Stories for Change

This compendium of nearly 50 best practices showcases the notable strategies that increase access to arts and culture for older adult and immigrant populations. Newcomers and older adults (65 +) are two of the fastest growing populations -- communities across the country are grappling with a demographic makeup that is increasingly diverse and proportionally older than in the past. Arts and cultural organizations have the opportunity to reach-out, to increase resources in the community, and to engage populations that are at risk for being overlooked."Stories for Change" is a compelling collection, brimming with new ideas brought to fruition by many types of organizations including: museums, libraries, community development organizations, theaters, orchestras, dance ensembles, area agencies on aging, transportation bureaus, parks, botanic gardens, universities, and more. Organizations that hope to enhance the lives of their older and immigrant residents can find approaches portrayed in these Stories that can be adapted to meet the needs of their communities.Best practices include the well-known Alzheimer's Project of the Museum of Modern Art, which has been adapted to museums around the country, and Circle of Care, a unique ride share program that partners young people with older adults to attend free arts performances in Boulder, Colorado. Stories are located in rural, mid-size, and metropolitan settings; many can be easily implemented, and do not require a major overhaul of staffing, operations, or an organization's mission

The Use of digital games to enhance the physical exercise activity of the elderly : a case of Finland

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), population ageing is a global phenomenon, which brings both challenges and opportunities for society. The current longer expected lifespan can create opportunities for the elderly to contribute in many ways to their families and communities. However, it greatly depends on their quality of life, which is affected by many factors, including physical and functional health, social well-being, and cognitive abilities. The WHO (2012) states that physical health is one of the indicators for the elderly’s quality of life, and it declines with increasing age. Participation in regular physical exercises can help the elderly improve their physical and mental health, and this has been aided by the use of modern technologies to promote the elderly’s physical and functional health. Of these latest technologies, digital games have shown promise to improve and enhance the elderly’s physical activities through fun and engaging gameplay. The literature highlights that some commercial games in the market (e.g. Microsoft Kinect- Sports and Nintendo Wii Sports games) have the potential to improve the elderly’s physical health such as gait, balance, and fall prevention. However, researchers argue that these commercial games are not designed specifically for the elderly and their physical exercise activities. They state that most commercial games are not user-friendly for the elderly whose functional and physical abilities are limited due to their advanced years. The literature points out that more studies need to be undertaken to understand the usability and usefulness of digital games for physical exercise activities so that game designers can create elderly-friendly digital games in the future. In Finland, the government has been focusing on promoting healthy ageing and increasing home care services for the elderly. In recent years, Finnish researchers have used digital games to promote older Finns’ healthy and active ageing. The existing literature, whilst showing the potential of digital games for elderly Finns’ physical health, also acknowledges further research is needed particularly in the context of Finland. Thus, in this study, we aimed at investigating digital games to specifically assess their applications for older Finns’ physical activities, focusing on the quality of users’ experiences, and their reported ease of use and perceived usefulness. We used the mixed methods approach, which applies both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The study design included four stages: requirements gathering, analysis and design, prototyping, and evaluation. Firstly, we conducted pre-studies to elicit users’ requirements. This was followed by the analysis of the resulting data to identify trends and patterns, which fuelled ideas in the brainstorming game design and development phases. The final product was a digital game-based physical exercise called the Skiing Game. We then evaluated the Skiing Game in Finland with 21 elderly Finns (M=7, F=14, Average Age =76). By using questionnaires, observation, and interviews, we investigated user experiences, focusing on the game’s usability, and usefulness for enhancing the physical activity and wellbeing of the elderly. We also conducted a comparative test of the Skiing Game in Japan with 24 elderly Japanese participants (M=12, F=12, Average Age = 72) to further understand non-Finnish elderly users’ experiences. The findings from the usability study of the Skiing Game in Finland demonstrated that elderly Finns had a positive experience in the gameplay, and their motivation was noticeably high. It also confirmed that elderly Finns have a genuine interest in digital game-based exercises and strong intentions to play digital games as a form of physical exercise in the future. Although prior to the study most of them had negative views and misconceptions about digital games, after the gameplay their attitudes were decidedly positive. They acknowledged that whilst playing digital games could be an alternative way of exercising for them their use would primarily be when they don’t have access to their usual non-digital physical exercise. The Japanese usability of the Skiing Game showed that the elderly Japanese people also had positive user experiences in playing digital games, and also intend to use them in the future. Similarly, after playing the game they reported that their attitudes towards digital games become positive, and indicated playing digital games could be an alternative way of exercising. Although the comparison of the two studies suggests that the elderly Finns had relatively more positive experiences whilst playing the Skiing Game, compared to their Japanese counterparts, in general, both groups had a positive experience in the gameplay and showed interest in digital games as an alternative exercise. Based on the usability lessons learned from these two studies, recommendations for practitioners and designers regarding improvements in game design and development are made in this report. Implementing these modifications into future designs and further development of digital games for the elderly will improve their commercial viability and user uptake. The findings from this study can provide valuable insights, particularly for Finnish policymakers and healthcare practitioners who are keen to introduce digital games into the aged-care sector in Finland. The studies have also provided valuable insights into the optimal methods for introducing Finnish digital games to international markets, in particular, digital games tailored specifically for the physical exercise needs and motivations of the elderly. By taking into consideration the limitations of the study, we provide our future studies and further improvements of the game to be conducted

