WHAT WORKS?

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WHAT WORKS? WHY? HOW?
OLLI National Conference November 13, 2012 Ruth
Flexman, Ph.D. University of Delaware
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the
University of Delaware
Wilmington 240 courses per 14-week
semester 2,100 members founded 1980
Dover 28 courses per semester per 10 week
semester 125 members founded 2010
Lewes 60 courses per semester per 10 week
semester 475 members founded 1989
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Arsht Hall, University of Delaware Wilmington
Campus
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Additional Offerings

• - Wilmington and Lewes offer Summer Courses
• - Wilmington offers about 20 Extra Curricular
  Activities
• - Lewes offers a 4-week Wednesday series in
  January
• Wilmington and Dover offer Special Events
• during lunch weekly

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Strong connections are the key to making
curriculum work for effective lifelong learning
programs

• Connections to subject matter
• Connections with old and new friends
• Connections between brain cells
• Connections to community

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Strong connections to subject matter make
curriculum work for effective lifelong learning
programs

• Connections to subject matter
• Connections with old and new friends
• - Connections between brain cells
• Connections to community

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Concentration is intense as the instructor
demonstrates techniques for working with stained
glass.
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Watch your step. Tai Chi promotes focus and
balance.
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Making strong connections effective lifelong
learning programs

• Connections to subject matter
• Connections with old and new friends
• Connections between brain cells
• Connections to community

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Connections with old and new friends

• - Value of community of learners
• Speed-connecting for
• finding friends with
• common interests

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Effective Teaching Methods

• Prepare accurate information
• in interesting formats
• Stimulate minds to process information,
• generate questions
• and find answers
• - Offer training and assistance to instructors

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Instructors Meeting and Luncheon
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PowerPoint can be Forceful
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or
AWFUL
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How to make a bad PowerPoint presentation

• Try to put as much information on each page as
  you can
• Never fret about legibility. Font and size take
  care of themselves. If you can read it on your
  computer, your audience can see it on that big
  projection screen
• Make sure that you show the entire text of your
  lecture so you can read it verbatim to insult
  your audience while you bore them
• Show all quotes in full detail on the screen
  while you read them
• Be sure to point repeatedly to every line with
  your laser, jiggling it for emphasis
• Whenever you want to confuse and bore your
  audience even more resort to diagrams
• Let the screen dominate your lecture - people may
  forget whom to blame
• Keep the room totally dark at all times to make
  sure that you remain invisible
• Never break the routine and speak directly to
  your audience
• When moving on to a new subject either
• Leave the previous slide on to distract them
• Or
• -- Repeatedly Repeatedly turn on the room lights

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PowerPoint Presentation Tips

• Limit a slide to a few points
• Font Arial or Calibri, (28-36pt)
• Show essentials, tell the story
• Highlight text, spare the laser
• Keep diagrams clear and direct

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TECHNOLOGY ENHANCES LEARNING PROGRAMS
- Online catalog describe courses and give
instructors bios - Facebook presents new
opportunities for connecting. - Age-related
hearing and vision losses receive assistance -
Internet can expand instructors knowledge -
Internet can enhance presentation of information
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TECHNOLOGY ENHANCES LEARNING PROGRAMS

• PowerPoint makes information visual as well as
  auditory
• - Online courses and videos can augment live
  presentations
• - Videos from the web enhance presentations

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Making strong connections is the key to the art
and science of effective lifelong learning
programs

• Connections to subject matter
• Connections with old and new friends
• Connections between brain cells
• Connections to community
• Connections to resources

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Use it or lose it?
neurogenesis - human brains create new neurons
neuroplasticity - experiences change the
brain

• Adult brains can generate new nerve cells and
  connections to other neurons. Stimulation with
  novel, new and complex behaviors changes brains.
• Physical exercise is good for the body.
• Mental exercise is good for the brain!
• Now you can use it - not lose it

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Making strong connections is the key to the art
and science of effective lifelong learning
programs

• Connections to subject matter
• Connections with old and new friends
• Connections between brain cells
• Connections to community

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Did you see where that red winged black bird just
landed?
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Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of tea. An excursion on
Delawares colonial ship, the Kalmar Nyckel, is
one of the many extra activities enjoyed by our
members.
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Concert Band Performs in Community Setting
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Strong connections make curriculum work for
effective lifelong learning programs

• Connections to subject matter
• Connections with old/new friends
• Connections between brain cells
• Connections to community