How can universities encourage active ageing?

The world's population is ageing. The United Nations’ World Population Prospects 2019 projects that the global population aged 65 will rise significantly, reaching one in six people by 2050, compared to one in 11 in 2019. This demographic megatrend prevails in many countries, such as Japan, Italy, and Finland, with all three hosting the highest proportion of senior citizens in the world. As birth rates slow and life expectancy increases, society must adapt to this changing demographic reality. 

When I was an undergraduate, one of the study programmes at my university admitted an older adult student. This was an uncommon case in my home country. In fact, we rarely see older students in formal higher education in Indonesia. Most top universities here typically admit undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 21 years, and many graduate programmes are tailored to young and middle-aged adults. But an ageing population could buck these trends. 

Higher education and active ageing 

The World Health Organization (WHO) first coined the concept of active ageing in 2007. The concept promotes improving the quality of life for older people by providing opportunities for healthy ageing and greater participation in society. It aims to correct negative perceptions of senior citizens as “burdens to society" due to their physical limitations and declining health. Higher education should promote active ageing. But how?

How can we support older students?

Older adults have characteristics that are distinct from their younger adult counterparts, such as life experience and the ability to apply this to their learning. Such characteristics are the focus of geragogy, a theory and practice of teaching the elderly. But geragogy is still under-researched. It mostly focuses on the weaknesses and limitations of older learners and perceives them as dependent persons due to their physical and mental decline. Therefore we need a novel, critical interpretation. One that acknowledges that older learners are active and independent in their learning, but that they also need an emotional, considerate and empathetic approach to support their autonomy. 

Ageing students typically enter formal education with a high motivation for learning and a deep sense of curiosity. However, their weakening cognitive functions and physical abilities may lead to a slower learning pace. Therefore, educators play a crucial role in creating a safe and stress-free learning space by responding to their enthusiasm with patience and a positive attitude. Older learners may also benefit from a more interactive and personalised learning support system or a buddy programme with fellow older adults or younger classmates. 

Educators should foster a conducive learning environment for older students by giving them clear instructions and flexibility. For example, this can include providing video or audio tutorials in the form of detailed, step-by-step guides that students can engage with at their own pace. 

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Creating an inclusive campus

Higher education institutions can take several steps to reduce discrimination towards older students, including promoting awareness and sensitivity training for all staff; designing inclusive curriculum programmes that offer flexible, self-paced learning options; providing learning resources that are accessible and user-friendly; establishing a mentorship programme specifically for older students and establishing a transfer credit system that values older students’ work experience.

Additionally, campuses must be accessible to older students. We can use universal design principles to facilitate the physical needs of older generations, such as level, slip-resistant flooring and handrails in campus buildings. We can also use technology to support older students’ learning needs. For example, screen readers and text-to-speech technology are among many assistive devices that help improve textbook readability.

Mixed or separate classes?

Due to older students’ unique needs and characteristics, multigenerational classrooms may not be ideal learning environments for them. On the other hand, differences in life stages and skill sets within mixed classrooms can promote a productive culture of knowledge sharing and exchange. 

Separate classes may be more fitting for technical and tech skills courses because younger students are generally more familiar with technology. Conversely, mixed classes may be ideal for social sciences, humanities, or other non-technical or non-practical courses because such academic settings stimulate intergenerational dialogue and knowledge transfer between older and younger generations. Intergenerational classes can also equip younger learners with new, positive perspectives that can correct negative biases towards older people. Also, intergenerational contact can help prevent older adults from experiencing social exclusion as their social circles become smaller later in life.  

Supporting active ageing will help universities become more inclusive as we get closer to realising a lifelong learning ideal. This learning model can redefine the meaning of ageing in our society. I think Henry Ford says it best: “Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

Husnul Fitri is a lecturer in urban development studies at the University of Indonesia.

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