Gerontechnology in higher engineering education

This paper is based on experiences with designing an educational programme on gerontechnology at Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) and designing and developing various international gerontechnology courses. There are two major goals for education in gerontechnology: (1) creation of a knowledge base of principles, methods and facts about ageing and technology; (2) creation of an attitude base about the convictions, beliefs and goals for society that are embedded in the concept of gerontechnology. Because the knowledge base of gerontechnology is multi-disciplinary, an outline for a curriculum has been developed that consists of four basic modules: (1) basic concepts, (2) information about people, (3) information about technology and (4) macro aspects. Project-oriented education as educational method is an attractive tool for teaching gerontechnology and the creation of an attitude base. Project-oriented education is an organisational format in which the students collaborate as a team on a case they chose themselves. Relevance to society is a leading factor for the formulation of the cases. This often requires a multi-disciplinary approach. A case-study as such provides a context for integrating disciplines, theory and practise. Besides the two major goals, the courses intend to increase the interest of students in participating in ongoing research projects on gerontechnology. This all stimulates the further development of gerontechnology.