A disabling condition that is common for many senior adults is hearing impairment. Studies have shown that a substantial number of people who could benefit from amplification choose not to use hearing aid. Often the reasons may be because they have unrealistic expectations of what hearing aids can do. These unrealistic expectations are not necessarily from personal use, but the senior adult is often influenced by the media, acquaintances, or advertisements. The purpose of this study was to determine if a computer program developed with information about hearing aids and their use could be used to influence the expectations senior adults have regarding hearing aids. Thirty - five subjects were involved in this study. Thirty - two subjects were volunteers from Portland First Nazarene Church, two were from a local bank and one was a retired health professional. Seventeen of the subjects were selected to come to Portland State University to view a computer program about hearing aids. The other 18 were part of the control group and did not view the computer program. Ten days following the viewing a questionnaire was mailed to all thirty - five participants. The questions on the questionnaire related the expectations senior adults had about hearing aids in the following areas: cosmetic, acoustics, cost and upkeep, communication benefits, attitudes, acoustics, and comfort. The results were tabulated and percentages calculated. The results of this study indicated that, in general, senior adults have unrealistic expectations in many areas. In some areas such as acoustics, comfort, and ease of use senior adults' expectations seemed to be influenced by the information in the computer program. The information obtained in this study would indicate that senior adults' expectations could be influenced by information they received from a computer program. In many areas, such as the cosmetics, communication benefits, cost and attitudes the information provided by the computer program needs to be further developed and expanded in order for it to influence the expectations of senior adults about hearing aids.

The demographic shift to an older population has led to a structural transformation of the labor force and rapid social change within American society. This, in turn, has given rise to the need to reassess the factors which facilitate and impede the older adults' interest and participation in work-related education (WRE). More specifically, the research sought to discover how the older adult's perceptions of self, work options, the accessibility of work-related education (WRE) programs, the attitudes and support of significant others, and job market experience affect their expression of interest and willingness to participate in WRE. Key perceptions regarding WRE and their interrelationships were suggested by Rubenson's Paradigm for Recruitment, which helped me to generate questions, guide the interviews, and analyze data. The interviewees were 19 healthy women, age 55 and over, who were living in a Southwestern Virginia city in which WRE programs were offered by public and private educational institutions. Interviewees were grouped according to financial and work status in order to examine how the women's perceptions varied by these characteristics. A qualitative methodology employing in-depth interviews was utilized to achieve the study's objective and to address the limitations of earlier research. Findings indicate a strong, but conditional interest in WRE existed among women in the workforce, despite initial negative responses to a survey-type question. Interest and willingness to participate in WRE varied by type of WRE and grouping of the women by income and work status. For example, financially secure working women were only interested in on-the-job training while financially-insecure women would require training subsidies and job guarantees. Case studies revealed that the working women's experiences with age-discrimination was a major factor qualifying their interest in WRE. Financially-secure-retired women were not interested in WRE under any conditions. Definitional problems associated with the concept of WRE resulted in mis-perceptions by some of the interviewees and most likely, have seriously affected the validity of some past survey research in this area. To account for the conditional nature of interest m WRE, modifications of Rubenson's paradigm and recommendations to guide further survey research were suggested. Data resulting from this study have implications for both the applied and theoretical aspects of adult education and gerontology. Resultant data augment the information available to educational policy-makers at all levels of government who are expected to respond equitably to the varied educational needs and interest of this diverse segment of the population. Senior employment counselors, human resource decision makers m companies, and employers of older adults may also benefit from the insights gained in this study. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to survey the educational activities offered for persons age sixty and over in Southern Baptist churches in a five-state area (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) and to determine if there are significant differences (1) in the preferences shown by older persons between church-sponsored instrumental and expressive learning activities and (2) between the number of church-sponsored instrumental and expressive learning activities. The population for the study consisted of 114 Southern Baptist churches in ten selected metropolitan areas identified as providing educational activities, other than Bible study, for adults age sixty and over. Data were collected by a questionnaire mailed to these 114 churches. The data from the responses were tabulated, compared, and summarized, using descriptive statistical procedures.

