More Seniors Are Beginning To Enroll In Free Online Education

Senior citizens and retirees who find themselves with excess time on their hands might consider investing their time in resources about online education. While these courses might not provide credit toward degrees, studies suggest that they can have health benefits. Seniors who participate in free courses might find their memories and cognitive abilities improve, perhaps reducing the risks of depression.

With 78 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 nearing retirement, Alzheimer’s particularly is very much on the minds of aging Americans, according to an Elderhostel study. Elderhostel, now known as Road Scholar, in 2007 surveyed the 55-plus population and found that active learners were also happier. Of those surveyed, nearly half attended classes at least once a month. They described themselves as having higher levels of optimism and life satisfaction than counterparts who weren’t as thirsty for learning, the survey shows.

Information about free college info might be available at retirement communities, assisted living facilities and senior centers, but they’re also offered by colleges, universities and technical schools. Some states offer seniors tuition waivers for attending courses at public colleges and universities. There, seniors might find themselves in the company of many baby boomers, a population segment that a New Horizons for Learning report suggests is crowding classrooms even while holding down jobs and keeping involved in their communities.

There are also colleges and universities that offer seniors opportunities to attend courses for free as part of what’s known as “visitor” programs. A Hawaii university, for instance, allows the state’s senior citizens to sit in on courses. Some 300 seniors participate in free courses each semester as part of the university’s visitor program, the institution’s website notes.

Perhaps one of the easiest places for seniors to find free courses is on the Internet. A Harris Poll a few years ago found that 24 percent of online users fall into the baby boomer category, or are between the ages of 50 and 64, while 10 percent of the online population is comprised of senior citizens, according to an article on seniorjournal.com. As the baby boomer generation ages and seniors continue acquiring technology skills, those numbers might be
expected to rise.

A good place to start the search for information about free online college might be the OpenCourseWare Consortium website, which, of course, includes courses in computer use. The site provides information about and links to a variety of free online courses throughout the world. There are several courses from a Massachusetts technology institute on OpenCourseWare. Seniors interested in free online courses might also consider those provided by Ivy League universities.

Many institutions provide free course instruction via audio and video. Many colleges and universities make lectures available on YouTube and iTunes U. Assignments, lessons and exams might also be downloaded from a course website in PDF format.

The AARP Bulletin article also lists educational sites such as the Research Channel, Videolectures.net and Academic Earth. Radio networks, cultural organizations and the Peace Corps offer free online courses in at least 37 foreign languages,
an Open Culture website snows. Seniors might also want to explore contemporary issues in greater depth through free courses that include a California university’s Sustainable Living and an Ivy League institution’s Global Population Growth. Seniors interested in religion, on the other hand, might consider a free online course on New testament history and literature from the latter university entitled.

The amount of courses offered at these free colleges are virtually limitless and accessed over the Internet, a tool most have available in one form or another. Imagine being at home or even at a library where you can go to college free, learn what you find interesting, and even progress towards a degree if that is your goal.

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