November 4, 2004

Contact:
Mara L. Kiffin, Assistant Director
Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5350; 954-224-4642

Nova Southeastern University Professor Finds Innovative Way to Teach Undergraduate Students about Aging Students’ Assignment: Simulate “Being Old”

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL. - Halloween may be over but that won’t stop Nova Southeastern University students from getting dressed up and playing the part of senior citizens during their Adulthood and Aging class. It’s all part of their assignment to simulate sensory loss.

Marcia E. Silver, Ph.D., assistant professor at NSU’s Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences’ Division of Social and Behavior Sciences, created an innovative and fun way to help 18-22 year old students understand some of the personal and societal difficulties that the elderly experience as they lose sensory perceptual abilities.

The “dress up” experiment is scheduled for Tuesday, November 9, 9:20 – 11:30 a.m. in room 214 of the Parker Building on NSU’s main campus.

As part of the simulation, students will:

• Wear eyeglasses smeared with Vaseline to simulate blurred vision and cataracts,
• Wear earplugs to simulate loss of hearing,
• Use walkers, canes, and ace bandages to experience loss of mobility.

Once they are “in character”, the “elderly” students will be assigned by their “grandchildren” as they:

• Walk from the Parker Building to the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center
• Climb stairs Use the lavatory
• Attempt to read
• Buy snacks from a vending machine
• Sit down and stand while encumbered with the various apparatuses.

The final component of the experiment charges the students to write an essay about the entire experience, discussing whether the experience was positive or negative, what they learned, how they felt, what reactions were observed and more.

Based on the completed essays from last semester’s class in which students developed empathy and a greater understanding of some of the physical and emotional challenges that face the elderly, Dr. Silver believes the current students will also benefit from the experience. For more information about the Adult and Aging class simulation, contact Marcia E. Silver, (954) 262-7924.

For more information about Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, visit http://www.fcas.nova.edu/main.cfm