A large body of empirical research has documented strong beneficial effects of educational attainment on a wide range of health outcomes. In addition, there has been growing interest in the links between religion and health, and some studies have suggested that the benefits of religious involvement on health are strongest for persons with low-to-moderate levels of education. To date, however, the bulk of this work has been conducted in the U.S. or other nations in the developed West. Although researchers have called for more comparative and cross-cultural studies on these topics, few if any studies have focused on the interplay of education, religion, and multiple health outcomes in China, particularly among its most elderly citizens. This project aims to address this gap in the research literature, with the following objectives: (1) to examine whether and how education is related to emotional and cognitive well-being, and reflects possible gender differences; (2) to explore whether and how religious participation is associated with various health indicators; and (3) to examine whether religious practice may complement or moderate the association between individual-level SES or community-level SES and health in this distinctive population. To investigate these issues, I use data from the Chinese Healthy Longevity Survey, a nationwide survey of the oldest old adults in China; my analyses involve the 1998 baseline survey, as well as data from the 2000 and 2002 follow-up surveys. Findings suggest that: (1) education impacts emotional and cognitive well-being through different mechanisms; (2) the indirect effects of religion on health are primarily mediated by psychological resources and lifestyle, but not by social resources; (3) females report higher levels of religious participation and get more cognitive benefits from it than males; (4) individual-level SES is negatively associated with religious participation, whereas community-level SES is positively associated with religious participation; and (5) the beneficial effects of religion on psychological wellbeing are more pronounced for residents in poorer areas. The theoretical and policy implications of the findings are discussed and elaborated.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2018-12-13T11:42:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Cibele Sales da Silva.pdf: 1195037 bytes, checksum: c76bd780dd33c2a18da9b0c1e5476b3a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-13T11:42:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cibele Sales da Silva.pdf: 1195037 bytes, checksum: c76bd780dd33c2a18da9b0c1e5476b3a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-11-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This research has the objective of analyzing the effects of PROEJA and PROEJA FIC of the Federal Institute of Education Science and Technology of São Paulo (IFSP), in the daily life of the elderly students, as well as the reasons to return to study, their expectations and the way of sociability that is constituted in this institutional space. PROEJA and PROEJA FIC arise as a proposal to integrate Vocational Education for Youth and Adult Education, through Decree n. 5,840 / 2006. It presents itself as an alternative for the elderly segment that seeks professionalism and new forms of learning. Through the bibliographic study, the present research presents the IFSP, its history and expansion, as well as the social policies for the elderly, actions oriented to the segment from the 70's, the elderly and educational exclusion, which brings the reflection illiteracy and legislation. Youth and adult education, vocational education and education are contextualized in order to understand the evolution of these educational policies at the national level. The empirical research, of a qualitative nature, carried through interviews, brings the report of these students, evidencing the breakage of stigmatized old age, facing a new way of aging: the elderly student with expectations, dreams and life projects / Esta pesquisa tem o objetivo de analisar os efeitos do PROEJA e PROEJA FIC do Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (IFSP), no cotidiano dos alunos idosos, bem como as razões em voltar a estudar, suas expectativas e o modo de sociabilidade que se constitui nesse espaço institucional. O PROEJA e PROEJA FIC surgem como proposta de integrar a Educação Profissional à Educação de Jovens e Adultos, através do Decreto n°. 5.840/2006. Apresenta-se como alternativa para o segmento idoso que busca a profissionalização e novas formas de aprendizagens. Através do estudo bibliográfico, a presente pesquisa apresenta o IFSP, seu histórico e expansão, bem como as políticas sociais para o idoso, as ações voltadas para o segmento a partir da década de 70, o idoso e a exclusão educacional, que traz a reflexão sobre o analfabetismo e legislações vigentes. Contextualiza-se a Educação de Jovens e adultos, Educação Profissional e Proeja, a fim de compreender a evolução dessas políticas educacionais no âmbito nacional. A pesquisa empírica, de natureza qualitativa, realizada através de entrevistas, traz o relato desses alunos, evidenciando a quebra da velhice estigmatizada, estando diante de um novo modo de envelhecer: o idoso estudante com expectativas, sonhos e projetos de vida

O público idoso, crescente no Brasil e cada vez mais adepto do uso da internet e dos meios digitais, necessita de atenção quando o assunto é inclusão digital, pois podem apresentar limitações físicas e cognitivas que dificultam a realização de tarefas que requeiram o uso computador. Considerar estes usuários e envolvê-los no processo de desenvolvimento de materiais didáticos no formato digital, utilizando técnicas de Design Participativo, pode amenizar a rejeição relacionada à utilização deste material por este público. Com isso, definiu-se como objetivo geral desta pesquisa analisar a aplicação de técnicas de Design Participativo com o público idoso para a inclusão digital. Nesta pesquisa foram aplicadas as técnicas de Design Participativo Storytelling Workshop, Criação de linguagens comuns e Braindraw com idosos, para o desenvolvimento de um exemplo de material didático digital voltado a este público. Os passos adotados para atingir o objetivo geral foram: estudo bibliográfico por meio de um fichamento e de uma revisão sistemática de literatura; coleta de dados por meio de entrevistas, para investigação das demandas de inclusão digital do público idoso; aplicação de técnicas de Design Participativo com idosos, cujo objetivo foi o levantamento de requisitos para o desenvolvimento do material didático. Após