150 likes | 244 Views
This study presents findings from a pilot national survey of OLLI membership, exploring demographics, employment, technology use, distance education, and topic preferences. The methodology involved eight OLLI programs with 2989 participants segmented by age for in-depth analysis. The survey identified trends in iPad and Facebook use, distance education experience, employment status, relocation patterns, and popular course topics among OLLI members. Questions for further research and discussion on survey frequency and program involvement are outlined.
E N D
PILOT NATIONAL SURVEY OF OLLI MEMBERSHIP Jack Hansen (OLLI at Furman University) Mike Brady (University of Southern Maine)
BACKGROUND • Online survey of 14 questions • Demographic variables • Widely reported/speculated trends among retirees • Relocation • Employment • Technology and social network utilization • Distance education experience • Topic preferences for OLLI courses
METHODOLOGY • Membership of eight OLLI programs of different size, age, and part of the country (University of Southern Maine, U. Conn., Furman, Kansas, Colorado State, UC Irvine, San Francisco State, Boise State) • Total of 2989 participants responding • Analysis of composite results with emphasis on segmenting responses by age
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION • Should these 14 questions be a core aspect of future research to understand trends in OLLI membership? • If yes, how frequent should the survey be, and how many programs should be involved • What other questions might be important to ask?