Civic Participation, Public Sphere Pedagogy, and

Civic Participation, Public Sphere Pedagogy, and Blended Learning Produce an Intergenerational Town Hall Meeting Helen Teague, M.Ed. Doctoral Candidate, Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education & Psychology 6100 Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045, [email protected] Dr. Charlie Pruett, Ph.D., Director, Pruett Gerontology Center, Abilene Christian University ACU Box 27793, Abilene, TX 79699, [email protected] Chris Kyker, M.S., M.A. Speaker Emeritus, Texas Silver-Haired Legislature, Austin, TX Ashley Bryan B.S., Abilene Christian University, Spring, TX Contact Author: Helen Teague, [email protected]

Abstract: This paper describes an Intergenerational Town Hall Meeting including six generations of participants. This paper establishes the protocol of the Town Hall forum mediated by intergenerational, civic participation, blended learning technology and social media tools for pre-service, pre-certification students at a private, Southwestern U.S. university. A partnership between a university research center, state advocacy group, and state, county, and local community organizations provided the Public-Sphere Pedagogy of the Town Hall Meeting. Qualitative pre-event survey data and post-event reflective data was collected and analyzed. These data sources found a correlation between a Town Hall Meeting learning experience and increased awareness, empathy, engagement, and yearning toward civic participation for both students and older adults. This study’s findings are transferable to other higher education departments. A QR-code and Gantt chart will be provided at the conference. Keywords: Gerontology, Intergenerational Studies, Blended Learning, Public-Sphere Pedagogy, Town Hall Meeting, Social Networks, Cooperative Learning, Social Justice, Community Partnerships, Civic Participation, Student Engagement

1. Introduction In a self-report survey from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 86% of doctors caution that “unmet social needs are leading directly to worse health” across all socioeconomic groups. This is keenly apparent in the older adult cohort across the United States, but especially in large states such as Texas. By 2050, Texans age 60 and older will comprise 22 percent of the total state population (US Census, 2010; Texas State Data Center). Texas and other states will need an estimated 3.5 million additional health and human service professionals will be needed for older adults (Crisp & Chen, 2014; Institute of Medicine, 2008). To meet the needs of this group the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, predicts the necessity for “more health and human services and community engagement activities” (2015). Students are better prepared occupationally to serve in Gerontological careers when they participate in activities the address the issues facing older adults (Gitlin & Hodgson, 2016). This paper describes a civic learning opportunity with Public Sphere Pedagogy that situates university students in technologically blended intergenerational, bridging experiences with older adults through a Town Hall meeting at a private university in the southwestern United States. Further, this paper explains the ideation, process, implementation, and reflective process of an intergenerational Town Hall meeting. The Town Hall Meeting Vision was two-fold: 1. To understand the issues that affect older adults in Texas 2. To propose state initiative at the Texas state legislature level to address these issues.

The main research questions were: “What issues face all citizens but especially those who are age 60+ years?” and “How can university students increase their awareness of these issues?” A community event sponsored jointly by the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature (TSHL), the Pruett Gerontology Center (PGC), the Abilene Christian University Foundation, and the Abilene Regional Medical Center and local businesses examined these questions. The technological learning goals of the interdisciplinary town hall meeting were: 1.) Situate a student decision-making, civic learning experience simultaneously within an authentic, social-cultural physical and digital environment (Lave & Wenger, 1991). 2.) Differentiate between social stereotypes and issue-related realities of aging within a community of learners (Nelson, 2016; Nix, 2016; Rogoff, 1994). 3.) Apply Public Sphere Pedagogy (PSP) (O’Donnell, 2015; Swiencick, et al., 2011) to mitigate intergenerational stereotypes through authentic, personal involvement in a grassroots civic activity (Burke, 2012; Gamliel, 2016). 4.) Exchange social capital and emphasize democratic, civic participation during an election year (Gamliel, 2016). 5.) Remediate a “civic empowerment gap” (Addington, 2016; Wilkenfeld & Torney-Purta, 2012).

