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'I Was Giving Someone Who Didn't Have a Voice a Voice': Exploring Qualitative Mini-Research Projects as a Tool to Teach Students about Aging

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Title: 'I Was Giving Someone Who Didn't Have a Voice a Voice': Exploring Qualitative Mini-Research Projects as a Tool to Teach Students about Aging
Language: English
Authors: Neiterman, Elena, Sheppard, Christine, Kassam, Souraiya, Bach, Vanessa, Husain, Saman
Source: Educational Gerontology. 2020 46(6):339-349.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2020
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Aging (Individuals), Older Adults, Educational Gerontology, Undergraduate Students, Assignments, Student Attitudes, Difficulty Level, Course Descriptions, Personal Narratives, Experiential Learning, Semi Structured Interviews, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Canada
DOI: 10.1080/03601277.2020.1754355
ISSN: 0360-1277
Abstract: In the study of gerontology, fieldwork with older adults is often used to enhance students' understanding of the aging process. While assignments based on interactions with older adults are a common practice in teaching students enrolled in gerontology studies, we know less about the impact of such activities on students from other disciplines. This paper summarizes students' experiences with an assignment offered to a diverse cohort of undergraduate students who took a course in social gerontology. To complete this assignment, students had to interview an older adult, summarize the life story of the participant, apply a theoretical perspective to the older adult's life story, and reflect on the process. Analyzing data derived from 72 assignments and 10 semi-structured interviews with students who were enrolled in the course, this paper examines students' experiences with this assignment. Specifically, we identify what aspects of the assignment students found beneficial, what aspects they found challenging, and in what ways this assignment helped students to enhance their understanding of aging. Our findings suggest that students found it challenging to recruit an older adult for an interview and struggled with the semi-structured nature of the interview process. All students found the actual interview process to be extremely rewarding and beneficial for their learning. In discussion, we provide some recommendations on how to offer this type of assignment to a diverse group of students enrolling in the courses on social gerontology.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2020
Accession Number: EJ1254570
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0143251484;egr15jun.20;2020May19.04:19;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0143251484-1">"I was giving someone who didn't have a voice a voice": exploring qualitative mini-research projects as a tool to teach students about aging </title> <sbt id="AN0143251484-2">Introduction</sbt> <p>In the study of gerontology, fieldwork with older adults is often used to enhance students' understanding of the aging process. While assignments based on interactions with older adults are a common practice in teaching students enrolled in gerontology studies, we know less about the impact of such activities on students from other disciplines. This paper summarizes students' experiences with an assignment offered to a diverse cohort of undergraduate students who took a course in social gerontology. To complete this assignment, students had to interview an older adult, summarize the life story of the participant, apply a theoretical perspective to the older adult's life story, and reflect on the process. Analyzing data derived from 72 assignments and 10 semi-structured interviews with students who were enrolled in the course, this paper examines students' experiences with this assignment. Specifically, we identify what aspects of the assignment students found beneficial, what aspects they found challenging, and in what ways this assignment helped students to enhance their understanding of aging. Our findings suggest that students found it challenging to recruit an older adult for an interview and struggled with the semi-structured nature of the interview process. All students found the actual interview process to be extremely rewarding and beneficial for their learning. In discussion, we provide some recommendations on how to offer this type of assignment to a diverse group of students enrolling in the courses on social gerontology.</p> <p>The benefits of experiential education, or 'learning by doing,' have been firmly established in pedagogical research (Estes, [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref1">15</reflink>]; Kolb & Kolb, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref2">21</reflink>]; Seaman, Brown, & Quay, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref3">30</reflink>]; Tomkins & Ulus, [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref4">38</reflink>]). Experiential learning has been a key cornerstone of training for students who are interested in working with older adults (Babic & Crangle, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref5">7</reflink>]; Gendron et al., [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref6">16</reflink>]). While the range of activities defined as "experiential" and "hands-on" learning include simulations, case studies, community-based learning, reflexive assignments, psychodrama, and much more (Austin et al., [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref7">5</reflink>]; Avest, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref8">6</reflink>]; Cohen et al., [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref9">14</reflink>]; Lee, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref10">22</reflink>]), exposure to older adults is considered to be one of the most powerful tools that promotes students' understanding of the aging process and fosters empathy toward older adults (Kilaberia & Ratner, [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref11">20</reflink>]; Sudha & Morrison, [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref12">35</reflink>]; Velez Ortiz et al., [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref13">39</reflink>]).