Biology for practitioners – a programme to develop interests and stimulate educational and cultural activities for students of Universities of the Third Age.
Project title
Biology for practitioners – a programme to develop interests and stimulate educational and cultural activities for students of Universities of the Third Age
Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries
University of Wrocław
Name of programme
Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development
Competition
The University’s Third Mission
Project value
PLN 360,000.00
Funding value
PLN 348,900.00
Project delivery period
from 01.02.2019 to 31.10.2021
Meet our team
Our team:
University of Wrocław Professor Józef Krawczyk, PhD – project manager and author of the project concept
Anna Granat, MA – financial and administrative services
Agnieszka Kwiatkowska – financial and administrative services
Persons responsible for the implementation – authors of the educational programme and/or persons conducting the classes (alphabetically):
- Professor Gabriela Bugla-Płoskońska, PhD;
- Anna Cieślik, MA;
- Aleksandra Czułowska, MA;
- Magda Dubińska-Magiera, PhD;
- Arnold Garbiec, PhD;
- Iwona Gottfried, PhD;
- Katarzyna Guz-Regner, PhD;
- Professor Dorota Kiewra, PhD;
- Aleksandra Kilian, PhD;
- University of Wrocław Professor Jan Kotusz, PhD;
- University of Wrocław Professor Józef Krawczyk, PhD;
- Krzysztof Książkiewicz, PhD;
- University of Wrocław Professor Joanna Łubocka, PhD;
- University of Wrocław Professor Ewa Maciaszczyk-Dziubińska, PhD;
- Beata Orłowska, MA;
- Grzegorz Skórzewski, PhD;
- Ewa Stefańska-Krzaczek, PhD;
- Joanna Zych, PhD;
See the result of our work
What problem does our project solve?
The programme is aimed at listeners at the University of the Third Age of or other senior citizens’ organisations. The functioning of seniors/senior citizens in modern society is often limited by the fact that many of today’s commonly used concepts, technologies and phenomena had not been present during their period of heightened educational activity. The social exclusion of this group is often connected to a lack of opportunities to develop interests, limited access to science centres and cultural institutions, an economic barrier and a barrier related to the digitalisation of society. The programme aims to support activities in the process of educating and counteracting the social exclusion of this specific group through activities which integrate their previous experiences with new knowledge of biological sciences, and participation in culture. Preventing social isolation is implemented by stimulating learning activities in the participants’ joint activities, during activities related to the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, as well as socio-cultural events. It is also exceptionally important to spend time together after classes (discussions, integration and formation of communication skills), to be able to enjoy the offer of the academic and cultural centre. One of the aims of the programme is also to bridge the exclusion caused by lack of access to electronic information by developing digital competences. Appropriately planned and structured activities (including in the computer lab) are going to allow to learn about and use ICT with relevant software and applications.
The project aims to widen the general and specialised knowledge of biological sciences, as well as the personal development of seniors, their creativity and their subjective participation in culture, which translates directly into satisfying (often inaccessible) forms of spending time. It has been planned in the form of an intensive 5-day scientific and cultural camp with 45 teaching hours of activities. The course programme includes topics in genetics, histology, microbiology, botany, zoology, human biology, ecology and environmental protection, as well as activities to develop digital competences and strengthen seniors’ mental strength. A key element of the programme’s delivery was the opportunity to access professionally equipped laboratories and laboratory rooms with chemistry, microbiology, genetics, microscopy labs, as well as conducting experiments and field studies, and direct contact with academics. The activities have been designed to take into account the existing life experiences of the participants, therefore they will cover issues of common or media interest, such as health, functional and genetically modified food, cloning of organisms, medicinal and invasive plants, conservation of nature and the environment, biodiversity in the context of, for instance, beneficial animals and ‘pests’ (e.g. such as ticks, insects, bats, amphibians, reptiles, birds, etc.), bio-indicative assessment of environmental pollution. During the activities, the seniors perform experiments and solve problems together, often drawing on experience they have already acquired. The main teaching aids are specimens of living organisms as well as microscopic and macroscopic preparations. Some activities take place in the outside area: in the Botanical Garden and at the Ornithological Station in Ruda Milicka (stay in Ruda Milicka during the last day of the camp). Participants highly rate all activities, including those related to digital competence training. Participation in numerous cultural events is also an important aspect of this project. Cultural activities include going to the theatre, cinema, museums, taking a boat trip, visiting Wrocław, etc.