1.1 Substantive Background Information The Pruett Gerontology Center (PGC) is a non-profit, research-oriented center located onsite on a university campus in Southwestern United States. PGC advocates for Aging in Place, Lifestyle Redesign, and Role Navigation. The PGC is a “commons-based, open organization” (Benkler, 2006) because its resources are available to anyone without membership requirement or fee. The TSHL Town Hall Meeting aligns with PGC’s Mission Statement which is, “The Pruett Gerontology Center offers instruction, service-learning, and partnership with faith-based and community-based programs, preparing students for leadership in the field of intergenerational aging.” The Texas Silver-Haired Legislature (TSHL) was created by Senate Concurrent Resolution 37, 69 th Texas Legislature, April 3, 1985 to serve as an elected body of citizens 60 years of age or older, elected by their peers from 28 Texas Districts. Currently, TSHL serves the 4.6 million adults in Texas who are over age 60 years. The vision of the nonprofit Texas Silver-Haired Legislature (TSHL) organization is that “the applied wisdom, energy, and experience of aging will improve the lives of all Texans through education, knowledge, and involvement in legislation and governmental affairs” (www.txshl.org). Gerontology is a biological, psychological, and social stage in personality development. Both the PGC and TSHL are appropriately situated to serve as a catalyst “convening roles across complex landscapes of practice” (Wenger-Trayner, E.. Fenton-O'Creevy, Hutchinson, Kubiak, & Wenger-Trayner, B, 2014, p. 158). The TSHL Town Hall Forum occurred in both 2014 and 2016.This paper addresses the February, 2016 event and its potential to meet transformative learning goals.

2. Literature Review The intergenerational and interdisciplinary town hall meeting is a blended learning experience combining the affordances of social media, digital tools, and online content platform for learning support, summative reflection, public sphere pedagogy (PSP), and cooperative learning. One innovative approach to increase interdisciplinary engagement is to promote socio-cultural onground experiences mediated with social media reflection-in-action and blended learning reflection-on-action. In socio-cultural cooperative groups, students co-construct knowledge about issues affecting older adults. These meaningful events encourage social interactions, decision-making, and negotiation that change students’ perceptions of what it means to grow older (Adelman et al., 2007; Birkenmaier, Rowan, Damron-Rodriguez, Lawrance, & Volland, 2009). The Town Hall Meeting included plenary and small group discussions. The discussions between older adults and university students was an example of public sphere pedagogy and cooperative learning (Lange, Costley, & Han, 2016). Public sphere pedagogy (PSP) encourages goal-driven dialogue in the context of civic participation (O’Donnell,

et al., 2015; Swiencicki, et al., 2011; Wolf, et al., 2010). The town hall meeting amplified students’ classroom knowledge through direct application of course content and the formal and informal purpose-driven dialogue with older adults (Cribari-Assali, 2016). University students practice cooperative group cohesion, interacting with other group members and then articulate their experience. Cooperative Learning involves group members making individual contributions in order to maximize learning and achieve a common goal for the group (Johnson, Johnson & Smith, 2014). Within the cooperative learning context, an individual group member's success is contingent on the success of the group as a whole. Public sphere pedagogy and cooperative learning flourishe through relational responsibility, positive interdependence, and individual contributions to the group (Bolukbas, Keskin & Polat 2011; Huang, Hsiao, Chang & Hu, 2012; Korkmaz, 2012).

3. Methodology For the 2016 event, efforts to increase the “Guiding Coalition” (Kotter, 1996, p. 51) began in the fall of 2015. The Guiding Coalition team included community members from our healthcare, state, county, and city government, faithbased groups, students and faculty from the Gerontology, Communication Disorders, Sociology and Social Work departments. Artifacts of planning included Google Documents, notes, and a GANTT chart. The project engaged two undergraduate student cohorts and one university-sponsored service and social justice student organization. In the town hall meeting, over 220 people representing six generations (Figure 1) joined over 80 students across interdisciplinary majors.

Figure 1: Six generations participated in the intergenerational Town Hall Forum. Used with permission.

