Older Adults Learning Online Too, As OLLI And One Day University Move To Zoom - Forbes

Posted: 28 May 2020 03:39 PM PDT

By David Jarmul, Next Avenue Contributor

class about Stephen Sondheim

Dennis Szerszen

"Folks, this is a big experiment," Alan Teasley laughed, as he began his online adult education class about Stephen Sondheim with a song from West Side Story, using the Zoom videoconferencing technology. During the next hour, the former high school drama teacher shared songs and video clips of the legendary Broadway composer and lyricist.

A few hours earlier, another speaker on the same site discussed opera. Others talked about the Super Bowl, "fake news," politics and prisons.

Hundreds of older viewers clicked onto the 22 free talks, which the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke University in Durham, N.C. organized after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to cancel the final weeks of its in-person spring classes.

(Read all of Next Avenue's Covid-19 coverage geared toward keeping older generations informed, safe and prepared.)

Why Taking Classes Online Is Now So Appealing

"I took almost all of the free online classes," said OLLI member Diane Hundley. "I could learn something I didn't know anything about. It was wonderful. And what else was I going to do? It wasn't like I could go shopping for shoes."

"Online learning is much easier than it was just a few years ago."

Another OLLI member, Mimi Krystal, said: "The lack of intellectual stimulation during quarantine has been a real problem for my mother, who is nearly one hundred years old and has poor vision. OLLI helped her and her neighbor to register for an online class about Lincoln and another on Rodgers and Hammerstein, which they love."

The Duke program is among the largest of 124 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes programs on campuses supported by the Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco. Almost all of them have been scrambling to expand online, non-credit offerings for the more than 200,000 people they serve across the country, mainly retirees.

"It's making lemonade when you have lemons," said Marion Jervay, OLLI at Duke's vice president.

By going online, OLLI and other such programs are letting older students participate regardless of where they live or how concerned they are about leaving the house.

"There are even more opportunities to join an OLLI community than there were before [the pandemic]," said Chris McLeod, director of OLLI at Duke.

Turns out, the appetite has been enormous.

"We didn't know what to expect when we began moving online. We thought two hundred people might be interested," said McLeod. "We heard from five hundred and fifty people immediately and the number grew to one thousand three hundred and fifty within two and a half weeks."

The Teachers, the Courses, the Cost

OLLI programs vary by type of instructor and cost. Some lecturers are current or former professors; others are noted experts, often with interesting backgrounds. For example, a recent online OLLI at Duke class about the Super Bowl was taught by Jim Steeg, a former NFL executive who has managed that extravaganza.

Typically, students pay modest membership and class fees. Before the pandemic, Duke's in-person OLLI program generally charged a $45 annual membership fee plus $40 or $70 for classes lasting four to six weeks. Its online offerings began with free classes but have been charging $70 as course organizers and students become more comfortable with Zoom.

Course subjects vary dramatically, too, and some classes are specifically tied to the pandemic.

The OLLI program at the University of California, Berkeley has organized its online classes ranging from Mohandis Gandhi to the search for extraterrestrial life. At the University of Cincinnati, OLLI topics include fashion, women writers and the Vietnam War. The University of Michigan has a Covid-19-inspired class on vaccines and Colorado State University is teaching how the coronavirus crisis may affect the November elections.

How Online Learning Got Easier

Most of the new online classes are on Zoom, which many adult students have grown familiar with during the pandemic.

"Online learning is much easier than it was just a few years ago," said McLeod. "I love how our members have been willing to try things they would have never imagined. I remember one session where one of our members was unmuted and we heard her telling her husband, 'We did it!'"

At OLLI online classes, students can sometimes ask lecturers questions through Zoom's chat function.

Longtime OLLI member Richard Ellman, who lives in a Durham retirement community, is among those who have adapted to the new way of learning.

"The more I use the technology, the easier it becomes," he says. "I miss being with other people in the class and being able to share. There's less give and take than in a regular classroom. But given the alternatives that we have now, I like it."

Missing the Human Contact

Another member, Margaret Brill, also misses the human contact of in-person classes. But she has embraced the online version and taught two courses herself. "I don't have to drive or park, and there are recordings of the classes for several days in case I miss one," she said.

Steve Thaxton, who directs a center at Northwestern University NWE that connects OLLI programs nationwide, says all but a few of them are now offering online classes, compared to just 25% a few months ago. "This has kicked something that was a low- to mid-range priority absolutely to the top," Thaxton said.

The new version of OLLI classes are among many popular, and growing, online options for older learners. Others include TED Talks, MasterClass, The Great Courses, Coursera, EdX and Skillshare.

What's New at One Day U

There's also a new online education and entertainment program from One Day University. Before the pandemic, its main business model was attracting adults generally 50 and older to live events across the country (typical cost: $119 or $179) featuring noted professors from leading universities. "Our market is people who think hearing a presentation from superstar presenters is fun, just like going to a Broadway show or a museum," said Steve Schragis, the company's director.

The coronavirus outbreak forced One Day U to cancel its scheduled programs and move quickly online.

It now has a new subscription service ($7.95 a month) with five live streaming lectures a week and recorded talks and the ability to send professors questions through Zoom's chat feature. And starting June 1, there will be also be a $19.95 premium service for One Day U members ($39.95 for others) with Zoom classes limited to 25 students, to facilitate Q and A with professors.

"The good news is there's not a line to get into the bathroom now," Schragis jokes.

One Day U and many OLLI programs expect to continue offering classes online even after their regular programs resume.

Their executives see online learning as a way to reach more people and help their older students remain connected even if they can't attend in person.

Says McLeod: "Even if they have a hip replacement or are no longer able to drive, they could still log on and have a class with their beloved OLLI instructor."

