ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

On the website dedicated to Baltes, there is a list of references for  
wisdom:

http://www.baltes-paul.de/Wisdom.html

I can't remember which ones I used specifically, but the Baltes &  
Kunzmann (2003) paper listed there that has a full text link gives a  
good intro to some of the work.



On May 30, 2008, at 2:35 PM, Beryl Rosenthal wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> Can you please share the Baltes reference with us?  I think it has  
> been mentioned before on this listserve.
> Thanks,
> Beryl
>
> Audra Baleisis wrote:
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
>> Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
>> institutions.
>> ********************************************************************* 
>> ********
>>
>> I had the opportunity to take a social gerontology class a few  
>> years ago, that was mostly aimed at students who might be working  
>> with senior citizens, with an aging population, etc. But there  
>> were some really great resources the instructor brought in that  
>> made me realize how important it is to look at exhibits or  
>> programs from the point of view of a specific audience.
>>
>> One of my favorite parts of the class was an exercise that was led  
>> by a woman from the local Council on Aging. We were handed out  
>> various set of glasses (that ranged from slightly scratched, to  
>> mostly blacked out) to simulate different vision problems. We put  
>> cotton balls in our ears. We tied a string around our ankles to  
>> impose a shorter gait. And we put on latex gloves to simulate the  
>> loss of touch sensitivity. In the context of the exercise (of us  
>> being in a senior "daycare", with a snotty, condescending "aide"  
>> to help us), I remember how frustrated I got very quickly. At  
>> being expected to sign a check when I couldn't even see the  
>> signature line, at being told to "hurry along" when I could only  
>> take steps that were a foot apart. It gave me a very different  
>> outlook on the point of view of a person with some physical  
>> challenges.
>>
>> We also had an exercise that simulated the type of hearing loss  
>> that is common - not of overall volume decrease but of a decrease  
>> in hearing the upper frequencies (where consonant sounds hang  
>> out!). This meant that turning up a volume dial did nothing to  
>> increase comprehension. Just try figuring out what someone is  
>> saying if you can only hear vowels.
>>
>> Other considerations that were brought up were to have adequate  
>> access to seating (for resting) and restrooms.
>>
>> The last thing that comes to mind dealt with vision changes - that  
>> led to certain colors standing out less (again, not a problem of  
>> turning up a volume, because only certain frequencies were  
>> affected). This category also included leaving more time for dark- 
>> adaptation and light-adaptation (since the eyes get slower at this  
>> as we age), and planning times of day for certain programs because  
>> of decreased night vision (and a harder time driving at night).
>>
>> Taken all together, these changes describe a person who may not  
>> even be up and about, but as a set of things to keep in mind, they  
>> may make a difference for aging visitors.
>>
>> On a final (and maybe more positive) note, I did my term paper for  
>> the class on a researcher named Paul Baltes, who studied cognitive  
>> changes of aging brains. Although computational speed was  
>> decreasing on average, some of his research showed that wisdom was  
>> increasing with age for many people. How exactly to harness or  
>> engage an increasingly wise mind is a tough question, and I  
>> remember wondering how this might be taken advantage of with  
>> programs that looked at this aspect of human reasoning.
>>
>> Audra Baleisis
>> Science Education Consultant
>> Flandrau Science Center
>> Tucson, AZ
>>
>> ********************************************************************* 
>> **
>> For information about the Association of Science-Technology  
>> Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit  
>> www.astc.org.
>>
>> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at  
>> www.exhibitfiles.org.
>>
>> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L- 
>> Soft. To learn more, visit
>> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>>
>> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
>> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
>> [log in to unmask]
>
> -- 
> Beryl Rosenthal, Ph.D.
> Director
> Tsongas Industrial History Center
> Boott Cotton Mills
> 115 John Street
> Lowell, MA 01854
> (978) 970-5081 (t)
> (978) 970-5085 (f)
> [log in to unmask]
> www.uml.edu/tsongas/index2.htm
> A joint program of UMASS Lowell and Lowell National Historical Park
>
> ********************************************************************** 
> *
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers  
> and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at  
> www.exhibitfiles.org.
>
> The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L- 
> Soft. To learn more, visit
> http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.
>
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
> [log in to unmask]


***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]