Education and quality of life of senior citizens

En la present guia s'ofereix, en primer lloc, els fonaments sobre els quals ha de construir-se qualsevol acció educativa dirigida a estudiants majors, així com els conceptes bàsics sobre qualitat de vida relacionada amb les persones majors i les necessitats i riscos específics de les persones majors, així com les oportunitats i potencialitats existents. L'increment de l'esperança de vida i de la salut aconsegueix que els majors siguen un grup cada vegada més significatiu en la nostra societat europea; actualment no solament viuen més anys i són més actius sinó també posseeixen major nivell de formació i inquietuds.This pedagogical guide is the first of the two main outcomes of the EduSenior project, the second being a tool designed to evaluate educational institutions. The guide can be used by any person interested in education for senior citizens. It introduces the main concepts of quality of life, ageing and the social context of the elderly to learn, first, about seniors' context and needs. It then explains the pedagogies, models, contents and staff skills that have the greatest impact on senior learners' quality of life. The guide also includes European information and experiences on each of these topics.En la presente guía se ofrece, en primer lugar, los fundamentos sobre los que debe construirse cualquier acción educativa dirigida a estudiantes mayores, así como los conceptos básicos sobre calidad de vida relacionada con las personas mayores y las necesidades y riesgos específicos de las personas mayores, así como las oportunidades y potencialidades existentes. El incremento de la esperanza de vida y de la salud logra que los mayores sean un grupo cada vez más significativo en nuestra sociedad europea; actualmente no solo viven más años y son más activos sino también poseen mayor nivel de formación e inquietudes

The Cowl - v.63 - n.10 - Dec 3, 1998

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 63, Number 10 - Dec 3, 1998. 28 pages

Spartan Daily May 7, 2012

Volume 138, Issue 50https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/1049/thumbnail.jp

Otter Realm, December 16, 2005, Vol. 12 No. 7

Down and dirty in the East Campus apartments -- TAT department blues -- Inspections -- Capstones on fest track for Fall 2005 -- Associated Students carry budget and classes -- Documentary helps break barriers for migrant workers -- Lamont to lead men\u27s b-ball in Spring season -- Lady Otters\u27 Lopez bids farewell to basketball -- Michael\u27s Nook -- Water Polo team hopes for another \u27awesome\u27 season -- Resident Tourist -- \u27Locals rule\u27: Struggles continue between residents and visiting surfers -- Otter this world -- CSUMB birthplace of student record label -- Adam\u27s Pics: Festival of Characters -- 9 Things To Do in February -- Student sounds off on TAT funding controversy -- Person on Campus: What is the craziest thing you\u27re doing over the winter break?https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/otterrealm/1137/thumbnail.jp

The Johnsonian March 21, 1988

The Johnsonian is the weekly student newspaper of Winthrop University. It is published during fall and spring semesters with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. We have proudly served the Winthrop and Rock Hill community since 1923.https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/thejohnsonian1980s/1188/thumbnail.jp

GlimmerGlass Volume 72 Number 10 (2013)

Official Student Newspaper Issue is 12 pages long