Literature Review
This literature review will describe research on intergenerational education programs including arts-based intergenerational programs for recreation and leisure studies students in Canada. In addition, gaps in the literature will be identified.
Intergenerational educational programs. There have been a number of studies about intergenerational educational programs. For instance, Faria et al (2010) completed a qualitative study of an intergenerational service-learning course and found that it helped to foster geriatric competencies among graduate and undergraduate social work students. Another study, by Kropf et al (2010) of clinical students in medicine, nursing and a physician assistant program was completed of their experiences …show more content…
In Canada, there have been two recent studies completed of intergenerational education programs of recreation and leisure studies students. In the first study, Dupuis (2002) studied a 12-week intergenerational education program offered to undergraduate students in Canada and determined that the students and older adult volunteers both found the experience to be positive. The students cited the following reasons that contributed to the positive learning experience: innovative learning experience, opportunity for sharing different perspectives for senior volunteers, reduction of stereotypes and effective learning tool. The older adult volunteers identified four ways that they benefited from the experience: personal rewards, opportunity to make a worthwhile contribution, exposure to young adults and opportunity to breakdown stereotypes. More recently, in a study of therapeutic recreation students at a major Canadian university who participated in an intergenerational education program for 6 weeks, Genoe et al (2013) identified “several meanings from intergenerational interactions, including learning from each other, changing perspectives, connecting and contributing and being engaged in learning” (p. 276). This research also identified a number of factors that hindered the interactions between the students and older adult volunteers which included lack of preparation and seminar
This literature review will describe research on intergenerational education programs including arts-based intergenerational programs for recreation and leisure studies students in Canada. In addition, gaps in the literature will be identified.
Intergenerational educational programs. There have been a number of studies about intergenerational educational programs. For instance, Faria et al (2010) completed a qualitative study of an intergenerational service-learning course and found that it helped to foster geriatric competencies among graduate and undergraduate social work students. Another study, by Kropf et al (2010) of clinical students in medicine, nursing and a physician assistant program was completed of their experiences …show more content…
In Canada, there have been two recent studies completed of intergenerational education programs of recreation and leisure studies students. In the first study, Dupuis (2002) studied a 12-week intergenerational education program offered to undergraduate students in Canada and determined that the students and older adult volunteers both found the experience to be positive. The students cited the following reasons that contributed to the positive learning experience: innovative learning experience, opportunity for sharing different perspectives for senior volunteers, reduction of stereotypes and effective learning tool. The older adult volunteers identified four ways that they benefited from the experience: personal rewards, opportunity to make a worthwhile contribution, exposure to young adults and opportunity to breakdown stereotypes. More recently, in a study of therapeutic recreation students at a major Canadian university who participated in an intergenerational education program for 6 weeks, Genoe et al (2013) identified “several meanings from intergenerational interactions, including learning from each other, changing perspectives, connecting and contributing and being engaged in learning” (p. 276). This research also identified a number of factors that hindered the interactions between the students and older adult volunteers which included lack of preparation and seminar