University students participated in the discussions and served as recorders at tables seating eight. Each table collaborated and discussed concerns. The town hall meeting audience gathered in large and small groups to discuss, listen, and record issues of concern for older adults. Community members, peer students, faculty, staff, and local elected city, county, and state representatives comprised the audience of participants. Additionally, 80 university students served as Table Recorders of discussions (Figure 2). Before participating as Table Recorders, students attended a skills-facilitation pre-event workshop activity. Required academic principles were embedded within and into the Public-Sphere Pedagogy Town Hall Meeting context. Students’ landscape of practice included both classroom learning and conversational exchanges. A post-event

reflective paper was required in at least one upper-division university course. The post-event reflection paper assignment prompted students to analyze not only their impression of the Town Hall meeting but the issues raised at the event. Post-event evaluations are consistent with research indicating that comprehension and integration of learning is increased with ownership of the learning process (Wenger-Trayner, et al., 2014). Data also included a post-event, semi-structured written interview reflection for at least one undergraduate class of 50 students. In the paper students provided reflection on 10 questions: 1. What was the purpose of the meeting? 2. What was your involvement? 3. Describe the type of discussion you had at your table. 4. What was your impression the entire event? 5. What was your impression of the people at your table? 6. Give an example of two or three issues that were discussed at your table. 7. In your perspective, what was the most important issue discussed? 8. Give an “overall” description of how the six generations worked together or did not work together. 9. In what way was your impression of older adults changed (or not changed) by the event. 10. Give any comment or observation not included in a question above.

Figure 2: Recorder’s instructions during the TSHL Town Hall Meeting. Used with permission from TSHL.

Randomly selected excerpts from students’ digitally submitted reflection papers reveal new awareness and insights:  “I gained an idea of what the true issues were from the perspective of actual elderly Abilenians.”  “At first it was different being at a table with older people until we started discussing things and where we were from. I feel that I was able to talk to everyone in a positive manner.”

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“My impression on them was that they were about to joke around and have a good time as if we have known each other longer than a couple of hours.” “...one person at my table was a very concerned citizen who worked for the state and had plenty of legitimate concerns. The young adults at my table ended up asking her for answers to their questions almost the entire time because she knew more about the subjects we were discussing than anybody else. She was very insightful, aware of the problems that the elderly face on a daily basis, and a definite advocate for change.” “The six generations very much worked together because the older generations showed the younger the problems and issues they were having with life, and it prepared the generations right under them to try and get them fixed so that they wouldn’t be struggling with the same problems as they age. It also made the younger generations more understanding and ultimately we all put in to find the best possible solution to each problem.” “I was a little skeptical before getting to the event, because I did not see how 5 hours could be filled up without having some dull moments. However, the event was very engaging and interesting to me. I am a social work major, and my placement for my internship is at an Abilene nursing home facility. I was able to utilize my experiences and build upon my knowledge of the gerontology field.... It was really neat to see all the different generations represented, and see how many different types of people are invested, in some form or fashion, into the elderly community.”

3.1 The Significance of Intergenerational Technology Utilization Communicating the Vision across centers of influence (Kotter, 1996) required digital and social media tools. Technology reflected “media convergence” (Rivoltella, 2006) of social media tools such as Twitter, Snapchat, blog posts, targeted Facebook posts. Digital media tools such as Google docs, email, Camtasia video recording software and Cincopa image software were successfully implemented for use by both students and older adults. The digital tools included Canvas individualized learning platform, personalized email, email newsletters, Google documents, Google forms, Camtasia, and Cincopa. Social media tools included Skype, Facebook, Twitter, and the Pruett Gerontology Center blog posts (http://blogs.acu.edu/pruettgerontology/tag/tshl-town-hall-meeting/). Use of Facebook was influenced by recent research noting that the social media preference of older adults’ trends toward targeted posts on their individual walls rather than global posts on organizational pages (Yuan, et al., 2016). The use of targeted posts about the Town Hall Forum to specific people was intentional. For the first time at a PGC or TSHL event, live tweeting at the hashtag #TSHLPGC raised awareness and drew many responses on social media (Figure 3). Texas State Representative Susan King, spoke about the need for all citizens to participate and communicate together. “It's your job, it's your responsibility, it's your duty, it's your honor to talk about issues of importance to you,” King said. This message was one of the first at the hashtag #TSHLPGC. Targeted posts and the #TSHLPGC hashtag added authentic intergenerational, digital citizenship, viz the “ability to participate in society online” (Mossberger, Tolbert, & McNeal, 2008: 1). The intergenerational acceptance was due in part to both the real-time preference of undergraduate students and the refer-back preference of older adults.

