Gerontology competencies for undergraduate & graduate education
Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE)
Adopted November 20, 2014
GERONTOLOGY COMPETENCIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE EDUCATION
AGHE COMPETENCY WORKGROUP MEMBERS
محتويات
مصدر
Association for Gerontology in Higher Education
1220 L Street NW, Suite 901 Washington, District of Columbia 20005 United States
www.aghe.org
ORIENTATION TO THE COMPETENCIES
BACKGROUND
In 2012, the AGHE Accreditation Task Force designated two working groups, the Organizational Workgroup and the Competencies Development Workgroup. The 2014 Gerontology Competencies are the result of an AGHE Association-wide multi-year effort that has used feedback processes to build consensus.
The effort built upon the work of Wendt, Peterson and Douglas (1993) as well as current literature in foundations of gerontology and competency-based education. The new competencies have integrated the Wendt, Peterson and Douglas (1993) liberal arts, professional and scientific orientations to achieve a more unified approach to the discipline of gerontology. Faculty and students from over 30 universities and colleges involved in gerontology education provided feedback into the consensus building process.
This product of the Competency Workgroup, after integrating the extensive feedback received, is meant as a resource for competency-based gerontology education. It will be the AGHE leadership, with input from the Accreditation Task Force’s Organizational Workgroup and other AGHE Committees, as to how the competencies will be adopted and disseminated. The Workgroup’s framework for the competencies encourages gerontology education programs to maintain their specific orientation (e.g., liberal arts), and utilize the competencies with flexibility and creativity. The competency resource document does not preclude programs from also identifying additional competencies that may be important for their program.
Future steps for colleges and universities were noted by Competency Workgroup and responding faculty to include leveling the competence expectations for varying degree levels, building competency-based curricula materials and constructing competency-based student outcomes measurements.
These competencies rely on a robust definition of a gerontologist: Gerontologists improve the quality of life and promote the well-being of persons as they age within their families, communities and societies through research, education and application of interdisciplinary knowledge of the aging process and aging populations. This definition contributes to the potential impacts of graduates from the field of gerontology education.
FOCUS AND LEVELS OF ANALYSIS
The 2014 Gerontology Education Competencies address the continuum of foci for gerontologists, from micro to macro, as described by Ferraro et al (Wilmoth & Ferraro, 2007). Central to the field is the focus on older persons and their involvement in all aspects of decision making. This focus recognizes their potential, ability to contribute as well as needs. As such, many skills identified in the competencies may be applied at the individual, social network, institutional or societal level. Using this orientation, where ‘older person’ (defined as a person 65 years or older) is utilized in a competency, it may be subsumed even when not stated that this may also include their family, caregiver, and community when appropriate.
APPLICATION OF COMPETENCIES TO GERONTOLOGY EDUCATION
The competencies may be applied to gerontology programs with majors, minors and certificate programs at the associate, undergraduate and/or master’s level. Competency-based education and assessment will require the specification of anticipated knowledge and skill development for the varying program levels. Measurement of competency acquisition will relate to learning objectives, course assignments and evaluation tools.
The competencies are NOT meant to be applied to a gerontology or geriatric focus or specialization within other disciplinary programs (e.g. gero-psychology or geriatric nursing). Other disciplines and departments of study often already have their own set of competencies. These competencies are specific to gerontology education programs and focus on the knowledge, abilities and skills (KAS) of gerontologists.
ORGANIZATION OF AGHE GERONTOLOGY COMPETENCIES
CATEGORIES
There are three categories of competencies (I, II and III). Category I competencies represent the essential orientation to the field of gerontology, are foundational and expected to be broadly represented in Associate, Bachelors, Master’s degree and gerontology certificate programs. Category II competencies are “interactional” competencies that capture the processes of knowing and doing across the fields of gerontology and are also expected to be broadly represented in the above types of educational programs.
Category III competencies are meant to capture the most relevant skills for contexts of employment in the variety of sectors and areas that gerontologists may work, including education. Category III competencies are to be selected based on the mission, goals and orientation(s) of the educational program. Competencies in Category III provide gerontology education program leadership with the ability to select and tailor the competency expectations for their particular programs’ needs and orientations. It is suggested that programs select 2 or more Domains, and use the related competencies within that domain for their curricula. Within Category III, programs may identify additional competency content as appropriate for their program orientations and emphases.
