Life Mentor Scheme for Generation Me: A student-centered experiential learning activity for student excellence in an ageing society

Abstract

Purpose Unlike young people in the past, today’s university students do not have as many opportunities to interact with older people, due to an increase in nuclear families and the busy life style in Hong Kong. Students tend to have negative stereotypes of the older generation and are reluctant to work alongside people who are much older than them. A student-centered experiential learning activity titled ‘Life Mentor Scheme’ was specially designed for students taking a GE course on Ageing Society at City University of Hong Kong, with the aim to facilitate meaningful and tacit learning about old age. Older adults aged 60+ were recruited to become students’ life mentors on a 2:1 students-to-mentor basis. The trio then engaged in regular intergenerational contacts. The purposes of this paper are to: (a) provide reference to other academics and professionals committed to facilitating young people’s empathetic understanding of old age; (b) report on the effectiveness of the Scheme.

Method The effectiveness of the Scheme was assessed by a cross-sectional survey with the use of specially designed questions such as understanding the elderly’s needs, gaining insight from the elderly’s life experiences. Both quantitative and qualitative responses were collected the students and the life mentors at the end of the course. In the first year (2011-12), 43 students (or 88%) filled in a self-administered questionnaire. In 2012-13, 88 (or 88%) students completed a similar questionnaire.

Results The students’ assessment, quantitative and qualitative, was positive. The mean scores of the survey differed significantly and positively from the neutral response about the experience, reflecting favourable responses. Students also gave very positive comments on their learning through the Scheme. While our focus was on students, the life mentors also expressed satisfaction with the Scheme, and found their desire for generativity fulfilled in the process. Recommendation Similar experiential learning activities are recommended for students to prepare them for the challenges and opportunities associated with population aging.