Human movement and aging: Students develop impactful practical solutions

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5 November 2024

In the course Vitaliteit en Kwetsbaarheid (Vitality and Frailty), bachelor's students in Human Movement Sciences tackle real-world issues related to elderly care and health. Lecturer Dax Houtkamp explains how students gain valuable experience and insights through collaborations with community partners.

As part of the Vitality and Frailty course in the minor Health, Human Movement Sciences students focus on current issues related to aging. Examples include developing physical activity interventions for elderly living in an apartment complex in Osdorp, evaluating balance training for seniors, or creating a frailty index, specifically tailored to seniors with a Moroccan background.

During the first session, various stakeholders were present (GGD Amsterdam, Team Sportservice, LION in collaboration with the municipality, and the Combiwel neighborhood network) and students signed up for subgroups addressing different topics.

By working on real-life issues and engaging directly with stakeholders, students acquire skills they might not typically develop in a classroom setting. This includes collaborating with participants-such as older adults with a migration background-and engaging with stakeholders. Phone anxiety among students is very real, but this approach helps them overcome it! Students also learn to handle practical challenges, like dealing with a limited number of research participants, reaching those who are not already attending exercise classes (often those who remain behind closed doors), and managing budgetary constraints.

What did students think about the course? Here are some of their reflections on how their perception of a Human Movement Sciences professional has evolved:

• "I noticed that working with partners demands a lot more from you. It shows that you can actually apply what you've learned in your studies."
• "I feel a lot more confident in performing the tasks needed for our project compared to the start of this course. Dealing with real partners has made me feel more competent in handling professional responsibilities."
• "I learned a lot about the responsibilities I need to take on through collaboration with external partners. I faced many challenges but learned how to best manage them."
• "When someone asks what you can do with a degree in Human Movement Sciences, I still find it hard to explain, but this experience gave me a clearer idea of the potential paths I could pursue."
• "I think it really helped me to see that you can help everyone with movement, not just elite athletes or people in rehab. Even for older adults, physical activity has a huge impact. Of course, you learn this in theory, but participating in a activity group really showed me that it's enjoyable and truly beneficial."

After eight weeks of hard work, the students returned on 23 October to present their final recommendations to the stakeholders. The icing on the cake: the social housing association De Alliantie was also present and allocated €10,000 to help bring the students' ideas to life!

This course was made possible by the SoTL grant from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and was developed in collaboration with the Community Service Learning team. The upcoming year, collected data will be analyzed to assess the learning outcomes of this course.