Older Adults : Learning in the Third Age. Information Series No. 358 / Mary Alice Wolf.

This review examines and synthesizes literature about persons over 60--the Third Age--particularly as they engage in learning. It spans the literature of psychology, sociology, gerontology, education, and other fields, connecting them through four constructs: the inner life, cognitive changes of aging, psychosocial development, and socioeconomic factors. The first section discusses the construct of meaning-making, how individuals come to make sense of their changing worlds by creating personal schemata. A discussion of life review materials is presented. The second section focuses on the literature of cognitive changes related to aging. It includes conceptual and data-based literature on learning, memory, and adaptation and presents some implications for practitioners and suggestions for further focus on cognition and the area of self-management. The third section explores psychosocial development, the basis for contemporary models of growth. It analyzes a variety of materials on such topics as rites of passage and gender and identity. The fourth section discusses some socioeconomic factors of aging that affect the need for learning. Studies of education for self-sufficiency, health, and financial management are explored. A summary of the literature review and speculation about the direction and structure of the field of educational gerontology conclude the review. Contains 256 references and a list of resources for program development. (YLB)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.