</p> <p>In particular, social interactions between older adults and students have been found to be an especially valuable learning experience for students studying gerontology (Hamon & Koch, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref14">18</reflink>]; Singelis, [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref15">34</reflink>]). Many scholars pointed out that building relationships with older adults encourage students to develop positive views of the aging process and reduces ageist stereotypes (Altpeter & Marshall, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref16">2</reflink>]; Andreoletti & Howard, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref17">4</reflink>]). For example, Zucchero ([<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref18">46</reflink>]) found that an intergenerational service-learning project with undergraduate students and older adult volunteers had positive effects on students' understanding of the physical, social, and psychological aspects of aging and allowed students to critically assess their own ageist stereotypes. Simons and Cleary ([<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref19">33</reflink>]) pointed out that such activities can contribute to students' personal, academic, and social development. It has also been found that intergenerational interactions improve communication skills (Shenk, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref20">31</reflink>]). Overall, it appears that the learning projects that incorporate older adult-student interactions can encourage students to learn from older individuals and examine their personal values, beliefs, and attitudes about the aging population (O'Hanlon & Brookover, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref21">27</reflink>]; Yamashita et al., [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref22">45</reflink>]). Based on these findings, Lovell et al. ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref23">23</reflink>]) suggest that experiential learning should be introduced in early undergraduate years to dissuade students from any apprehensions about working with older adults.</p> <p>Several researchers have also suggested that interviewing older adults may be an essential component of gerontological education (Burbank et al., [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref24">11</reflink>]; Camp & Brookover, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref25">12</reflink>]). Narrative interviewing enables students to better appreciate how the process of aging unfolds over the life course by relying on first-person and reflective voices (Baddeley & Singer, [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref26">8</reflink>]; Wellin, [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref27">43</reflink>]). Similarly, course assignments that utilize life story narratives of older adults have been shown to enhance students' comprehension of the aging process, provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their own lives, and to improve students' critical thinking skills (Mayo, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref28">25</reflink>]). Oggins and Whitlow ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref29">28</reflink>]) found that after students conducted a 90-minute survey interview with an older adult, they had already developed a positive change in their attitudes about aging, suggesting that even a short exposure to communication with older adults may be beneficial for students.</p> <p>While hearing life stories of older adults has definitive educational benefits (Mayo, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref30">25</reflink>]; Neysmith-Roy & Kleisinger, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref31">26</reflink>]), research suggests that pairing this activity with reflective practice further enhances learning (Low & Sonntag, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref32">24</reflink>]). Villar et al. ([<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref33">42</reflink>]) examined the learning outcomes associated with an assignment that focused on undergraduate students' reflections about their experiences interviewing an older adult and found that the process of reflection was more instrumental for fostering a deeper understanding of course material and aging process than the interview process. This is consistent with research linking students' reflections to deeper engagement with the material and a more nuanced understanding of the concepts and theories they study (Tomkins & Ulus, [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref34">38</reflink>]; Vereijken et al., [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref35">40</reflink>]).