The demographic time bomb and assessment: motivating older adult learners - A pilot study

1. Assessmentacross the Lifespan The demographic time bomb and assessment:motivating older adult learners -A pilot study Dr Rosalind Duhs University College London (UCL) r.duhs@ucl.ac.uk

2. This study is not a BIG BEAST (Desjardins)

3. People behind the statistics

4. Overview of presentation • Background and rationale • Literature • Research questions: pilot study • Methods • Findings • Conclusion and discussion

5. 1. Background and rationale • The topic • the demographic time bomb • assessment to motivate learners • Older university learners 2012 – European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations Older university learners deserve assessment

6. Context University

7. Lifelonglearningbeyond 50 and intoold age • For this study: universitylearning (formal) Open University (UK)  7,800 learners over 65 • Universities UK report and Age UK ‘valueof lifelonglearning’ (Phillipson and Ogg, 2010, p.13) • Richard Desjardins – individual behaviours ‘use it or lose it’. ‘It may be possible to mitigate, delay or prevent cognitive decline.’

8. Universities UK ‘Investment now in education – and higher education in particular – is likely to have major benefits for individuals and for society as it will help older people remain economically and sociallyengaged.’ (Phillipson and Ogg, 2010, p.39)

9. The topic: the demographic time bomb Developed world The majority of babies born since 2000 are likely to reach 100 (Phillipson and Ogg, 2010, p.6) Europe Less than two people aged 15-64 for every person aged 65+ by 2060 (4:1 2012) (Eurostat 2012 p.32) UK • 2007: more people of state pension age than under 16 20.7 million people aged 50 and over.

10. Result of demographic time bomb No fixedretirement age Longeremployment is an economicnecessity  Formal lifelonglearning

11. 2. Literature • ‘…in the futureolderadultswill be encouraged to return to work or remain in the workforce’ (Bunyan 2005) • Lifelonglearningacross the lifespan is beneficial to health and may lessen the risk of dementia (Friedrich 2003) • Learning … ‘canprotectagainstcognitivedecline’ (Beddington 2008 p.1058)

12. Assessment to motivatelearners Participation in formal learning (for accreditation or certification) declinessharply from 50 onwards(Phillipson and Ogg, 2010, p.4) More demanding learning – better for the brain?

13. AssessmentshapeslearningBackwashBoud (2010) and Gibbs (1999, 2003)

14. Successfulolderlearners: manyexamples Bertie Gladwin, leftschool at 14, thirddegree at 90, MA in Intelligence History, distinction in his dissertation (Garner 2012)

15. 3. Research questions: pilot study Howdoolderlearnersexperienceassessment at university? (formative and summative) (bothtraditionalunseen examinations and courseworksuch as essays or projects, etc) • Do theyconsider that assessmentprotectsthemagainstcognitivedecline? • Are marks important to them? • Does formative assessmenthelpthem to improvetheir work?

16. 4. Research methods (pilot study) • Survey with Likert-typequestions and space for free text responses • So far: survey pilot with group of sixolderlearners • Four Swedish, two English, studying/recentlystudied arts subjects at university, three in England, three in Sweden

17. 5. Findings Two cases and overall characteristics

18. Swedish male, agedbetween 66 and 70 Assignments marked by lecturers: ‘Veryhappy with good marks. Rather indifferent to bad marks if I feel that they are unjust. Quiteupsetif I havefailedthrough my own bad efforts.’ Feedback helpsme to improve my work. The marks I get matter to me.

19. Summativeassessment I agreestrongly that examinations helpme to graspimportantcourseconcepts. I agree that the examinablecomponentprotectsagainstcognitivedecline. ‘Youare in the course with a lot of youngpeople. You have to show yourself that your [sic] as good as they.’ ‘University studies are good for you as an old man.’

20. English female, agedbetween 66 and 70 ‘I agree that writtenassignments marked by lecturershelpme to focus on learning. Writtenassignmentsrequireplenty of preparatoryreading.’ The feedback on assignments marked by lecturershelpsme to improve my work. ‘Somelecturershadthe gift of good feedback, otherswerediscouraging.’

21. I agree that the marks I get for my assignmentsmatter to me.‘The better marks wereencouraging, loweronesweredampening to the self-esteembutstimulatedsomemorestudy.’

22. The twocases: self-efficacy ‘Olderadultshavereducedlevels of self-efficacy’ ‘…negative ageing stereotypes’ lead to reducedeffort. ‘Suchbeliefscanbecomeself-fulfillingprophecies.’ (Aukrust 2011, p.242)

23. Fiveout of sixcases • Agree or agreestrongly that summativeassessmentprotectsagainstcognitivedecline • Muchprefer/preferother forms of assessment to examinations • Sixout of sixcareabouttheir marks

24. 6. Conclusion and discussion Howdoolderlearnersexperienceassessment at university? (formative and summative) Theyregardassessment as important and careabouttheir marks. Theybelieve that formative assessmenthelpsthem to improvetheir work. Theymostlyconsider that assessmentprotectsthemagainscognitivedecline.

25. From this preliminaryexploration: It appears to be worthwhile to encouragemoreolderlearners to learn at university and experience educationalassessment.

26. Thank you

27. References and furtherreading Aukrust, V.G. (2011) Learning and Cognition in Education. Oxford: Academic Press Beddington, J. et al (2008) ‘The Mental Wealth of Nations’. Nature,455 p.1057 Biggs, J. (2003). Teaching for QualityLearning at University. 2nd ed. Buckingham: The Society for Research intoHigherEducation & Open University Press. Bunyan, K. and Jordan, A. (2005) ’Too Late for the Learning: lessons from older learners’. Research in Post-Compulsory Education,10 (2) Eurostat (2012) Active ageing and solidarity between generations: 2012 edition. A statistical portrait of the European Union 2012 Friedrich, D. (2003) Personal and societal intervention strategies for successful ageing. Ageing International 28(1), 3-36 Garner, R. (2012) ‘The oldest master: student who left school at 14 gets his third degree at 90’. The Independent www.independent.co.uk Phillipson, G. and Ogg, J. (2010) Active ageing and universities: Engaging older learners. Universities UK.