Abstract
Purpose: In Taiwan, 83 departments or institutes contribute to the development of gerontechnology in 48 universities. In addition, during 2010-2013, the National Science Council of Taiwan has funded 143 projects with grants worth 160.8 million NTD for 131 professors in 91 universities. Apparently, gerontechnology is of growing concern in the higher education in Taiwan. Therefore, it is important that the universities fulfil their roles as educational institutions for human resource development for the gerontechnological industry. However, the human resources needed for the gerontechnological industry is trans-disciplinary in nature. Defining the curriculum from the view point of a single department has proved to be difficult. Thus, a case study in Yuan Ze University (YZU) is presented in this paper to explore how human resource development for the gerontechnological industry can be linked to the trans-disciplinary course programs and related activities. Method: In YZU, instead of establishing a new department or institute of gerontechnology, a transdisciplinary course program was created to cover a wide range of courses offered by ten professors in different colleges including engineering, management, humanities, social sciences, and general studies. The purpose is to help students develop an awareness of the problems and needs of an aging society, as well as exploring how their professional knowledge and skills can be applied in the future. The fundamental courses include the Introduction to Gerontechnology and Gerontology, as well as the industry seminar supported by industry mentors. By taking the advanced courses, students will gain professional knowledge and skills in elderly welfare, ergonomics, marketing, and service management. In addition to the cross discipline courses, other related experiential learning activities are arranged. For example, integrated with the Senior Education Program in the university, intergenerational learning is conducted by inviting older adults and students to join each other's courses. In addition, the 'eldpathy' program helps the students develop empathy toward older adults through simulations of their daily activities. Moreover, the nationwide 'Gerontechnology Product/Service Creative Design Contest' is held every year to encourage students from various backgrounds to present their new ideas related to gerontechnology. The judges of this contest are composed of people from the gerontechnology industry and adults that are older them- selves. Results & Discussion: Starting in 2011, more than 40 students from ten departments/institutes of five colleges have participated in the Gerontechnology program of YZU. Through transdisciplinary learning and collaboration, most students expressed interested in and satisfaction with the program. In addition, ten industry mentors have been invited to the industry seminar, and many of them provide opportunities of internship for students allowing the students to obtain a better understanding of the requirements of the industry. The students who have participated in the intergenerational learning or eldpathy program say they feel that designing for gerontechnology in becoming reality in ways that are beyond one's imagination. Furthermore, more than 60 teams from over 20 universities have participated in the first and second Design Contest, held in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Many students without design backgrounds were also able to perform well in the Design Contest, as long as they have obtained a clear picture of the needs and abilities of older adult's or caregiver's demands for technologies through gerontechnology training. In 2014, the third competition is going to be connected with the ISG Master Class to help the students develop a broader vision from an international perspective. Overall, by integrating the resources of the university, the transdisciplinary course program and related activities may contribute to human resource development in a more efficient manner for the gerontechnology industry in a more efficient manner. Furthermore, with the support from the industry mentors, students will become better prepared to help companies break into the gerontechnological industry.