Who is going to benefit from the project results?
The project results benefited primarily its participants: 126 persons (105% of the assumed indicator) from associations operating in the area of the commune and town of Olesnica (Farmer’s Wives Association in Wszechświętym, Boguszyce and Zarzysko, Active Bogusławice Foundation, University of the Third Age in Oleśnica, Polish Association of Retirees, Pensioners and Persons With Disabilities – District Branch in Oleśnica).
In addition, the implementation of the project contributed to a change in attitudes towards nature and encouraged nature-related activities in the local communities where the participants live. The seniors are spreading particularly positive information regarding the project throughout the district of Oleśnica, telling about the specific classes, the need to protect various organisms and the local environment, which also produces an additional effect with respect to the pro-environmental activities. They decided to create the so-called ‘animal canteens’ in the form of left-over dead trees, meticulously recorded rules and planned gardens (most of the participants have their own garden) friendly to birds and other animals, learnt about feeding animals, fell in love with bats and decided to protect them, e.g. by hanging special boxes near the areas where they live. One of the most valuable outcomes of the activities around the Milice Ponds was the promotion of the beauty of local nature.
The published course programme is a good model for teachers (including academics) and adult educators who can use the suggested lesson plans.
The project also contributes to the development of personnel at the University of Wrocław. Academic personnel working as part of a project team improve and acquire the related competences, for instance, for the appropriate transfer of academic knowledge and its adaptation to the perceptual abilities of people at an elderly age. They also learn about and apply new methods of working with project participants, individualise teaching (participants are very diverse in terms of, for instance, cognitive abilities, have different types of deficits and disabilities). Due to the very strong support from the Deans of Faculty of Natural Sciences of the Wrocław University in promoting the importance and necessity of such projects in the Faculty, a significant number of personnel expresses interest in getting involved in such activities.
For educators, a tangible effect of the execution of the project is also the possibility to collect data and conduct educational research, the results of which are going to be published at scientific conferences and published.
Which aspect of the project implementation have we found to be the most challenging?
The greatest challenge during the project was to adequately plan 45 hours of didactic activities over the five days of the camp and, on top of this, the very numerous cultural events. We were concerned that the programme would be excessively intense for persons aged 60+ (the oldest participant was 86). The seniors were active from early in the morning (activities at the University of Wrocław) until late at night (participation in cultural events). However in spite of their fatigue, they participated in all activities willingly and with great commitment. In the evaluation questionnaires, they mentioned that the programme of activities was too intensive, but such statements were also accompanied by entries that the programme should have been further expanded to include dances.
The timing of the COVID-19 pandemic was also quite a challenge, which required us to extend the duration of the project. The elderly are a vulnerable group and we were concerned that they would not be interested in participating (we still had two of the four editions to complete). Our fears proved unfounded, however, as there has been significantly more interested persons that the positions we could offer. Nowadays, I quite regularly receive e-mails from associations or individuals asking if we are by any chance organising another project for seniors citizens.
Our advice to other Applicants
Projects using NCRD funding provide opportunities for the university to collaborate with the community by pursuing innovative, interesting ideas and developing scientific passions among persons of all ages. Seniors are one of the more active groups of persons in the society who require support. We encourage you to organise a variety of projects for them without worrying about recruiting participants and achieving your objectives. The interest and engagement during the classes was incredible. The seniors were captivated by what we had prepared for them. It was a group of very open, friendly and dutiful people. They constantly praised and admired the knowledge, competence and empathy of the trainers, as well as the exceptionally good atmosphere in the classes and the opportunity to participate in cultural events. They sent us a wonderful thank-you note, and the kind words in it, further motivate us to work on the project and encourage us to do more.
Let the words of the evaluation surveys serve as an encouragement to other Applicants to carry out such projects: ‘please organise classes at the University of Wrocław for the next generation of seniors,’ ‘I felt like a young person again,’ ‘the classes were inspiring, thought-provoking, stimulated curiosity and encouraged action,’ ‘you made things that seemed impossible for us turn out to be easy and enjoyable,’ ‘such things only happen in fairy tales about dwarfs, good spirits, in ‘other worlds,’ are you really here?’