.m. CEST, EPALE will be hosting an online discussion on the social inclusion of the ageing population and intergenerational learning.
The discussion will include the following topics:
- What adult education policies and initiatives can support social inclusion of older learners?
- Has there been more attention to their situation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What target groups have you been working with, and what would be your recommendations to ensure that adults continue to play an active role in society as they age?
We invite you to share your experiences and reflections during our online discussion, facilitated by EPALE Thematic coordinator Gina Ebner, Secretary-General of EAEA.
Comments will be open on 19 October so participants can introduce themselves and post their comments in advance.
Join our online discussion!
Comments
Perceive older people not only as learners with digital gaps
The pandemic has certainly shown how important digital skills are also for older people to ensure social participation. A community story from Finland describes the collaborative digital learning of older people during the period of isolation:
https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/blog/juhani-portfors-and-matti-sarviranta-community-story-finland .
Unfortunately, I am a bit afraid that the pandemic will reduce intergenerational learning to catching up on digital skills of seniors. So that the question is in the foreground: 'What can older people learn from younger people in digital contexts?'. Especially in uncertain times, I think it is just as important that younger people learn from and with older people and benefit from their experience. The question 'What knowledge, what experiences can older people pass on to younger people?' should not be forgotten.
https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/blog/juhani-portfors-and-matti-sarviranta-community-story-finland .
Unfortunately, I am a bit afraid that the pandemic will reduce intergenerational learning to catching up on digital skills of seniors. So that the question is in the foreground: 'What can older people learn from younger people in digital contexts?'. Especially in uncertain times, I think it is just as important that younger people learn from and with older people and benefit from their experience. The question 'What knowledge, what experiences can older people pass on to younger people?' should not be forgotten.
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Exactly!
The older I am the more I agree with you! Not only in this area, but in many areas older people are perceived as "outdated". We should stop looking into defecits and instead look into strengths. There are many things you can learn from someone who is older: patience, wisdom, a bit of hesitation where it is wise to apply it, and the other way round it is just as true!
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Hi all, I would like to share
Hi all,
I would like to share the work of Age & Oppotunity in Ireland, which is involved in a variety of activities for older people. Among these activities the 'Arts' section includes a month-long festival (which unfortunately couldn't take place this year), or a dance network for older people, just to name a few. Age & Opportunities organizes as well training for activities coordinators in care settings and people from an arts background with an interest in working with older people. Practitioners gain skills in communication, use of visual arts, work creatively with people who have dementia.
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Online events by and for seniors in times of Corona
Good morning,
I am from the adult education institute ILEU e.V. from Ulm, Germany. At ILEU we carry out international projects with organisations and actors from civil society. Our main target groups are seniors and volunteers. I would like to briefly introduce two of our very successful projects. We quickly realized that the corona crise is a great danger, especially for older people, of becoming lonely and not being part of the society. Fact is physical distancing does not mean social distancing. Everyone should have access to knowledge, regardless of age, social class, ethnicity or religion.
Since the end of March 2020, we have been conducting joint videoconferencing sessions almost every week j in which people of all ages from the Danube region and all over Europe are invited to participate. More than 50 participants attend each session to sing, make music, recite poetry or present traditions and cultural assets. It is a lively exchange between the generations and the different cultures and countries, we celebrate our cultural diversity and enjoy the community. Older people have difficulties with the technical use at the beginning, younger people help them. In return, older people can share their diverse knowledge about cultural assets and more. Here is a link to our Come together sessions: http://codanec.eu/come-together/
Our second project VIVES@BW offers online events by and for seniors. Together with seniors and interested parties we develop new online formats. Older as well as younger interested people share their knowledge with others, there is a lively exchange in small groups on various topics. We support the technical implementation of lectures, workshops, organize small discussion groups and language courses and much more. We also offer technical support for seniors to enable them to participate in the formats. VIVES@BW is a project based on German language. But we are in the process of establishing the same formats on an international level in English and with language channels for other languages in the "Come together" project. Link to the website of VIVES@BW: http://vives-bw.de/
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Sharing ideas for intergenerational work during Covid and beyond
We were able to pull together two directories of ideas and resources for reconnecting people during covid and one for connecting generations safely online. I don't however seem to be able to attach copies to this response so please do get in touch if you'd like a copy. Gina is there a way we can attach?
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I don't think so - but what
I don't think so - but what you could do is write a short blog post about the paper and post it there? If you're interested, let me know via my e-mail gina.ebner@eaea.org
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Contact details
Thanks Gina, my email is alison@generationsworkingtogether.org should you have any other questions.
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About parents education
If you train parents, it's of course adults education. The problem is perhaps in sectors of education. I agree with colleague that says that methods of education have age. The problem is not trainees age, but are education methods adapted to objectives ?
