Abstract:

This article focuses on lifelong learning organisations that currently offer courses and activities for senior citizens (people over 55 years old or retired). The main aims of these organisations are usually to improve the skills and knowledge of the learners in subjects like information and communication technologies, economics, history, arts, health, etc. In a broad sense the aims of these institutions are to help seniors integrate in today’s society, to socialize and raise their well being and quality of life. The concept of “quality of life” is a commonly used term that needs clarification. This article first offers an analysis to model the impact of education on quality of life and then identifies the best quality of life indicators that can be used to evaluate any educational program. An analysis of current publications, study cases and qualitative research was carried out in the Senior Citizens’ University (Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain).

Link to the article

Impact on Quality of Life Through Lifelong Learning on Senior Learners

Pilar Escuder-Mollon, Roger Esteller-Curto, Luis Ochoa, Massimo Bardus

Abstract

Learning in later life (citizens over 65 or retired) is becoming common; job related needs or qualification requirements from labour market are replaced for more personal aims; curiosity, understand environment, feel more integrated, pleasure, keep active, etc. These personal aims can be seen from the quality of life (QoL) perspective, where education increases well-being, the understanding of themselves and the society, and helps them to feel participate and to be part of the society. The thesis is that education increases QoL. Having into account that QoL is composed by objective and subjective facets, and education is a complex long term process, this article shows the relation that exists between a lifelong learning activity in senior citizens and the impact on their QoL. This research has been conducted in the QEduSen project (supported by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commision) using quantitative and qualitative researches.

Pedagogical Proposal to Increase the Quality of Life on Senior Citizens [paper]

Pilar Escuder-Mollon, Roger Esteller-Curto, Cecil Issakainen, Velta Lubkina, Slavina Lozanova

Abstract

Quality of life is a very broad and complex status, it has objective and subjective components, and it has physical, psychological and social components. To have high Quality of Life is beneficial for oneself but also for the society. Quality of life can be influenced through education; it can be reached from a comprehensive pedagogy that includes content, but also tries to integrate facilitators, teachers and classmates in the process of lifelong learning. This is a long-term objective, but that showed results increasing the subjective perception of quality of life, the well-being, integration and participation of senior citizens in society. This paper shows the pedagogical proposal centered on 5 main topics (pedagogies, contents, contexts, models and trainers) based on analysis and research done in the project QEduSen (supported by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commision)

WCES Rome 2013 website

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Pilar Escuder-Mollon

Roger Esteller-Curto