Older people’s university students in Spain: a comparison of motives and benefits between two models

This study examines both the motives for and the benefits of attending a university programme for older people (UPOP) in Spain, and how they vary with the type of UPOP. Two UPOP models were assessed : The ‘Older People’s Classes ’ of the University of Barcelona, which is organised as a lecture course, and the ‘University of Experience’ at the University of Valencia, which is a three- or fouryear variant of regular university degrees. A sample of 321 older students (mean age 67.5 years) was gathered from the two UPOPs, 161 participants from the former and 157 from the latter. The findings suggest that expressive motives such as acquiring knowledge, expanding the mind or learning for the joy of learning were the most important reasons for joining a UPOP, and that among the perceived benefits from taking classes at university featured ‘ gaining more friends’, ‘enhanced self or life-satisfaction ’ and ‘ joy in life ’. Perceived benefits were particularly high among the less educated and the older students. While students participating in the Older People’s Classes were older and included relatively more women, differences between the two models in motives and benefits did not exist or were slight. These results are discussed in the context of new strategies to improve university courses aimed at older students.