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The discussion is there. You
The discussion is there. You can write or respond to other comments...
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Learning in and with the family
Hello, I am Laima Lapiniene from Lithuania. As a technology teacher, I work at Utena Third Age University and Utena Public Library. We work with older people every day and know that they experience a shortage of skills in different fields of modern life, but primarily they need to improve their digital competences as they have fewer qualifications in the rapidly growing technology sector. Because of that, they are unable to take full advantage of public services and virtual communication. As a result, their quality of life is affected.
To deal with these challenges, we started to use the new training model. It is based on learning in and with the family. This type of learning is becoming increasingly popular as it provides a range of opportunities for families in the widest sense to learn together to raise skills across generations.
Family Digital Activity Hubs - technology discovery centres for people of various ages are established at the libraries. These centres are equipped with new technologies and innovative educational content: virtual tours, quizzes, games, robots. Technology mentors are trained and a uniformed training program for family learning is prepared. Participants get to learn about technological progress and gain basics in controlling various technologies. This training model is described in EPALE and available via the link https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/node/162163. We are sure for many older adults, family learning can be the first step to taking up further learning opportunities. Family learning is also extremely important because of its dual effect. It leads to improvements in skills as well as to intergenerational communion, develops moral values and positive attitudes towards education, uplifts mood and has a huge impact on health, family relations and lifelong learning.
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Depends on how people arrange for their living situation
Hi, in Germany 40% of all housholds are single, incl. many of the older generation. Their problem is that they have very little connection to their families on a daily basis. They would need more digital skills in order to stay in connection, via Skype, Whatsapp, instagram ,whatever. Is that not the same situation in your country?
My two daughters live 1000/6000 km away from me, we stay in touch via digital devices every day, but that is not the same for everyone.
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Absolutely true - although my
Absolutely true - although my mother (80 Years old, still lives in Vienna while I'm in Brussles) has struggled with computers (a couple of years ago, she received an iPad) and never really managed to use mail, she now uses WhatsApp. Part of the issue is also how self-explanatory / easy to use the technology is. But yes, more efforts for this group might help them enormously.
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So I agree that digital
So I agree that digital learning or high technology is not for everyone. If a person is very old and has no one to help, then it is difficult. But there are other situations, let's say when the young people can show their grandparents memory games, puzzles, and later find out how they are doing.
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Yes, my daughter lives in
Yes, my daughter lives in Norway and I in Lithuania :) And many people live separately from their families in our country too. I agree that many of us live alone, but learning with family can also take place in a virtual space if people can not meet each other in reality. For example, virtual quizzes, digital escape rooms, educational computer games, and more. It is not necessary to sit in a real classroom to study with family members. If the grandson invites his grandfather to play a virtual educational game then we can also say that they are learning together. What's more, they help each other when there is a lack of knowledge. Let’s say a grandfather is improving in technology, and his grandson is gaining knowledge of history or language at the time. DigiHubs use a variety of ways to engage people with advanced technology. Of course, this requires the basics of digital communication (Skype, Facebook, etc.). For this, we organize courses and individual consultations.
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Question - and I'd be happy if you can contradict me!
Dear all, I have to admit that I have a prejudice when it comes to intergenerational learning. I believe that there are many excellent examples - at the grassroots level. Some of them come from trainers who want to encourage this (see Frank's example), others by certain adult education centres. The there are the senior's associations. But are there bigger initiatives? Local, regional or national? I've always had the impression that it's quite difficult to mainstream intergenerational learning. What do you think? Do you have positive examples?
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Another question - Third Age Universities
Is there someone here from a Third Age University? Maybe the Slovenian colleagues? I find this extremely interesting!
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I've always had the
I've always had the impression that it's quite difficult to mainstream intergenerational learning. what do you mean by that? For example, how do young people teach seniors computers and seniors tell young people history?
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Connect and learn
I believe we are capable of enabling intergenerational and international learning an a large scale. We connect young language learners with native speaking elderly, Covid-proof! :-) We do that via Parlangi, an online social learning platform.
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What I've seen is that many
What I've seen is that many ecxcellent interegenerational projects remain small-scale and local, and that there's often not enough ionterest poitically to upscale and / multiply them. If you have other experiences, I'd be happy to hear them! I was wondering about the Scottish example brought forward by Alison at the beginning of the discussion, but any other, please let me know!
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Innitiatives
In our region the Initiative for social activation and project learning for
adults came from the Centre for Social Work and Local Communities.
They recognized the need for the social integration of persons at the very
edge of social exclusion.
They have recognized that they will not be able to reintegrate themselves
and have appealed for programs to be implemented in their regions.
I believe that when the initiative is set from “bottom up”, then there is
greater connectivity, upgrading and cooperation for good implementations.