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Next Avenue is public media's first and only national journalism service for America's booming older population. Our daily content delivers vital ideas, context and

Next Avenue is public media's first and only national journalism service for America's booming older population. Our daily content delivers vital ideas, context and perspectives on issues that matter most as we age.

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Best Air Purifier: The Best Purifiers For Cleaner Air at Home - Coach

Posted: 20 May 2020 12:00 AM PDT

Clean air in the home should be one of your top priorities, considering that you and your family are breathing in that air every single day and night. Whether it's too much dust, pollen, cigarette smoke or something else hanging around your living space, an air purifier is a sound investment that could make your day-to-day life much more pleasant and even a little bit healthier.

While any significant health benefits of air purifiers are far from definitively proven, there are some who claim they can reduce the ill-effects of things like pollution should you happen to live in a big city, or asthma and allergy triggers in the air. If you are or live with a smoker, they can also help clear the air of lingering smoke and odours. Some also have ionisers included that release negative ions as they clean the air, eliminating other unpleasant smells.

Prices on air purifiers vary so much that it's essential to do your due diligence before buying so you can make sure you're getting your money's worth. Go too far towards the budget end of the scale and you risk missing out on features important to your situation, or pay too much when you want something basic. We've created this guide to help you choose.

How to Choose The Best Air Purifier

How do air purifiers actually work?

You may be wondering why air purifiers are needed when you could just open a window, and it's a fair question to ask before you part with your hard-earned cash. Purifiers have special filters inside (usually a combination of reusable and disposable together), the larger of which collects large particles from the air while the smaller catches a lot of tinier airborne particles with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. This means the machine is collecting particles as small as 0.3 microns, making sure not to leave any nasties behind.

How much should I be spending?

The selections on our list below can set you back anywhere between £100 and close to £1,000, so it's important to choose correctly. Basic machines such as the Bionaire BAP1700 are only good for smaller spaces, for example, while mid-range purifiers like the Vax Pure Air 300 have extra features like sleep timers and remote control. Rest assured that there's something to suit every budget.

The Best Air Purifiers to Buy

1. Best Budget Air Purifier: Bionaire BAP1700

A powerful little purifier for less, at just under £150 the Bionaire BAP1700 can be considered budget but won't mean huge compromises. Though features like a timer are absent here (though it will shut off after 8-hours), the purifier does have the ability to adjust its airflow to the ambient air quality of the space, meaning you can be sure it's operating in a way suited to the room it's placed in, and there's an optional ioniser function to enhance filtration even further. The only thing that lets it down is the noise levels it gives off but, if you can live with a little white noise, it's recommended for those working with a slightly smaller budget.

2. Best Air Purifier For Allergies: HoMedics Totalclean AP25

If you find that your allergies are too much to take during the summer months, then consider the HoMedics Totalclean AP25, which promises to clear your home of 99% of everything from cat and dog allergens to dust mites and pollen, allowing your home to be a relaxing place all year round. At under £100 you don't get some of the luxe features of more expensive machines, but it does have a night mode and optional ioniser mode as well as three speed settings and an indicator letting you know when it's time to replace the filters.

3. Best Purifying Desk Fan: Dyson Pure Cool Me

A fan and purifier in one, the Dyson Pure Cool Me is perfect if you have limited space and want a machine that serves more than one purpose. The fan claims to use technology inspired by the Harrier Jump Jet, sucking air in and purifying it before blowing it back out of holes in its dome. There are ten different speed settings and you can adjust the top to direct airflow exactly where you want it to go. If you've ever worried about your old fan just recycling old air from your bedroom or office, then this could be for you.

Buy from Dyson | £299

4. Best Humidifying Purifier: Philips AC3829/60

Slightly pricier than others on this list, the Philips AC3829/60 justifies the expense with energy-efficient and quiet (on lower settings and night mode) operation, control via a smartphone app with modes for 'general', 'allergen' or 'sleep', a timer and real-time pollution data for air both inside and outside the home. It also doubles as a humidifier, preventing irritation from dry air as well as allergens and pollution. The only potential drawback is its size, which could prevent those living in a smaller space from finding room for it.

Buy from John Lewis | £550

5. Best Fan-Purifier Hybrid: Dyson Pure Hot+Cool

The second Dyson product on the list, the Pure Hot+Cool is a fan/purifier hybrid that offers even more bang for your buck. As well as filtering the air for things like dust, pollen and other impurities, it can operate as a cooling fan in the warmer months and a heater as soon as the winter temperatures set in. You don't even have to set this yourself, as you can program the fan to keep a space at a certain temperature no matter what the outside conditions are. For purifying it has both HEPA and carbon filters and the built-in monitor lets you know the air quality levels, to which it then adjusts accordingly.

Buy from Dyson | £549

6. Best Mid-Range Air Purifier: Vax Pure Air 300

A lovely mid-range purifier that combines features with a smaller price tag, the Vax Pure Air 300 monitors the air in order to work with the environment automatically without you having to program it. So, when the impurities in your home go up, the machine works harder to compensate. There's also an ioniser, timer, sleep mode (which makes operating quieter and dims the built-in lights) and remote control, and it will remind you when it's time to change the filters.

7. Best High-End Air Purifier: Boneco H680 Hybrid Air Purifier

By far the most expensive machine on this list, the Boneco H680 Hybrid Air Purifier is a must-have if you have the spare cash. A humidifier as well as a purifier, it boasts both HEPA and active carbon filters and can work in areas up to 150sq metres (the biggest surface area from a machine on this list), letting you know as soon as either the water tank or filters need changing. There's a sleep mode that ensures the noise levels are kept down overnight, and a handy remote allows you control it from a distance.

Buy from Viking Direct | £979

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