Figure 3: Examples of the first #TSHLPGC. Used with permission.

4. Results On February 4, 2016, over 220 people from six generations attended the 2 nd Biennial Intergenerational Town Hall Forum of the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature (TSHL) at the university campus. The purpose of the Town Hall Forum was to provide local citizens the opportunity to identify aging issues, concerns and suggested solutions for consideration by TSHL members in developing Resolutions for the upcoming TSHL Legislative Session. TSHL is required to prepare a written report to the Texas Governor and other state officials, Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services and the Texas state Legislature. One undergraduate and one graduate student conducted research during the event. The undergraduate researcher addressed a thematic analysis of issues emanating from roundtable discussions. The graduate student researcher addressed whether ageism bias changed as measured by pre-event and post-event digital surveys (Nix, 2016). The town hall forums provided the opportunity for older people, college students, faculty, and community leaders to identify some of the issues and policies that directly impact older adults. Students emerged from the TSHL Town Hall Meeting with an authentic experience-based event. They had first-hand experience with “the intertwined processes of inquiry, dialogue, writing, and action” that are “central to the formation of rich civic, academic, and emerging adult identities” (Swiencicki, 2011). The breakout discussion groups provided social support, including appraisal support, emotional support, and informational support (House, 1981). Although the generational digital divide has been labeled as a “challenge...to education policymakers” (Gamliel, 2016) no such divide was observed at the Town Hall Meeting as activity on Twitter and email was represented across intergenerational spheres. Over 71 issues were proposed at the Town Hall meeting roundtable discussions. Undergraduate student Ashley Bryan, prepared an undergraduate research summary report delivered to the 16 th Texas Silver-Haired Legislature Session. Analysis of all issues distilled 17 themes. These themes included cost of medical care, including prescriptions, care facilities, caregiving, insurance, community service, transportation, taxes.

Bryan’s analysis and the resulting TSHL Legislative action formed an online curriculum module uploaded to the Canvas content management system. Students enrolled in gerontology courses could immediately see the results of the public sphere pedagogy (PSP) experience through their roles of analysts and agile knowledge generators (Brown, 2005, p. 110) and through the issues gathered from the roundtable discussions. Social media blog posts and tweets kept students informed on the eventual outcome that

Figure 4: Top 10 Resolutions from 16th TSHL Legislative Session.

Four primary results emerge from the town hall forum. These results reinforced the goals of the Town Hall Meeting: 1.) Post-event conversational feedback from all age groups showed gains in students’ self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997), awareness of issues affecting older adults and reduced ageism stereotypes (Nelson, 2016; Nix, 2016). 2.) Students showed increased “intergenerational respect” (Gamliel, 2016) and understanding of the needs and concerns faced by those in the aging population through serving as a Town Hall Table Recorder (Nix, 2016). 3.) Participatory planning (Burke, 2012) was used successfully to build and support a formal, community Town Hall forum with real-time social media support and blended learning reflection. 4.) The inclusion of 49 Town Hall issues were addressed in 36 TSHL Resolutions adopted April 4-7, 2016 at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas. TSHL adopted ten resolutions as priority issues at the 16th TSHL Legislative Session (Figure 4). These resolutions will be proposed to the Texas State Legislature when it convenes in January, 2017.

5. Evaluations and Conclusions This paper summarized the ideation, process, implementation, and reflective process of an intergenerational Town Hall Forum. In keeping with an intergenerational emphasis, the writers of this paper represent four generations. The Intergenerational Town Hall blended learning experience combined the affordances of Civic Participation, PublicSphere Pedagogy, social media and a blended course platform for learning support and summative reflection in an ongoing action research and curricular initiative to address intergenerational relationships. Interdisciplinary and intergenerational teams (Fulmer, 2016) created productive community partnerships to identify and propose solutions societal issues (Schneider, 2011). The Town Hall informal learning event was transformative (Wenger-Trayner, et al., 2014) because students used a collaborative social justice lens to learn how the aging population experience life. Work in interdisciplinary teams attains public sphere pedagogy (PSP) learning that creates and contributes performance solutions that are effective.

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