</p> <p>Although gerontological education emphasizes the importance of older adult-student interactions, interviewing, and reflection-based assignments in students' training, these activities are not necessarily a common practice in all academic disciplines that train students to work with older adults (Abbey, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref36">1</reflink>]; Szuchman, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref37">36</reflink>]; Wood, [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref38">44</reflink>]). The voices arguing for more exposure to older adults and better coverage of social gerontology are growing in pedagogical scholarship targeting students training in health-care fields (Karasik & Berke, [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref39">19</reflink>]; Tinker et al., [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref40">37</reflink>]), but these calls have yet to yield satisfactory results. In the past decade, we have witnessed a growing interest in gerontology (Andersson, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref41">3</reflink>]) and many undergraduate programs offer courses on aging as electives, opening the doors to gerontological education to students from a variety of academic disciplines (Bergman & Erickson, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref42">9</reflink>]). While students majoring in gerontology may be well trained in interacting with older adults, for students from other disciplines this might be a new experience. The goal of this project was to examine how students from diverse academic disciplines experience a research-based assignment involving an interview with an older adult and reflect on this process. Specifically, we explored (a) what aspects of the assignment students found beneficial; (b) what aspects of the assignment students found challenging, and (c) how did this assignment help students to better understand the aging process?</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-3">Methods</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0143251484-4">The assignment</hd> <p>We introduced the assignment in a third-year undergraduate course in social gerontology offered to a diverse group of students in Health, Kinesiology, Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Sociology. During the time of the project, there were 172 students enrolled in this course with a varying background in gerontology. Some of these students studied toward a minor in gerontology whereas the majority took this course as an elective. In order for students to conduct this assignment, a course-based ethics clearance was obtained from the University's Research Ethics' Board.</p> <p>The assignment was scaffolded into a number of steps that students had to complete over the term. First, students had to interview an older adult using a pre-approved semi-structured interview guide. The interview guide contained questions exploring older adults' life experiences, key transitions, and major life events. While the term "older adult" was used in all recruitment materials, we intentionally did not define the age of eligible participants, allowing the individuals who self-identify as older adults to take part in this project. Upon the completion of the interview, students were asked to transcribe the interview and analyze it using one of the theories they learned in class. Students then wrote a paper where they (a) summarized the story of an older adult composed from the interview data; (b) analyzed the life story using one of the theories presented in class; and (c) reflected on their experiences with this assignment. Students also participated in a peer evaluation process by conducting blind peer reviews of the papers written by their fellow students and had a chance to receive peer review feedback on their assignment, revise it, and resubmit for re-evaluation. During the term, students were provided with workshops that guided them through the project.</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-5">Study design</hd> <p>In order to understand the students' experiences with the assignment, we utilized a qualitative methodological design, which allows researchers to gain a better understanding of the experiences of individuals and the meanings that individuals attach to social phenomena (Silverman, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref43">32</reflink>]). The ethics clearance for this study was obtained through the University of Waterloo Office for Research Ethics.</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-6">Participants</hd> <p>Several months after the course was completed, the research team sent an e-mail to all students who were enrolled in the class, seeking their permission to anonymously use their personal reflection for this project. A total of 72 e-mail consents (out of 172 students enrolled) were received. The sample included students from all the course's major disciplines, including Health, Kinesiology, Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Sociology. Reflective of the course enrollment, the majority of our participants were from Health (n = 32), followed by Kinesiology (n = 20), Recreation and Leisure Studies (n = 13), Sociology (n = 7), and other disciplines (n = 5).</p> <p>Additionally, 10 students were recruited to participate in an individual, semi-structured interview that examined students' experiences with their assignment, the difficulties that they encountered, the benefits they derived from it, and recommendations that students could provide for improvements. The interviews were conducted a few months after the course was finished by trained research assistants. All our interview participants self-identified as women. They were compensated for their time with a 10 USD gift card to a local coffee shop chain.</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-7">Data analysis</hd> <p>The data were analyzed using inductive, thematic analysis and followed the guidelines proposed by Green and Thorogood ([<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref44">17</reflink>]). The initial coding scheme was developed after each author independently coded five reflections. The research team then met, discussed the analysis, and developed a coding scheme that was subsequently applied to the rest of the data. Two additional meetings were scheduled during the process of data analysis to revise and refine the themes. Each reflection was first coded by one of the authors and then the coding was reviewed by another author to ensure accuracy and consistency.