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intergenerational learning.
Perhaps we should look beyond education for examples of shared intergenerational experiences.
Which aspects of the following are unique to young/old. Which aspects are shared? Why is that?
sports fan
musician
adventure
travel
wine lover
health
love
Which aspects of the following are unique to young/old. Which aspects are shared? Why is that?
sports fan
musician
adventure
travel
wine lover
health
love
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Franks lesson!
Oh, you are doing a lesson here! Yes, you are probably right that we can learn from other sectors, e.g. sports, because in football (oh Godk, how I hate it) there is not an age gap, old and young come together. Do you think AE just does not find the right topics or how would you go about it ti re-join the generations in AE?
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intergenerational learning.
Sometimes it's useful to take stock of what already exists– step back and think how the existing infrastructure could be build upon or changed.
The VHS in Germany is a good example. Fantastic city centre locations with brilliant facilities but offering an approach (classroom based learning) that hasn't changed much since the 1950s.
How else could those city centre locations be used that would encourage old and young people through the door? How do restaurants and bars achieve that? How have travel agents adjusted? Leisure and cultural centres?
Do you think AE just does not find the right topics or how would you go about it ti re-join the generations in AE?
I asked my students what they wanted from the English course. 99% said they wanted to speak it more fluently. So I set about solving that problem. My solution was to provide them lots of material in advance and change the classroom into a type of Starbucks experience. Small group discussions in comfy chairs--coffee machine and all
The VHS in Germany is a good example. Fantastic city centre locations with brilliant facilities but offering an approach (classroom based learning) that hasn't changed much since the 1950s.
How else could those city centre locations be used that would encourage old and young people through the door? How do restaurants and bars achieve that? How have travel agents adjusted? Leisure and cultural centres?
Do you think AE just does not find the right topics or how would you go about it ti re-join the generations in AE?
I asked my students what they wanted from the English course. 99% said they wanted to speak it more fluently. So I set about solving that problem. My solution was to provide them lots of material in advance and change the classroom into a type of Starbucks experience. Small group discussions in comfy chairs--coffee machine and all
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And I am glad the facilities allowed for that
But some VHSen teach a lot in schools which is not quite so cosy....
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I think there a quite a few
I think there a quite a few examples on how to do this, but again, they haven't yet become mainstream. Dina from Portugal, who has posted below, does one of them, in Vienna, on the VHS organises German classes in a park etc Nevertheless, these seem to be initaiives created by enthusiastic adult educators rather than established methods.
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Great example! I share the
Great example! I share the idea that new approaches must be sought.
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Small scale or large scale?
I think you are right, and that is a pity. But many small examples can make a good impact. and they could be distributed. But: I do not know a single organisation or association dedicated to the idea of I.L. , partly because they belong to different sectors of the education system, schools/universities and AE. How can we overcome that barrier?
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I guess this is the 100.000
I guess this is the 100.000 Euro question! My colleagues from the European Parents Association have that problem: if they do parents classes, is it adult education? Does it belong to schools? Something else?
Does anyone have a good example that has brought different institutions together for intergenerational learning?
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Again only on local level
In Germany, especially in Hamburg, we had (for at least 6 years, don't know whether they still exist) so called "Bildungskonferenzen für die Bezirke", educational conferences of the districts, where all the different organisations concerned with education came together, lets say once in 3 months, many different cooperations were created there. IT was not called intergenerational , the focus was on collaboration and pooling of resourses.
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I think Alisson has very good
I think Alisson has very good examples from Scotland as they have support from the Government and also many excellent practitioners.
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learning methods have age, learning has not
Hi all.
First of all, we need to address the urge of our division of ages. There is no doubt that we teach differently for different ages, but when we "forget" and disregard age, there is a new development in learning. Lifelong learning requires a huge respect for the fact that we are all in a human community and that age does not change our curiosity for learning. My experience is that the more I teach "without age" and across generations, the greater the benefits and joys. In Denmark, we have the folk high schools where we, especially on short courses, mix age and teach without regard to age.
So, I try to forget age when i teach and re-remember fellow human beings. My thesis is that learning methods have age, learning has not ... attached link to article, (unfortunately not yet translated by Epale). The titel translate to something like this: What does Boomers eat for breakfast? Snowflakes! https://epale.ec.europa.eu/da/blog/hvad-spiser-boomer-til-morgenmad-sno…
First of all, we need to address the urge of our division of ages. There is no doubt that we teach differently for different ages, but when we "forget" and disregard age, there is a new development in learning. Lifelong learning requires a huge respect for the fact that we are all in a human community and that age does not change our curiosity for learning. My experience is that the more I teach "without age" and across generations, the greater the benefits and joys. In Denmark, we have the folk high schools where we, especially on short courses, mix age and teach without regard to age.
