Today, I had a sudden realization, and I want to share this moment!
This shift in my thinking happened during my class, Culture, Heritage and Learning Future.
First, let me give some context: my undergraduate thesis focused on the development of digital technology in museums. In the sector of conclusion, I emphasized the importance of museums, considering the needs of different age groups when designing exhibits. I used children’s height as an example, highlighting how museums could learn from the “China Wetland Museum,” where some exhibits are designed at a height suitable for children, making it easier for them to engage with and learn from the exhibits.
The “China Wetland Museum” has digital equipment for viewing the underwater world, specifically positioned for children’s height.
But today, during our discussion on lifelong learning, the professor mentioned something about the “mind and body” that really stuck me.
The professor said
“Exhibits often assume that visitors have high cognitive abilities and physical capabilities, but this ignores the needs of older visitors. For instance, some may struggle with mobility or find it difficult to process complex information. These assumptions can impact the accessibility of exhibit designs.”
Wait, older adults too?
Whenever we talk about education, young students are usually the first thing that comes to mind. The design of stationery, textbooks, e-books, and learning tools seems to focus exclusively on children or younger learners, leaving older people out. So many industries and activities have likely missed out on a large group of potential customers because of this！！！
Education isn’t just for children and adults—we always talk about this, yet it seems we don’t truly put this understanding into practice. Education shouldn’t be confined to schools. People of all ages have the right to learn, as long as they want to
I had thought I was breaking the boundaries of education by expanding it beyond traditional classrooms into places like museums and botanical gardens. But now I realize I had completely overlooked the elderly when it comes to lifelong learning!
This realization has also inspired me to think that in the future, whether in project design or creative work, we must consider the needs for all ages. We should genuinely incorporate the concept of lifelong learning into our designs so that people of all ages can benefit from education.
Perhaps we can bring some innovation to the education industry by focusing on lifelong learning for older adults. For instance, we could take advantage of online streaming platforms and offer dedicated teachers to explain courses tailored specifically for them. The course topics could even be decided by the learners themselves through voting.
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