Designing a Curriculum based on Jane Vella’s Dialogue Education for the Elderly

The purpose of the study was to design a curriculum for the elderly education based on dialogue education approach. Jane K. Vella is the setter of this approach and the most important feature of this approach can be considered its attention to the audience and their special needs. The method of conducting this research is the application of the recommendations of the dialogue education approach. Sampling among the elderly participating in the course was voluntary and by sending an invitation. In sending the invitation, an effort was made to cover the maximum diversity of education, gender, and social status. In order to select the content based on the participants' needs, the list of Iranian elderly's educational needs was given to the six elderly who attended the educational meetings for selection. After selecting the content, the elements of the dialogical curriculum were determined. In the implementation phase, changes were made to adapt to the context, in the design and implementation process, and all the implementation and design phases were validated by Vella and the team members. Considering the special characteristics of the elderly, such as having experience, independence and self-directedness, the curriculum used for them should be able to take into account these characteristics, and considering the high flexibility of the dialogue and listening approach, as well as the achievement of all learners to the goals of each meeting, the approach to design educational courses in centers whose audience is the elderly, can increase the effectiveness and attractiveness of the courses.