Course at A Glance

The role of leisure in older adulthood is gaining importance for all sectors of this heterogeneous population group. This course explores the role of leisure in adult development. You will acquire a basic understanding of the aging process, including physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aging. You will consider the theoretical frameworks in the literature on leisure and aging as well as explore current leisure services and settings, and critically analyze their fitness for upcoming cohorts. You will consider research needs and public policy issues of the 21st century.

Throughout the course you will have opportunities to apply the concepts presented in class through class discussions and interaction with your Classic Companion. By the end of the course you should have a greater knowledge base and new insights about leisure and aging. This class will enable you to design leisure programs and settings for older adults which are grounded in solid concepts, theories and research. You will also (I hope!) develop an appreciation of the many personal rewards to be had in working with older adults.

This course is designed to give you a thorough knowledge of the needs of older individuals as they participate in leisure activities. You will learn to describe and explain various aspects of aging and the aging process by reviewing information and various theoretical frameworks through online class lectures, online discussion and chat, and web-based activities and projects.

Course Components

Below is list of what this course is composed of, and directions for accessing the web tools this course uses.

Reading
Each week you are required to complete the reading assignments BEFORE you work with the web-based module. The required practice activities in each module are based on concepts presented in the textbook.

Units
After reading the chapter, you will need to go to the web-based classroom in Oncourse. Here are the directions for accessing the individual course units:

Go to https://oncourse.iu.edu/ This will take you to the Oncourse log-in page.
Click on the IUB tab over the top.
Log in (username and password are the same as the ones you use for accessing your campus email account).
Click "Continue" on the gray box stating that you are on an insecure site.
Select HPER R365-Leisure and Aging.
Note that the first time you log on you'll need to click "Listed" to continue
You should see a page that says Student of the Week and Course Announcements. Click "Continue."
Find the blue buttons just above the gray bar and click on "Schedule."
Click on the date or unit of your choice.

Click here to see a sample unit.

Discussion
An important aspect of online learning is interaction, both between the students and between the students and the instructor. We will often use the conferencing tools in SiteScape. To get to our class Summit in SiteScape,

Go to http://ssf.indiana.edu/smyllyka/. Press Enter.
If you see boxes for entering your login name and password, you're at the SiteScape Login screen. Enter your Network ID username and password.
If you see a forum screen, click the "Log In" button, then follow the instructions for logging in, above.
When you click OK, your instructor's summit page appears.

See below for a sample of our SiteScape Summit:

Image: Sample of Site Scape Forum Summit

When you click a hotlink under "Discussion and Document Forums," you'll enter that particular forum, where you can exchange information, collaborate, and archive important materials. To add a comment or reply to a posting, use the "Tools" pull down menu.

Complete instructions for SiteScape are available at: http://www.indiana.edu/~ssf/b156.htm#4

Applications and Activities

Each unit has fun-filled opportunities for students to practice and use the information presented in the text and unit. These practices will help you learn the material presented. These applications are opportunities for you to interact with the instructor and each other. Specific directions for completing these required practices are provided in each unit.

Tests

After each unit you will take an online test. Tests are graded immediately and must be completed by due dates to receive full credit.

Course Textbook

Leitner, M.J., & Leitner, S.F. (1996). Leisure in Later Life (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Haworth Press.

Textbooks can be obtained from the IU Bookstore on the Bloomington Campus by calling 1-800-553-6471. Students may also directly contact Venture Publishing Company or order the book by calling (814) 234-4561. Additional readings will be assigned as needed and can be accessed through the class site.

Graduate and Undergraduate Sections

Graduate (R565) and undergraduate students (R365) will follow the same schedule and do the same assignments. Graduate students will have additional opportunities to investigate current literature and research in this field. Graduate students should go to the "Grading" section of this course website and find R565 to review the graduate-level course expectations.