Lifelong Learning in the Age of COVID-19 (original) (raw)

Responding to social isolation among older adults through lifelong learning: Lessons and questions during COVID-19

Local Development & Society

As local systems shift to meet their constituents' needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, lifelong learning institutes showcase positive responses to addressing the older adults' needs. Older adults have not only greater susceptibility to contracting COVID-19; they also are at higher risk of social isolation and its adverse health outcomes. During COVID-19, the quarantine and distancing procedures can exacerbate social isolation. As local communities seek to bolster their residents' well-being during COVID-19, older adults cannot be overlooked. This essay shares brief coverage of the issue of social isolation among older adults to set up a discussion of the response of a lifelong learning provider in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. This essay uses the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University as an exemplary case in addressing older adults needs, specifically community and learning needs, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The essay concludes with questions for future research and practice.

Responding to Social Isolation among Older Adults through Lifelong Learning

Routledge eBooks, 2022

As local systems shift to meet their constituents' needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, lifelong learning institutes showcase positive responses to addressing the older adults' needs. Older adults have not only greater susceptibility to contracting COVID-19; they also are at higher risk of social isolation and its adverse health outcomes. During COVID-19, the quarantine and distancing procedures can exacerbate social isolation. As local communities seek to bolster their residents' well-being during COVID-19, older adults cannot be overlooked. This essay shares brief coverage of the issue of social isolation among older adults to set up a discussion of the response of a lifelong learning provider in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. This essay uses the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Arizona State University as an exemplary case in addressing older adults needs, specifically community and learning needs, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The essay concludes with questions for future research and practice.

Lifelong Learning and Educational Challenges in Covid 19 Pandemic

Security Dialogues /Безбедносни дијалози, 2021

Learning as condition humana is a precondition for human survival and development, which implies that lifelong learning represents an evolutionary product of human society and culture. As a concept, lifelong learning has always been adaptable to the social, political, educational and ideological interests of certain societies, organizations, cultures and traditions. In times of world pandemic caused by a deadly virus named Covid 19, education and learning are the one of the most powerful "fighting weapons" against the problem. Human kind is relying on the knowledge and skills of the scientist to find the solution for the problem that has put the whole world in hibernation. On the other hand, the pandemic has emphasized the differences in learning and education opportunities for children and adults for participating in electronic modes of education (e-learning). Despite the differences of technical and financial nature, there are some substantial differences among students which are competencies for self-learning and self-education that are in the main core of the concept of lifelong learning. These differences are leading reasons for students' educational and learning success, as well as for their personal fulfilment. The purpose of this research paper is to present the possession of the learning to learn competence among university undergraduate students in the framework of the lifelong learning concept, which are crucial for educational success as well as continuous learning and education throughout peoples' lives. Results of the research will imply the correlation between the success of the studies and possession of several components of learning to learn competence.

Virtual Lifelong Learning Among Older Adults: Usage and Impact During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cureus

Social isolation and loneliness are major health concerns for older adults, with the current prevalence of social isolation among older adults estimated to be as high as 43%. In older adults, loneliness and social isolation have both been linked with poor health outcomes including falls, re-hospitalizations, dementia, and all-cause mortality. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older adults constituted one of the most at-risk groups and were faced with some of the strictest and earliest social distancing recommendations, which were associated with increased feelings of loneliness and increased rates of depression and anxiety, upwards of 12%. The objective of this study was to identify the impact of online social connection on feelings of isolation and companionship among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in March 2020, two South Florida social and educational programs for older adults adopted online programming utilizing the Zoom platform. A research team worked collaboratively with senior stakeholders to develop and administer a survey to understand the impact of online social connections on feelings of social isolation. One year later in 2021, the survey was reviewed, modified, and re-administered. Respondents of the survey included 211 older adults (mean age 75.5 years old). Notable findings included a strong association between frequency of online class attendance and increased feelings of connectedness (p<0.001), improved spirits (p<0.001), and decreased feelings of social isolation (p<0.001). These results underscore the importance and contribution of online programming among older adults during times of social isolation. Overall, clinical practitioners should consider the importance of initiating discussions with older adults regarding returning to activities that they enjoyed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19, Social Isolation, and the New Science of Adaptive Loneliness

Positive Living Newsletter, 2020

From: Wong, P. T. P. (2020, October). COVID-19, Social Isolation, and the New Science of Adaptive Loneliness [President’s Column]. Positive Living Newsletter. http://www.drpaulwong.com/covid-19-social-isolation-and-the-new-science-of-adaptive-loneliness/

Student loneliness through the pandemic: How, why and where?

The Geographical Journal, 2022

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. The information, practices and views in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

The benefits of participating in virtual learning spaces for adults overcoming isolation during COVID-19

2020

The magnitude of the COVID-19 crisis is unprecedented; it has impacted millions of students around the world. Among these impacted students are participants in adult education. Adult education centres have engaged in a series of online activities that have enabled adults who had never used ICT resources before, to interact with other participants. In response to this challenge, this research provides scientific insight regarding the impact of the actions by one adult education centre in Spain, the participants' association Ágora, whose scope of responsibility is to service the entire neighbourhood of La Verneda (Barcelona). Its objective is to enable adults to acquire abilities and to develop initiative through participation in a broad and highquality educational programme. Ágora offers the entire neighbourhood a range of cultural and educational activities. This article provides knowledge about how to help people minimize the negative consequences of confinement, and uses a communicative methodology to provide a dialogical recreation of knowledge which enables researchers to contribute to dismantling myths and false assumptions in identifying the benefits adult education can provide to participants. The field work was carried out online through semi-structured interviews with a number of adult participants between the ages of 30 and 90 who were engaged in adult education activities. The research revealed that participation improved the individuals' situation by enabling them to overcome loneliness or isolation.

Strategies Older Adults Used During COVID-19 to Stay Connected

Innovation in Aging, 2021

An unintended consequence of the physical distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 may be increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify successful strategies used in avoiding social isolation and feelings of loneliness in older adults (50+) during the pandemic. Methods Older adults (n=22) selected from a longitudinal study, Aging In the Time of COVID-19, who did not report loneliness, participated in a semi-structured interview via zoom. Individuals were asked a series of questions about how their lives were impacted by the pandemic and what they did to avoid social isolation and loneliness. Each interview was recorded and transcribed verbatim. transcripts were analyzed and categorized to identify common strategies. Results Participants were primarily female and white (100%) with a mean age of 64.7 years. Preliminary findings (n=5) suggest older adults developed several effective strategies for...

The Self-Efficacy and Loneliness of College Students Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2022

The current pandemic has caused the education system to adapt especially to a new way of learning, namely online learning. Furthermore, Online learning setup results to students learning within their homes and cause them to isolate themselves, avoid social contact, and lessen the interaction within their friends, family, and other love ones. Although students still achieve academic excellence, learning from home can have an effect to their psychological health and to their self-efficiency. One of these is Loneliness, the more a student feels to be lonely the higher its risk in having low selfefficacy. In that manner, this study observes the relationship of Loneliness to Self-Efficacy of college students living here in the Philippines. The statistical findings reveals that there is a significant relationship between Loneliness and Self-Efficacy (r=.171).