Using Media to Enhance Teaching

Channing R. Ford, MPA, MA

Associate Director, UAB GEC

Program Director, UAB GEC FSP

Objectives

• Recognize new strategies for educating future healthcare professionals

• Apply innovative teaching strategies into their curriculum

• Implement useful media applications into teaching curriculum

• Differentiate between effective and ineffective teaching resources

Older adults are the largest growing population of online users-50% of older adults are online-Of that 50%, 30% of them use the Internet for health information-1 in 3 older adults use social networking tools

Older Adults Are Also Online

Millennial Learners: The 5 R’s•Research: prefer a variety of active learning methods (less lecture, multimedia, collaboration)•Relevance: connect content to current culture and make learning outcomes/activities relevant•Rationale: must provide an rational explanation for specific policies, assignments, etc•Relaxed: less formal learning environment•Relational: must connect with them on a personal level

Reaching Millennial Learners

Bart M. The Five R’s of Engaging Millennial Students. Faculty Focus Higher Ed Teaching Strategies. 2011 Nov 16. Accessed from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/the-five-rs-of-engaging-millennial-students/.

Utilize creative teaching resources!

How can I reach Millennial Learners?

Media is a channel or system of communication, information or entertainment.

Reflects: •Cultures Attitudes•Beliefs•Standards

Projects desired realities

Media as a Resource

Bazzini, DG, et al. (1997). The Aging Women in Popular Film: Underrepresented, Unattractive, Unfriendly, and Unintelligent. Sex Roles, 36(7/8), 531-543.

• Video• YouTube• Facebook• Twitter• Advertisements• Pinterest

Examples of Media

Directed & written by: Javier Recio GraciaOscar Nominated Film 2010

http://vimeo.com/9985840

Video: Lady and the Reaper

Questions:- What did you take away from this film?- What creative techniques were used to get

and keep your attention?- What values, lifestyles, points of view were

represented? What was omitted?- What did you feel was the overall message

being sent?

Lady and the Reaper Exercise

Everybody Loves Raymond (TV 1996-2005)

Hope Springs (2012)

Hot in Cleveland (TV 2010-)

RED (2010)

Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

Space Cowboys (2000)

The Notebook (2004)

Movies & TV Shows with Older Adult Characters

Gender Bias in Media Portrayals of Age

Recall the most recent movie you saw. Estimate the age and sex of the two or three major characters.

Male Female

0-9

10-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60-69

70+

Discussion Exercises

Discussion Questions1.Which current shows feature older adults?2.Which of those characters would you regard as positive portrayals, and which are negative? 3.Are the older adult characters leads or peripheral?4.Do members of your family watch movies or shows featuring different aged characters?

Harwood J. Understanding Communication and Aging. Sage Publications Limited. 2007.

Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18ya0-OZ58s

Teaching Methods:•Have students search for documentaries, interviews, etc and compare them to the literature available•Record your lessons and post

YouTube

Create a page for your classCan share videos, photos, links to articlesProvide updatesStart conversations

Facebook

• Update your students about upcoming events

• Send reminders• Create a hashtag (#uabgecfsp) for your

course for trending

Twitter

Execise Examples: 1.Compare and contrast advertisements.

2.What message does the image send about aging?

3.What is the visual image of the older adult?

4.Facial expressions, dress

5.How does this message affect you?

Advertisements

Harwood J. Understanding Communication and Aging. Sage Publications Limited. 2007.

6. How is the relationship portrayed?

7. What effect does the image have?

8. How does this image make you think about aging?

Advertisements Continued…

Harwood J. Understanding Communication and Aging. Sage Publications Limited. 2007.

Commercial Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke-WVgQA1bQ

Advertisements Continued…

Have students create their own board

- Share with Facebook, Twitter, etc

Pinterest

“Immersed in a world surrounded by the media, people in our society absorb impressions, ideas, images, and sounds that reflect society’s attitudes towards aging. Also, the media reflect dominant values in a society: Whether, and how, older people are portrayed represents one measure of how ageism and sexism are embedded in the social fabric”.

– Laurie Hatch, Gerontologist

K. Vickers. “Aging and the Media: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”. Californian Journal of Health Promotion. 2007: 5(3); 100-105.

Media has an early impact on future behaviors•Attitudes are a result of learned social response as a result of a person/child’s culture and experiences•Fear of aging begins as a child due to preconceived notions•Hold significant levels of prejudice when working with older adults

– Higher levels of prejudice towards older women than men

Downside of Teaching with Media

Robinson, T. et al. (2007) The portrayal of older characters in Disney animated films. Journal of Aging Studies. 21; 203-213.

• There are potential Negative Outcomes of using media to teach future healthcare providers

• Older Adults typically depicted as having lower: – Competence– Activity– Intelligence– Attractiveness– Health

Vigilance is Essential

1. Media Messages are constructed2. Media Messages are created using a creative

language with its own rules3. Different people experience the same media

message differently4. Media have embedded values and points of

view5. Most media messages are organized to gain

profit and/or power

Things to Remember

J. Share, T. Jolls, & E. Thoman. Five Key Questions that can Change the World: Deconstruction. http://www.medialit.org/pdf/mlk/14A_CCKQposter.pdf

Questions?