</p> <p>The analysis of the interviews with students was conducted separately and followed the same process of an inductive, thematic analysis (Green & Thorogood, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref45">17</reflink>]). Upon transcription, each author read three interviews twice and analyzed them for emerging theme. The principal author read all the interviews and validated the coding. During the final stage of the analysis, both datasets were merged to better understand students' experiences with the assignment. In what follows, we present our findings. We used pseudonyms to protect the confidentiality of our participants.</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-8">Findings</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0143251484-9">Learning gerontology by speaking with older adults</hd> <p>Reflecting on their experiences of working on the assignment, many students commented that it deepened their understanding of concepts taught in class. Julie, a student from Health Studies, noted that working on the assignment allowed her to gain "a deeper understanding about the process of aging through the stories, events and feelings described by the participant." Echoing her, Lena, a student in Recreation and Leisure Studies, suggested that the assignment "helped [togainan] insight over the process of aging" and "open[ed] my eyes [on] the unique aging processes [of] one's life." And Ben, a student from Kinesiology, said that he has "learn[ed] that aging can be a positive experience if you are willing to have an open mind and take on challenges with a positive outlook."</p> <p>The content of this course included an extensive coverage of theoretical concepts relevant to social gerontology. Many students pointed out that, through working on the assignment, they were able to acquire a more in-depth understanding of these concepts. In their reflections, students talked about feeling more familiar and intimate with such concepts as <emph>filial piety, gender socialization, generational gaps</emph>, or <emph>life course trajectories</emph>, once they had a chance to apply them to the life story of an older adult. Students noted that working on the assignment, they realized that <emph>"different generations will have their own unique experiences with aging"</emph> (Kinesiology), and that <emph>"culture and the social context you were born in will influence your aging process and life choices"</emph> (Health Studies). Often, they described how their own socio-economic status or ethnic identity is similar to or different from those of an older individual that they interviewed and what implications these will have for the students' own aging process. Comparing their own life experiences to those of older adults, some students were able to personally relate to the experiences of their interviewees. For example, reflecting on his conversation with Hanna, an older adult who came from postwar Germany to Canada in 1979, Dennis, a student from Health Studies, noted:</p> <p>Hanna grew up in a completely different era and country where social norms may have differed from what I experienced growing up in Canada during the 1990s and 2000s. Hanna presents a very interesting point about the current generation living in their own "bubbles", as this is quite relevant in my life where physical social interactions have decreased, with increased social media and people don't interact with others as much.</p> <p>Identifying the differences between their own life and the lives of the older adults enabled students to appreciate how the social context in which they come of age shapes their personal experiences and will impact the process of aging.</p> <p>Some students pointed out that an opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to the analysis of the life story of an older adult made the concepts more "real." Anne, a student in Recreation and Leisure Studies said:</p> <p>When I look back now, ... the concepts that I examined through that process have really stuck more than, probably, anything else, because I had, sort of, an outside connection. Sitting in a classroom trying to absorb all this information, it doesn't always stick in your mind, whereas, you know, going out and being able to apply it ... it tends to make it stick better.</p> <p>Based on Anne's recollection, the concepts "stuck<emph>"</emph> with her because of her ability to use it outside of the didactic classroom material. And, in fact, although most students were interviewed six to eight months after they finished the course, many were able to still recall concepts or theories they used in the assignment.</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-10">Getting to know older adults</hd> <p>The literature points out that intergenerational contact is highly instrumental for combatting ageist stereotypes and learning to appreciate older adults (Peacock & Talley, [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref46">29</reflink>]). Many students who took part in our study pointed out that speaking with older adults was a deeply educational experience. Some students revealed that through talking to older adults they discovered new stories they did not hear before or had the chance to get to know their participant really well. Jane, a student in Recreation and Leisure Studies, noted that it "was really cool" to learn about the aging process "with it coming from somebody who's experiencing it." Another student remarked that <emph>"the interview was really cool, it was really fun to connect with someone that I knew from the surface and kind of got to really know their story"</emph> (Kathy, Health Studies). Many students resorted to interviewing older adults from their own personal circles – neighbors, grandparents, or other relatives – and, for many, the stories shared by the older adults contained some interesting revelations. Lilly, a student from Health Studies, remarked that she gained a "greater perspective on, like, my nanna's life." Similarly, Anne, a student from Recreation and Leisure Studies, stated:</p> <p>I interviewed a family member, so it was really great to get to know this person on a, I guess, deeper level. I didn't really, like, obviously she's been in my life forever, but I didn't really know a lot about, like, her experiences. Like growing up, and her marriage, and children, and all sorts of things like that, so it was really great to kind of get to know her on that sort of level.