House Hunters, Gerontology Style: A problem-based learning classroom activity for undergraduate students.

Abstract

Problem-based learning is an evidence-based, pedagogical approach that invites students to solve complex, real-life problems using knowledge learned in the classroom. Effective use of problem-based learning in undergraduate gerontology courses, specifically, is likely to deepen students' knowledge about course content related to aging and may also promote students' long-term interest in gerontology. House Hunters: Gerontology Style is a problem-based learning activity that can be used in small-group discussions to facilitate students' understanding of issues related to relocation and homebuying in older adulthood. In this activity - based on the popular television show - students act as real estate agents for a fictional older couple relocating closer to adult children. Assignment features can be tailored easily by the instructor to optimize specific learning objectives. In an evaluation of the activity, students who completed this activity reported that it was engaging, that it enabled them to apply material from the class, and that it facilitated their application of course material to a "real world" problem. Suggestions for modifications to future iterations of this assignment may include a more pointed focus on budgetary constraints on homebuying in older adulthood, approaching homebuying from a life course lens, and considering the role of disparities in the home buying process.