Exercise #26
BRIDGE – Connecting Generational Experiences
Authors: dr Magdalena Kuczynska
90 minutes
Description
A collaborative reflective exercise in which students explore the concepts of ageism and stereotype, first by listing age-discriminatory examples within their group, then by constructing a symbolic 'Bridge' that connects two generations (seniors and youth) through positive statements, shared appeals, and ethical principles.
Methodological Guide
Objectives
Develop openness to intergenerational dialogue. Understand the concepts of 'ageism' and 'stereotype.' Identify content and behaviours marked by age-based discrimination. Grow sensitivity toward manifestations of ageism directed at both seniors and young people. Strengthen motivation to actively counteract ageism.
Expected Outcomes
Students will be able to name specific ageist stereotypes directed at both older and younger people. Students will reflect on practical and value-based knowledge that crosses between generations in their own families. Students will connect personal intergenerational experience to clinical trust-building with geriatric and paediatric patients.
Exercise Procedure
Introduction (5 min): Introduce the bridge metaphor — two banks (different generations), and the span (what makes crossing possible). Stage 1 — Slideshow (10 min): Students read three framing slides about the bridge metaphor. Stage 2 — Reflection Wall (15 min): Students post three anonymous reflections about their own family bridge. Debrief (10 min): Class reads the wall together; teacher facilitates discussion.
Mode of Implementation
In-person or online, individual then class-visible anonymous wall
Role of the Teacher
Introduce the bridge metaphor before Stage 1 begins. Monitor the reflection wall in Stage 2 and prompt further discussion. Moderate the final debrief, linking wall posts to clinical settings.
Theoretical Basis
The exercise is grounded in transformative learning theory (Mezirow): the Disorienting Dilemma (students articulate familiar ageist stereotypes and confront their impact); Critical Reflection (students examine the consequences of age-discriminatory language and behaviour); Dialogue and Action (groups co-construct a symbolic Bridge connecting seniors and youth).
Practical Application
Students move from theory (recalling and writing known ageist stereotypes) into practice by formulating specific phrases, statements, and behaviours that support positive interaction with representatives of various age groups, directly applicable to medical settings.
Knowledge Transfer
Through group exchange of opinions – including the emotions that arise from confronting each stereotype – students identify inappropriate behavioural patterns toward different age categories. The skills gained in overcoming negative age-related schemas are intended to be applied in medical settings, particularly in work with pediatric and geriatric patients.
Reinforcement & Reflection
The anonymous wall in Stage 2 extends the workshop experience by asking students to name one practice from their own family bridge that they would carry into clinical encounters — especially with geriatric patients.
Required Resources
Electronic devices with access to the MultiCultiMed platform. An internet connection.
Assessment / Evaluation
Formative: quality of anonymous wall contributions; class debrief discussion. Summative: self-assessment of the clinical bridge-practice named in Stage 2.
Practical Tips
Remind students that Stage 2 is fully anonymous — their classmates see the post but not the name. The clinical bridge-practice prompt (third field) is the most important: ask students to be specific rather than abstract.
Discussion Topics
What surprised you most about the practical knowledge your family passes down? Which shared values felt strongest when you wrote them? What bridge-practice will you take into your next geriatric ward rotation?
Further Resources
WHO. Ageing: Ageism – Questions and answers. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/ageing-ageism. Kang H., Kin H. Ageism and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2022 Apr 11 (8). doi: 10.1177/23337214221087023. Wray-Lake L., Rottenberg J., Kennedy H. Anti-Youth Ageism: What It Is and Why It Matters. Child Development Perspectives. 2025 Sept 19(3). doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12540.
Additional Remarks
Regame note: The §5 PRD spec called for collaborative_diagram (bridge template: banks = generations, spans = shared experiences) but that renderer is classroom-only (team-channel + field-lock hooks) with no verifiable solo-play path. For MVP this exercise ships as timer_stage_manager with slideshow + reflection_wall — it preserves the pedagogy (use the bridge metaphor to surface generational shared values) and wraps the generative step in an anonymous peer-visible wall. Deferred: collaborative_diagram bridge template pending solo-mode renderer support.