</p> <p>For many students, talking to an older adult was a deeply rewarding and meaningful experience. Describing the life stories they heard, students referred to the encounters with their interviewees as "cool," "interesting," and "revealing." In this context, however, we were also able to identify some of the differences between students who were pursuing a gerontology minor or working in close contact with older adults and those students who were taking a course on aging for the first time. Those who were novice to the topic of gerontology often pointed out that the interviews with older adults were a transformative experience. Kayla, a female student in Health Studies and a novice to the field of aging, shared the following reflection:</p> <p>My view of older adults [beforetheassignment] was more two dimensional. For example, the woman that I interviewed, I had heard a lot from my mom about, you know, falls and car accidents and [thatshe] doesn't know how to use a cell phone – so these were kind of the stereotypes that I had before going in ... And then when we did the interview, there was a whole other layer that more resonated with me. Rather than these are our differences, ... these are what we have in common.</p> <p>Kayla, similar to some of her fellow students, pointed out that through listening to the life story of an older adult, she obtained a more complex vision of her previous acquaintance. A number of students echoed this transformative experience, suggesting that the interview enabled them to see an older adult, even if they were a familiar person, in a new light.</p> <p>These types of revelations did not come from students who had previous experience working with older adults or minored in gerontology. One such student – Michelle – commented that while "I feel like, everyone, obviously, has a very unique story, ... it's not that I haven't been exposed to it before." In a similar manner, Jane stated:</p> <p>I don't necessarily know that [theassignment] changed my perspective of older adults specifically. I have had a lot of experience working with older adults and I feel like I kind of came into it with a lot of kind of positive perceptions and connections already.</p> <p>While these students still had positive experiences with the assignment, the learning benefits they reaped from it were mostly in the opportunities that the project provided for a better understanding of course concepts or developing their research skills. Still, even among these students were those who found that they did learn some new things about older adults, as summarized by Salima, a female student in Recreation and Leisure Studies:</p> <p>So, since I am doing a gerontology minor, just my whole undergraduate career has changed my way of thinking about aging. But it was really cool, kind of, seeing my grandma's point of view, perspective. It was interesting to hear about what her perspective is because it is not necessarily the same as mine.</p> <p>As Salima notes, the experience of working on the assignment did not transform her vision of older adults, but it did provide her with an opportunity to better understand her grandmother's vision of her life. Moreover, for some students, the experience with the assignment was also perceived as a rewarding experience for an older adult. Talking about her view of the assignment, Mia, a female student in Recreation and Leisure Studies, stated:</p> <p>It felt like I was giving someone who didn't have a voice a voice, even though it was maybe just my T[eaching] A[ssitant] reading [theassignment]. It felt nice to give that older adult some time of my day to listen to them and really hear what they wanted to say, which, I find, is something that they don't get to do very often.</p> <p>In Mia's view, interviewing of an older adult for a research project had a symbolic meaning – to open a platform for the story to be read by others, for the experience of an older adult to be heard, for the voice of older adults to be shared with others.</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-11">Learning to be a researcher</hd> <p>Although the acquisition or honing of qualitative research skills was a secondary learning outcome of this assignment, many students highlighted the benefit of this assignment in helping them to develop their research skills as a key learning outcome. Students felt that this project allowed them to "experience research from start to finish<emph>"</emph> and provided them with an opportunity to obtain hands-on experience with interviewing and analysis. Aria, a female student in Kinesiology, suggested that after completing this research project, she felt that she "had the skills to do it again<emph>"</emph> and Salima said the experience was instrumental for her career development, allowing her to "get more comfortable with interviewing, especially about somebody's life."</p> <p>Students who attended this class had varied experiences with qualitative methods – for some, it was the first class introducing qualitative methods. Others had already had experience conducting semi-structured interviews and doing a thematic analysis. Most students, however, had only a rudimentary understanding of research methods and felt both intimidated and excited about the opportunity to work on a research project. Mia, a student from Recreation and Leisure Studies, commented:</p> <p>[Research] was always this daunting part of school that you hear all, like, smart and fancy people do, but to be able to do it in my third year and have it coincide with my course curriculum was really neat ...[Thisassignment] opened my eyes to see what research is.