a análise das informações obtidas com a aplicação das técnicas de Design Participativo foram identificados e listados alguns pontos de observação, que tratam das preferências destes usuários na utilização de materiais didáticos digitais. Com estes pontos de observação foi proposto um exemplo de material didático no formato digital, caracterizado como Recurso Educacional Aberto, para aprendizagem de uma ferramenta de comunicação via internet. Este material foi validado por usuários idosos e atendeu a maioria dos requisitos. Por fim, constatou-se que a atividade participativa para os idosos gera resultados positivos e pode ser adotada no desenvolvimento de tecnologias para este público. / The elderly public, growing in Brazil and increasingly adept at using the internet and digital media, needs attention when it comes to digital inclusion, since they may present physical and cognitive limitations that make it difficult to perform tasks that require computer use. Considering these users and involving them in the process of developing teaching materials in the digital format, using Participatory Design techniques, can ease the rejection related to the use of this material by this public. With this, it was defined as a general objective of this research to analyze the application of Participatory Design techniques with the elderly public for digital inclusion. In this research were applied the techniques of Participatory Design Storytelling Workshop, Creation of common languages and Braindraw with the elderly, for the development of an example of digital didactic material aimed at this public. The steps taken to reach the general objective were: a bibliographic study through a file and a systematic literature review; Data collection through interviews, to investigate the digital inclusion demands of the elderly public; Application of Participatory Design techniques with the elderly, whose objective was the survey of requirements for the development of didactic material. After analyzing the information obtained with the application of Participatory Design techniques, some observation points were identified and listed, which address the preferences of these users in the use of digital didactic materials. With these observation points, an example of didactic material in the digital format, characterized as Open Educational Resource, was proposed for learning an internet communication tool. This material was validated by elderly users and met most of the requirements. Finally, it was verified that the participative activity for the elderly generates positive results and can be adopted in the development of technologies for this public.

O público idoso, crescente no Brasil e cada vez mais adepto do uso da internet e dos meios digitais, necessita de atenção quando o assunto é inclusão digital, pois podem apresentar limitações físicas e cognitivas que dificultam a realização de tarefas que requeiram o uso computador. Considerar estes usuários e envolvê-los no processo de desenvolvimento de materiais didáticos no formato digital, utilizando técnicas de Design Participativo, pode amenizar a rejeição relacionada à utilização deste material por este público. Com isso, definiu-se como objetivo geral desta pesquisa analisar a aplicação de técnicas de Design Participativo com o público idoso para a inclusão digital. Nesta pesquisa foram aplicadas as técnicas de Design Participativo Storytelling Workshop, Criação de linguagens comuns e Braindraw com idosos, para o desenvolvimento de um exemplo de material didático digital voltado a este público. Os passos adotados para atingir o objetivo geral foram: estudo bibliográfico por meio de um fichamento e de uma revisão sistemática de literatura; coleta de dados por meio de entrevistas, para investigação das demandas de inclusão digital do público idoso; aplicação de técnicas de Design Participativo com idosos, cujo objetivo foi o levantamento de requisitos para o desenvolvimento do material didático. Após a análise das informações obtidas com a aplicação das técnicas de Design Participativo foram identificados e listados alguns pontos de observação, que tratam das preferências destes usuários na utilização de materiais didáticos digitais. Com estes pontos de observação foi proposto um exemplo de material didático no formato digital, caracterizado como Recurso Educacional Aberto, para aprendizagem de uma ferramenta de comunicação via internet. Este material foi validado por usuários idosos e atendeu a maioria dos requisitos. Por fim, constatou-se que a atividade participativa para os idosos gera resultados positivos e pode ser adotada no desenvolvimento de tecnologias para este público. / The elderly public, growing in Brazil and increasingly adept at using the internet and digital media, needs attention when it comes to digital inclusion, since they may present physical and cognitive limitations that make it difficult to perform tasks that require computer use. Considering these users and involving them in the process of developing teaching materials in the digital format, using Participatory Design techniques, can ease the rejection related to the use of this material by this public. With this, it was defined as a general objective of this research to analyze the application of Participatory Design techniques with the elderly public for digital inclusion. In this research were applied the techniques of Participatory Design Storytelling Workshop, Creation of common languages and Braindraw with the elderly, for the development of an example of digital didactic material aimed at this public. The steps taken to reach the general objective were: a bibliographic study through a file and a systematic literature review; Data collection through interviews, to investigate the digital inclusion demands of the elderly public; Application of Participatory Design techniques with the elderly, whose objective was the survey of requirements for the development of didactic material. After analyzing the information obtained with the application of Participatory Design techniques, some observation points were identified and listed, which address the preferences of these users in the use of digital didactic materials. With these observation points, an example of didactic material in the digital format, characterized as Open Educational Resource, was proposed for learning an internet communication tool. This material was validated by elderly users and met most of the requirements. Finally, it was verified that the participative activity for the elderly generates positive results and can be adopted in the development of technologies for this public.