When topics, teaching and learning take over, we naturally forget age and become part of a community. And what we give each other across age, experience, questions, curiosity - can not be replaced and as a teacher I always get wiser when I learn from both old and young - I find that I learn more (both teaching and on topics) in the knowledge I get as a gift from the participants in mix ages. So yes please and thanks for learning across :)
So, I try to forget age when i teach and re-remember fellow human beings. My thesis is that learning methods have age, learning has not ... attached link to article, (unfortunately not yet translated by Epale). The titel translate to something like this: What does Boomers eat for breakfast? Snowflakes! https://epale.ec.europa.eu/da/blog/hvad-spiser-boomer-til-morgenmad-sno…
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Quote of the day!
Learning methods have an age, but learning has not! I love it and will keep that in mind!
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demographic change and intergenerational learning
Unfortunately, I also do not have a positive example of intergenerational learning which is more broadly based.
But I do see a tendency in corporate learning:
The starting point is demographic change, which will lead to many employees retiring (almost) simultaneously and thus a large part of their experiences (also known as institutional memory) will leave the companies.
But I do see a tendency in corporate learning:
The starting point is demographic change, which will lead to many employees retiring (almost) simultaneously and thus a large part of their experiences (also known as institutional memory) will leave the companies.
Therefore, older staff increasingly act as mentors who pass on their knowledge and especially their experience to younger employees. And this is not by chance but in an organized, structured form, which is specifically initiated and promoted by HR departments (learning and development).
This is certainly not the big generational leap we see in many small projects. But it seems to me to be a building block that can establish intergenerational learning on a broad scale.
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Is my experience too
Hi, Dörte, I have been in that situation where I had to pass on my knowledge before I pass on (sorry, pun intended). We did not have a very structured procedure, but it was a debriefing in several steps, and the offer/commitment to stay in touch for questions and further advice. OF course, that cannot be enforced!
There are already very good books ( in German, unfortunately) on how to do it and what methods are available.
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Evaluation of European
Evaluation of European Intergenerational programmes have shown that there is a shift in awareness about intergenerational relationships between different countries, depending on their historic, cultural and economic background. These are facts that also can be found in the UNECES Synthesis Report and in the different country reports. http://www.unece.org/pau/ageing/ministerial_conference_2017.html
from the project ECIL we found that you have adapt intergenerational projects to the context of the country as some like Scotland have long experience.
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Experience in Scotland
Obviously there is a longstanding tradition regarding these programmes. I had the opportunity to observe something like that in Leicestershire County, where a home for the elderly invited students to one-to-one lessons with the elderly to learn something together: planting flowers, playing the violin, reading Shakespeare. There were all sorts of positive effects, on both sides. IT was amazing!
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International Diploma in Intergenerational Learning
This is a seven week online training course which has been developed from the original ECIL and is run in partnership by the University of Granada (Spain) and Generations Working Together (Scotland). The course is aimed at anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of intergenerational work, its purpose, impact and practical application to enable them to apply this within their own work. Read more about the course which starts on the 3rd November here.
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Increasing knowledge and confidence around intergenerationality
Yes, it is an international course and we have had students from Australia, China, Japan, Chile, America, Canada, Sweden, Spain, Mexico and of course across the UK. The course is accredited by the the University of Granada's International School of Postgraduate Studies. UK students also receive CPD accreditation.
Generations Working Together have an International membership should anyone be interested. Check out the benefits below. Members have access to a library of intergenerational case studies, resources, tools and publications and receive discounts to our events and training programme and to the newly launched free online training courses which includes one on ageism.
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Question-How we join the discussion?
Hi I can't understand how I can join the discussion. Is there a link I should follow?
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The discussion is right here,
The discussion is right here, in writing. If you want to reply to someone's comment, please use the reply button under the message. If you want to post, you should have a comment box at the top that you can use.
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"patience is the best courage"
During the corona it became clear that the generations need each other. the young people, with their natural digital abilities, became teachers of others. It has been fabulous to experience the learning that went across and that the young students became the teachers' most important tool. At the same time, I experienced that the old have the wisdom and the life story that put perspective on the lives of the young. especially the old ones who had been oppressed or had stories of learning to do without each other, keep their distance, be secluded and lonely at times. And taking responsibility and giving up freedom, which is difficult for all generations. The Covid crisis has given something back to us. Taking each other along again and feeling a necessity in each other across ages. (I would not have managed my online education without the help of the young people) Or my life story without the old people who persistently said. Hold on, we'll find a way, but "patience is the best courage"
Opening the digital space and learning by doing has bin a future experiment in learning between generations - i hope well ceep learning from each other.
To me, the crisis has miraculously brought the generations together again and shown that we need each other's strengths more than we knew.