</p> <p>As Mia noted, working on this project allowed her to see that research is an accessible activity for students, moving it from the domain of "daunting" tasks designated for "smart and fancy" people to a "neat" activity she could do herself. She also better understood the process of research through working on this assignment for her course project. This sentiment was echoed by some other students, as noted by Anne:</p> <p>I think it definitely helped make me a better researcher in terms of actually doing it. Like, it's one thing to sit in a classroom and learn about how to conduct interviews and different theories and things like that, but it's another to go out into the world and try and, you know, discover research yourself and do the research yourself.</p> <p>Looking back at their experiences doing a research project, students pointed out that while it was a rewarding experience, they did encounter a number of challenges. One of the key concerns that students expressed was the challenge of finding an older adult who agreed to an interview. Many students did not have anyone in their life who they felt they could approach with this request. Kathy, for instance, stated that her "major concern was finding someone I felt close enough to interview, who also fit my description of an older adult." For others (and especially international students), access to an older adult was challenging due to geographic and time differences. Some students pointed out that their grandparents lived far away and/or were inaccessible. Others were concerned with how to organize an interview in person. Anne recalled:</p> <p>My major concerns were getting access to an older person; I didn't have older people in my life that were close by. Also, [Ihadconcernabout] the time that it was going take and public transportation to get to the older person that I was considering interviewing. I don't have access to a car right now, and they live in another city, so it would take some time.</p> <p>In addition to finding an older adult, some students also felt that it was a challenging experience to actually conduct an interview. While students were given an interview guide, they were also required to ask a few of their own questions prompted by the answers of the participants in order to mimic the process of semi-structured interviewing (Charmaz, [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref47">13</reflink>]). Many students pointed out that it was challenging to come up with questions "on the go." Priya, a female student in Public Health, said her lack of experience doing the interviews made her "kind of confused" about the type of follow up question that she could ask. Kathy noted that she found it hard "coming up with questions that didn't seem like "yes" or "no" questions or didn't seem like leading probes or things like that."</p> <p>Finally, the very process of interviewing was nerve-wracking for some students. Recalling her experience, Mia stated:</p> <p>It was my first time interviewing someone, so I was extremely nervous and because it was someone I didn't know, I didn't feel comfortable [withasking] following up questions and things like that.</p> <p>In order to help students with their research projects, the course included weekly workshops that were designed to help students follow the necessary steps required for the completion of their assignments. The workshops focused on practicing the skills before going out into the field, including the process of recruiting an older adult, conducting an interview, and analyzing data. Several students suggested that the workshops were a key factor in ensuring that they completed the assignment and claimed that they "set you up for success<emph>"</emph> (Aria, Kinesiology). Michelle stated:</p> <p>One thing that I really enjoyed was the fact that every ... Wednesday or something, we would work through, like, this is what your next step is, or this is almost like a demo of what you should be doing, so there was, like, a workshop. I think is what we called them. That was very useful because it never felt overwhelming and you always felt well supported.</p> <p>While students with previous experience in conducting qualitative research did not reap particular benefits from the workshops, for students like Michelle, who were not familiar with qualitative methodologies, having an opportunity to practice her interview skills or to receive tips on how to transcribe the interview were helpful. It also eased some of the anxiety that students felt about conducting a research project, especially among those who were new to this process.</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-12">Discussion</hd> <p>Examining students' experiences with the assignment, we found that, overall, students felt that this assignment had a positive impact on their learning process. Consistent with findings from the literature (Andreoletti & Howard, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref48">4</reflink>]; Oggins & Whitlow, [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref49">28</reflink>]; Villar et al., [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref50">41</reflink>]), students who took part in our study reported that the assignment provided them with a better understanding of course material and transformed their views of older adults. While none of the students who participated in our study reported having prior ageist stereotypes, many talked about a more "in-depth" or "multi-dimensional" vision of older adults which they gained while working on this interactive assignment. This feeling was more pronounced among students new to the field of social gerontology, who were more likely to define this experience as transformative. The majority of research on the integration of intergenerational interactions as a learning strategy targets first- or second-year undergraduate students in gerontology (Abbey, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref51">1</reflink>]; Szuchman, [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref52">36</reflink>]; Wood, [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref53">44</reflink>]), but our findings suggest that they can also be effective for more mature cohorts of students, especially if they are new to the field of gerontological research.