During the past thirty years several models for lifelong education after retirement have been developed worldwide, one of them being the University of the Third Age (U3A). This study explored the contributions of the U3A to the educational needs of older adults and evaluated the benefits they perceived from their participation in U3A by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The latter used a survey to explore the experiences of U3A members of two U 3As and presidents of 68 U3As in Victoria, Australia by means of two different questionnaires. As only 1.47 percent of the over-55 population of Victoria are U3A members, the survey also investigated barriers to U3A participation in general and with special reference to the male population. The findings indicated that member respondents were very satisfied with their U3A experiences which had made substantial differences in their lives. Both male and female respondents saw personal, mental, social, and physical improvement as a result of U3A participation. The majority indicated that participation had improved their intellectual development. Significant differences in the perceptions of male and female participants emerged: female members outnumbered males by three to one. Both the presidents and the members expressed some programmatic concerns, primarily obtaining tutors and classroom availability. The subject areas covered by courses presented were extensive. There was a difference in the subjects desired by males and female respondents; very few courses are offered in science and economics. Some barriers to participation identified are a lack of awareness of U3A, the stereotypical attitudinal barrier of `I am too old' and negative past educational experiences. Moreover, U3As should increase marketing endeavours. Although most U3As advertise, almost a third of the respondents indicated that they would have joined earlier if aware of U3As. A contributing factor appears to be a virtual lack of research and information provided in educational academic journals and other media about lifelong education after retirement. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for future research and for improved practice in the U3A environment as a means to enhance the quality of life for older adults. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

During the past thirty years several models for lifelong education after retirement have been developed worldwide, one of them being the University of the Third Age (U3A). This study explored the contributions of the U3A to the educational needs of older adults and evaluated the benefits they perceived from their participation in U3A by means of a literature study and an empirical investigation. The latter used a survey to explore the experiences of U3A members of two U 3As and presidents of 68 U3As in Victoria, Australia by means of two different questionnaires. As only 1.47 percent of the over-55 population of Victoria are U3A members, the survey also investigated barriers to U3A participation in general and with special reference to the male population. The findings indicated that member respondents were very satisfied with their U3A experiences which had made substantial differences in their lives. Both male and female respondents saw personal, mental, social, and physical improvement as a result of U3A participation. The majority indicated that participation had improved their intellectual development. Significant differences in the perceptions of male and female participants emerged: female members outnumbered males by three to one. Both the presidents and the members expressed some programmatic concerns, primarily obtaining tutors and classroom availability. The subject areas covered by courses presented were extensive. There was a difference in the subjects desired by males and female respondents; very few courses are offered in science and economics. Some barriers to participation identified are a lack of awareness of U3A, the stereotypical attitudinal barrier of `I am too old' and negative past educational experiences. Moreover, U3As should increase marketing endeavours. Although most U3As advertise, almost a third of the respondents indicated that they would have joined earlier if aware of U3As. A contributing factor appears to be a virtual lack of research and information provided in educational academic journals and other media about lifelong education after retirement. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for future research and for improved practice in the U3A environment as a means to enhance the quality of life for older adults. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)