Developing an intro to gerontology course: Tips from the field
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Developing a new course or enhancing an existing course can be a daunting task, both for newer faculty members and, as technology relentlessly advances, for those who have extensive teaching experience. With the goal of drawing on the collective experiences of a variety of gerontology educators, we will work together to build a syllabus for an Introduction to Aging course that will address the AGHE Standards and Guidelines and can be used by anyone teaching such a course. In this workshop, more and less experienced faculty will be invited to share ideas for course content, objectives/outcomes, a course outline, reading materials, assignments and assessments, grading rubrics, and experiential learning opportunities. Recognizing that different instructors bring different strengths and skills to the on-campus and virtual classroom and that student populations may differ, we will work to develop a toolkit (which will serve as a foundation for updating the AGHE syllabi) from which the most useful components for individual teachers can be selected. While personal experience teaching a course undoubtedly leads to revision of materials and instruction methods, through sharing what has worked and failed in courses participants have taught in the past, the quality of instruction for gerontology courses at multiple institutions will be enhanced. Participants will be invited to share best practices, personal experiences, and pros and cons of various ideas for facilitating student learning of gerontological concepts.