</p> <p>Although the acquisition of qualitative research skills – interviewing and data analysis – was perceived to be a secondary learning outcome, for many students, developing or honing these skills was considered to be a primary benefit of working on this assignment. A number of students pointed out that they found a research-based assignment to be very helpful for improving their qualitative research skills, although for some, finding a person to interview and the interviewing process itself were considered the biggest challenges they encountered while working on this assignment. The participants noted that the practice-oriented workshops which were incorporated into the course were instrumental in guiding them through the research process. Table 1 summarizes the nature of the workshops that were provided over the course to scaffold the work on the assignment.</p> <p>Table 1. Schedule of workshops.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Week</td><td>Topic</td><td>Activities</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Week 2</td><td>Research ethics</td><td>- Training on ethics - How to obtain ethics clearance certificate</td></tr><tr><td>Week 3</td><td>Recruitment</td><td>- Tips on recruitment - Case studies of (un)ethical recruitment</td></tr><tr><td>Week 4</td><td>Interviewing</td><td>- Tips on interviewing techniques - Mock interview with a fellow student</td></tr><tr><td>Week 5</td><td>Transcribing</td><td>- Tips on transcribing - Examples of good/bad transcription</td></tr><tr><td>Week 6</td><td>Analysis</td><td>- Tips for analysis - Coding of interviews</td></tr><tr><td>Week 7</td><td>Writing and reflection</td><td>- Tips for writing the paper - How to write a good reflection</td></tr><tr><td>Week 8</td><td>Peer review</td><td>- How to provide constructive feedback - How to write a good peer review</td></tr><tr><td>Week 9</td><td>Revising the report</td><td>- How to revise and resubmit your paper - Letter to reviewers</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>While students who had previous experience in qualitative research did not find these workshops particularly helpful, students who were new to qualitative research felt that they provided necessary information and training to complete the assignment. Optional attendance at the workshops could reduce redundancy for students who felt they knew how to carry out research-related activities, while providing students new to the field with more opportunities to practice their qualitative research skills.</p> <p>Based on our findings, we developed a number of recommendations that we felt would enhance students' learning experiences with an assignment that incorporates structure similar to the one we introduced in our course (Table 2).</p> <p>Table 2. Recommendations and lessons learned.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Challenges identified</td><td>Recommendations</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Finding participant for an interview</td><td>- Provide information about the study early on - Allow students to interview an older adult via Skype/phone - Allow students to partner up for an interview - Identify the best time for submission of this portion of the assignment - Be flexible on due date for an interview transcript</td></tr><tr><td>Anxiety about interviewing</td><td>- Introduce multiple opportunities for interview practice in class - Talk to students about their anxieties - Provide students with prompts and ready to ask questions for follow up</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>As we mentioned, some students found it extremely challenging to find an older adult to be interviewed. Access to transportation, time constraints, and lack of knowledge of local communities made it difficult for students to find a person to be interviewed. To address this concern, we propose a number of strategies. First, we recommend letting students know about the assignment on the first day of class, so that they can start thinking about a potential person to interview well in advance. We also opted out from requiring students to conduct an interview in person, offering Skype and phone interview as an alternative option. While we understand that face-to-face interview is the best way to collect both verbal and non-verbal data (and we communicated this to students as well), we felt that a requirement of a face-to-face interview placed an undue burden on students who did not have adequate means of transportation or ties to local communities. We also allowed students to pair-up for the interview assignment – conduct an interview together – with a prior consent from the instructor. In cases like this, both students were asked to sit in on the interview and take turns asking questions. Finally, we suggest being cognizant of the difficulties pertaining to organizing and scheduling an interview with another individual and to flexible with a due date for submission of this portion of the assignment. To alleviate students' anxieties about the interviewing process, we provided multiple opportunities for practicing interviewing in class. We also recommend acknowledging that some students may feel anxious about the process and work on some strategies that can help to address their concerns.