Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

The course is a Program Elective for the AAS Degree in Gerontology and the Gerontology Certificate.

It is required for two Activity Professional Certificates: Activity Director and Consultant, and the Advanced Behavioral and Cognitive Care Certificate.

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

• Analyze and interpret theories of cognitive aging and emerging brain science research related to the creative arts.
• Apply arts-related activities that can deliver positive cognitive stimulation to enhance the health and wellness of individuals and groups of older persons. 
• Design, defend and demonstrate arts-related cognitive activities that are sustainable, inclusive, cost-effective, replicable and innovative.

Arts and Cognitive Activities will rise to new heights, fundamentally transforming and enriching the quality of later life.

An online and/or hybrid format with 6 modules, which will include two optional recorded lecture and workshop presentations on the Sylvania Campus TCB107.  Course activities will include discussion forums and assignments on the principles of creative development, the six essential elements of brain health, the impact of creative arts on the brain, the human creative cycle, accessing and evaluating emerging research on creative arts and aging, and best practice approaches for motivating and sustaining the positive results of creative arts-related cognitive activities.

A variety of assessments will be used, including including discussions and research assignments, with the primary assessment being the Capstone project, involving:

• Designing the blueprint for one creative arts-related cognitive activity.  Sharing that blueprint with the class for input and revisions.
• Revising the creative arts-related cognitive activity for demonstration before classmates and/or older persons.
• Final paper including (1) blueprint, revisions, and final creative arts-related cognitive activity design, (2) supporting research citations, (3) 2-4 page presentation of final design prepared for elder community/organization representatives including cost-benefits and sustainability sections, (4) a demonstration of the art-related cognitive activity  before a group of older persons, and (5) paper on the outcome of demonstration to classmates and/or older persons including any modifications based upon the outcomes of the demonstration.

Course content will include the following themes, concepts, issues and skills:

1. Creativity and the Aging Brain.
2. Principles of Creative Behavior
3. The Creative Cycle
4. Creative Arts and the Aging Brain
5. Impacts of various Creative Arts forms 
6. Resources and current abilities of target older persons
7. Design for individuals vs. groups of older persons
8. Measurement of outcomes