Using Media to Enhance Teaching

1. Using Media to Enhance Teaching Channing R. Ford, MPA, MA Associate Director, UAB GEC Program Director, UAB GEC FSP

2. Objectives • Recognize new strategies for educating future healthcare professionals • Apply innovative teaching strategies into their curriculum • Implement useful media applications into teaching curriculum • Differentiate between effective and ineffective teaching resources

3. Older Adults Are Also Online Older adults are the largest growing population of online users • 50% of older adults are online • Of that 50%, 30% of them use the Internet for health information • 1 in 3 older adults use social networking tools

4. Reaching Millennial Learners Millennial Learners: The 5 R’s • Research: prefer a variety of active learning methods (less lecture, multimedia, collaboration) • Relevance: connect content to current culture and make learning outcomes/activities relevant • Rationale: must provide an rational explanation for specific policies, assignments, etc • Relaxed: less formal learning environment • Relational: must connect with them on a personal level Bart M. The Five R’s of Engaging Millennial Students. Faculty Focus Higher Ed Teaching Strategies. 2011 Nov 16. Accessed from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/the-five-rs-of-engaging-millennial-students/.

5. How can I reach Millennial Learners? Utilize creative teaching resources!

6. Media as a Resource Media is a channel or system of communication, information or entertainment. Reflects: • Cultures Attitudes • Beliefs • Standards Projects desired realities Bazzini, DG, et al. (1997). The Aging Women in Popular Film: Underrepresented, Unattractive, Unfriendly, and Unintelligent. Sex Roles, 36(7/8), 531-543.

7. Examples of Media • Video • YouTube • Facebook • Twitter • Advertisements • Pinterest

8. Video: Lady and the Reaper Directed & written by: Javier RecioGracia Oscar Nominated Film 2010 http://vimeo.com/9985840

9. Lady and the Reaper Exercise Questions: • What did you take away from this film? • What creative techniques were used to get and keep your attention? • What values, lifestyles, points of view were represented? What was omitted? • What did you feel was the overall message being sent?

10. Movies & TV Shows with Older Adult Characters Everybody Loves Raymond (TV 1996-2005) Hope Springs (2012) Hot in Cleveland (TV 2010-) RED (2010) Something’s Gotta Give (2003) Space Cowboys (2000) The Notebook (2004)

11. Discussion Exercises Gender Bias in Media Portrayals of Age Recall the most recent movie you saw. Estimate the age and sex of the two or three major characters. • Discussion Questions • Which current shows feature older adults? • Which of those characters would you regard as positive portrayals, and which are negative? • Are the older adult characters leads or peripheral? • Do members of your family watch movies or shows featuring different aged characters? Harwood J. Understanding Communication and Aging. Sage Publications Limited. 2007.

12. YouTube Example:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ya0-OZ58s Teaching Methods: • Have students search for documentaries, interviews, etc and compare them to the literature available • Record your lessons and post

13. Facebook Create a page for your class • Can share videos, photos, links to articles • Provide updates • Start conversations

14. Twitter • Update your students about upcoming events • Send reminders • Create a hashtag (#uabgecfsp) for your course for trending

15. Advertisements Execise Examples: • Compare and contrast advertisements. • What message does the image send about aging? • What is the visual image of the older adult? • Facial expressions, dress • How does this message affect you? Harwood J. Understanding Communication and Aging. Sage Publications Limited. 2007.

16. Advertisements Continued… • How is the relationship portrayed? • What effect does the image have? • How does this image make you think about aging? Harwood J. Understanding Communication and Aging. Sage Publications Limited. 2007.

17. Advertisements Continued… Commercial Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke-WVgQA1bQ

18. Pinterest Have students create their own board - Share with Facebook, Twitter, etc

19. “Immersed in a world surrounded by the media, people in our society absorb impressions, ideas, images, and sounds that reflect society’s attitudes towards aging. Also, the media reflect dominant values in a society: Whether, and how, older people are portrayed represents one measure of how ageism and sexism are embedded in the social fabric”. – Laurie Hatch, Gerontologist K. Vickers. “Aging and the Media: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”. Californian Journal of Health Promotion. 2007: 5(3); 100-105.

20. Downside of Teaching with Media Media has an early impact on future behaviors • Attitudes are a result of learned social response as a result of a person/child’s culture and experiences • Fear of aging begins as a child due to preconceived notions • Hold significant levels of prejudice when working with older adults • Higher levels of prejudice towards older women than men Robinson, T. et al. (2007) The portrayal of older characters in Disney animated films. Journal of Aging Studies. 21; 203-213.

21. Vigilance is Essential • There are potential Negative Outcomes of using media to teach future healthcare providers • Older Adults typically depicted as having lower: • Competence • Activity • Intelligence • Attractiveness • Health

22. Things to Remember • Media Messages are constructed • Media Messages are created using a creative language with its own rules • Different people experience the same media message differently • Media have embedded values and points of view • Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power J. Share, T. Jolls, & E. Thoman. Five Key Questions that can Change the World: Deconstruction. http://www.medialit.org/pdf/mlk/14A_CCKQposter.pdf

23. Questions?