</p> <p>Our study has some limitations. First, the interviews with students were conducted six to eight months after students had completed the course. This time lapse provided us with an opportunity to rely on students' recollections about the assignment, including both positive and negative aspects of the assignments that stood out the most and did not fade from their memory during this time; however, interviewing during their enrollment in the course might have provided us with a different view on the assignment and students' experiences with it. We substituted the immediate feedback on the assignment with students' reflections, but because the reflections were submitted for marking, students may have exaggerated the benefits of the assignment. Future studies might benefit from developing a different form of assessing students' experiences that is timely and linked to specific activities. For instance, the Critical Incident Questionnaire developed by Brookfield ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref54">10</reflink>]) can be introduced as a form of instant feedback and then utilized in the analysis of students' experiences.</p> <p>Our interview sample was also exclusively composed of female students. While the overwhelming majority of students enrolled in this course present as women, it is possible that male students had a different perspective on the assignment. Designing a recruitment strategy that purposively targets male students might provide us with more confidence that the findings reported here apply to students who self-identify as male.</p> <p>Notwithstanding this limitation, we feel that 72 reflections from a diverse body of female and male students complemented with 10 semi-structured interviews provides a good overview of students' experiences with the assignment. Our study suggests that the interview with an older adult was a rewarding experience for most students enrolled in this course. While students minoring in gerontology appreciated the opportunity to develop or hone their research skills or deepen their understanding of aging process, for many students who were new to the field, speaking with an older adult was a transformative experience that may have changed the way they view older adults and the process of aging.</p> <hd id="AN0143251484-13">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.</p> <ref id="AN0143251484-14"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref36" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Abbey, J. (2006). clinical placements in residential aged care facilities: The impact on nursing students' perception of aged care and the effect on career plans. 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  Data: 10.1080/03601277.2020.1754355
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0360-1277
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: In the study of gerontology, fieldwork with older adults is often used to enhance students' understanding of the aging process. While assignments based on interactions with older adults are a common practice in teaching students enrolled in gerontology studies, we know less about the impact of such activities on students from other disciplines. This paper summarizes students' experiences with an assignment offered to a diverse cohort of undergraduate students who took a course in social gerontology. To complete this assignment, students had to interview an older adult, summarize the life story of the participant, apply a theoretical perspective to the older adult's life story, and reflect on the process. Analyzing data derived from 72 assignments and 10 semi-structured interviews with students who were enrolled in the course, this paper examines students' experiences with this assignment. Specifically, we identify what aspects of the assignment students found beneficial, what aspects they found challenging, and in what ways this assignment helped students to enhance their understanding of aging. Our findings suggest that students found it challenging to recruit an older adult for an interview and struggled with the semi-structured nature of the interview process. All students found the actual interview process to be extremely rewarding and beneficial for their learning. In discussion, we provide some recommendations on how to offer this type of assignment to a diverse group of students enrolling in the courses on social gerontology.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2020
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1254570
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1254570
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/03601277.2020.1754355
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 339
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Aging (Individuals)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Older Adults
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Gerontology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Assignments
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Difficulty Level
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Course Descriptions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Personal Narratives
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Experiential Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Semi Structured Interviews
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Canada
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: 'I Was Giving Someone Who Didn't Have a Voice a Voice': Exploring Qualitative Mini-Research Projects as a Tool to Teach Students about Aging
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Neiterman, Elena
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sheppard, Christine
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kassam, Souraiya
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bach, Vanessa
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Husain, Saman
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      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2020
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0360-1277
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 46
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Educational Gerontology
              Type: main
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