What comes to your mind when someone asks about old and young generations? Probably you will think of stereotypes of each generation or how generations are different from each other. And possibly those stereotypes will be more negative than positive ones. How can we try to reduce those negative stereotypes of each generation and how can we decrease the generation gap? Most people know about what generation gap is and how it is growing nowadays, turning misunderstandings a daily challenge between younger and older generations. However, we should work to fix this and bring those generations together. It is beneficial not only to the society but also to the economy.
It is not an easy task to make younger people understand older people’s thinking, culture and habits and vice versa. So, let’s try to focus on what intergenerational learning can do for solving segregation of generation. Intergenerational learning is not only a learning technique or learning process but something more than that. It brings different generations together into one learning process, younger and older generations, letting them share, communicate and discuss different ideas, perspectives, and opinions. The main difference with other traditional teaching and learning technique comes as in intergenerational learning, both mentees and mentors will learn something new from each other.
Intergenerational education can be done through many ways, but mainly as: older people teaching or mentoring younger learners, young people helping older people in physical matters or both young and old generation together in a learning process. However, despite all the different types, it does not matter who teaches whom, in here both participants learn something from each other and this is why we can say intergenerational learning is a mutually beneficial learning process.
Younger generation and older generation learning, sharing and teaching each other makes them get even closer than before. Several researches have proven that intergenerational learning brings many positive outcomes to generation gap problems. It can be an effective tool for reducing negative stereotypes of each generation and promoting cooperation between them. Intergenerational learning is not just an educational tool but also tool for achieving a healthy and sustainable social environment.