|
The Proceedings of the Information Systems Education Conference 2006: §3713
Home
Papers/Indices
prev (§3712)
Next (§3722)
| | Sat, Nov 4, 5:00 - 5:25, Plaza B Paper (refereed)
| | Recommended Citation: Gustavson, F G and J F Coppola. The Intergenerational Computing Course: Service Learning, Gerontechnology Research, and Computer Literacy. In The Proceedings of the Information Systems Education Conference 2006, v 23 (Dallas): §3713. ISSN: 1542-7382.
|
| ![CDpic]("../../art/2009cdS.jpg") |
The Intergenerational Computing Course: Service Learning, Gerontechnology Research, and Computer Literacy
| | Frances Goertzel Gustavson [a1] [a2]
Information Systems Department, Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems
Pace University [u1] [u2]
Pleasantville, New York, USA [c1] [c2]
Jean F. Coppola [a1] [a2]
Technology Systems Department, Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems
Pace University [u1] [u2]
Pleasantville, New York, USA [c1] [c2]
|
Institutions of higher education play a key role in shaping students to become responsible citizens. Service-learning courses engage students not only in the learning process, but in becoming responsible citizens in the community. The growing population of people over 60 years of age is of great concern to the government and local communities. These factors provided us with the opportunity to use service learning courses to further geriatric technology (gerontechnology) research while teaching senior citizens computer literacy in order to improve their quality of life. Because our senior population had physical limitations, the students had to understand how to teach the seniors as well as how to teach computer literacy. In this pilot project, 23 undergraduate students, enrolled in an intergenerational service-learning computing course, received gerontology theory and training in teaching elderly before instructing the seniors. The randomly enrolled students had seven weeks of theory and instruction, including their own computer literacy (although they were already computer users), integrated with didactic geriatric content and role playing. Students taught three different groups comprised of a total of 26 seniors computer use including those residing in a nursing home, senior independent residence, and an assisted-living facility. The pilot included teaching the seniors how to use the internet for searching and email, the goal being ultimately to improve their quality of life emotionally, cognitively, and socially. The course and research continues, with modifications based on the pilot study.
Keywords: aged user, assisted living, civic engagement, digital divide, elderly, geriatric, gerontechnology, gerotechnology, independent living, intergenerational computing, Internet, long-term care, nursing home, senior citizen, service learning, technology
Read this refereed paper in Adobe Portable Document (PDF) format. (17 pages, 1242 K bytes)
Preview this refereed paper in Plain Text (TXT) format. (38 K bytes)
View the PowerPoint Slides (PPT) for this presentation. (363 K bytes)
Comments and corrections to
webmaster@isedj.org