The development of a college level course on health and aging within a conceptual framework

• Main Author: Wantz, Molly
• Other Authors: Carroll, Charles R.
• Format: Others
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Aging.; Health education.
• Online Access: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/181751; http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/420203

The major focus of this study was the development of a college level course on health and aging. Because a conceptual framework was chosen as the structure for the course design and its implementation, the purposes of the study were: 1) the formulation of behavioral objectives; 2) the determination of topics or course content dealing with health and aging; 3) the identification of available teaching materials; 4) the determination of learning experiences; and 5) the development of appropriate evaluation activities for each behavioral objective.Four techniques were used in the selection of the concepts, subconcepts and behavioral adjectives formulated for the course. These techniques were: 1) a study of courses offered by other educational institutions, 2) an extensive review of the gerontological literature, 3) a health survey administered to seventeen women and thirteen men over the age of sixty, residing in Delaware County, Muncie, Indiana, and 4) the use of a jury of experts on gerontology from thirteen professions related to aging.The course syllabi and gerontological literature were reviewed in terms of content, learning experiences, evaluation activities and teacher-student resources.The material from the survey of older people was analyzed on a retrieval system called the Terrratrex. Any item responded to by 70% or more of the sample was considered significant enough to be included in the course.The material from the jury of experts was recorded bay raw score, percentage and then assigned a rank order to deter line relative significance of each item. A comparison of the ten highest with the ten lowest ranked items was made.A master list of content items was compiled from the study of courses, review of literature, health survey of older people and the responses of the jurymen. The items from the master list were developed into a conceptual framework of the ideas or major generalizations that provided structure for the curriculum. The framework of the course wary developed similiarly to that of the Teacher-Learning Guide from the School Health Education Study. Thus, the framework identified the concepts, behavioral objectives, content, learning activities, evaluation activities and teacher-student resources.Analysis of the data led to the following conclusions: 1) Men and women perceive their health as good if they are ambulatory.2) The use of medical services is viewed essential by both old people and experts.3) There is no difference between men and women and their expressed general health status after the age of 65.4) All of the concepts in the course are essential or desirable for college students to know about health and aging.5) Either the jury was in total agreement on all 25 items of the survey or the items were not sufficiently discriminatory.6) A college level course concerned with health needs and health practices should emphasize more than the physical and mental aspects of aging. For instance, in order for the older person to avert physical change resulting from nutrient deficiencies, the curriculum should consider the role of companionship in relation to meals and other social situations.