An Interactive Way to Understand Dementia: Multimodal Experiential Learning Approach in Gerontology Education

Abstract

Objective: In parallel with the aging population, it will be necessary to provide health care to an increasing number of dementia patients in the coming years. It is critical to develop a gerontology education perspective and change it in accordance with the possibilities of the age. The simulation-based learning method provides an opportunity for experiential learning in education. There is quite a few data on how dementia simulation education improves attitudes toward dementia. We examined how a simulation education program changed students’ attitudes toward communication, empathy, and dementia with individuals with dementia. Methods: This quantitative study investigated undergraduate students’ change in awareness of dementia before and after participating in the educational intervention. This study employed a one-group repeated-measures design. A non-virtual, applied dementia simulation program consisting of eight stations was studied with gerontology third and fourth years 116 students. The data were collected by applying the Personal Information form, Dementia Attitude scale (DAS), Empathy Quotient scale (EQS), and The Evaluation Scale of Education Program (ESEP). Results: DAS and EQS scores were significantly higher after the theorical (pDAS=0.000; pEQS=0.000) and practical education (pDAS=0.000; pEQS=0.000) than before the theorical (pDAS=0.000; pEQS=0.000) and practical education. DAS, EQS, and ESEP scores significantly higher after practical education than after the theorical one (pDAS=0.000; pEQS=0.000; pESEP=0.000). Conclusion: Results; points out that dementia simulation helps students understand the experiences of people living with dementia, develop empathetic attitudes, and that dementia simulation education complements and improves traditional teaching methods. Based on these findings, we recommend an applied learning process that includes dementia simulation in addition to classical methods in gerontology education.