A couple of months ago you, along with other CARP members in your area, you received a Questionnaire on Continuing Education created by CARP and the Continuing Education Division of Centennial College.
The survey was designed to get an indication of the level of interest CARP members in your area have in continuing education and for some specific course offerings and learning preferences.
We received a very strong and positive response to the Questionnaire and want to share some of the results with you.
Highlights
99% of respondents agreed that continuing education and lifelong learning can be important to healthy aging;
93% expressed an interest in learning more about suitable courses; and
92% indicated that a discount on courses for CARP members would be welcome.
67% of respondents were aware that colleges and universities offer non-credit courses for older learners and 34% had taken at least one course in the past 5 years;
For those who hadn’t taken a course, 50% cited “no time” as a factor; 32% cited “cost” and 30% indicated that they didn’t know where to find courses of interest in their area.
Types of Courses or Workshops members found of most interest
68% expressed interest in “Moving from Employment to Volunteerism and Mentoring”;
73% were interested in “Understanding Brain Development in Later Life”;
69% expressed interest in “Staying Healthy: Bad Habits, Goals and Happiness”;
68% expressed interest in “Steps to a Greener lifestyle and Gardening”;
83% were interested in “Creative Aging: Art, Design, Photography and Music”;
76% expressed an interest in “Avoiding Pitfalls in Planning: Wills, Estates, Funerals and Inheritances”;
And 100% of respondents expressed an interest in courses on “Ancient and Art History for Aspiring Travellers”!
One course that didn’t garner great interest was Understanding Generation X and Y, at only 27%. (That course may have been a real brain teaser!)
In terms of course format and learning preferences, there was a fairly even split between “in-class” courses (47%) and those that were a blend of “in-class” and “online” (53%); with a similar split for the times of the year for taking courses: 47% preferred the fall and 46% the winter. Daytime courses were a clear favourite at 86%, over evening courses.
Respondents appear to be tech savvy, with 96% indicating that they use their computers for internet browsing or email on a daily basis.
Those are some of the highlights. We are very pleased with the positive response to the survey. Now we can translate your interest into a package of course offerings that will be available starting this fall. Stay tuned, as we will let you know when the specific courses, times and formats are established.
We want to thank those of you who took the time and interest to complete the questionnaire. It has helped us determine your interests lifelong learning opportunities so we may serve you more effectively.
Sincerely,
Ross Mayot, VP, Community Development
Michelle DeCoste, Director Continuing Education Centennial College
Mary Devine Continuing Education Chair, Centennial College
P.S.
Find out more about CARP and Continuing Education in May's Issue of Zoomer Magazine, featuring Harry Belafonte on the cover.
Watch for new CARP ON CAMPUS programs coming to Centennial College based on our member feedback. You can look at the great selection of Continuing and Part-Time programming currently on offer at Centennial College, and find out about their Con Ed Orientation Session on May 5th, 2011 by clicking this link.
Centennial Orientation Session!
Date: Thursday, May 5, 2011
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Where: Progress Campus, Room E1-29
Parking is free and light refreshments will be served.
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