Presentation I developed for the Western Organization and Management Teaching Conference in April 2011 hosted at the University of Redlands

1. Understanding and Engaging Millennials
Dr. Marcus Castro

2. Purpose
• Conduct a literature and survey review of Millennials to
ascertain what literature and data reveals about students
• Understand how Millennials view the world, use
technology; what is important to them, and identify their
learning preferences
• Review broad spectrum from business, academia, public
and private sector studies, various learning and
communication theories, relevant surveys
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3. Limitations
• International students
• Online/Hybrid courses
• Influence of generational mixture in classroom
• Racial/ethnic & gender characteristics
• Descriptive characteristics are derived from literature
and data, but in some cases represent generalizations
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4. Analytical Framework
A. General
Characteristics
B. Learning
G. Student
Theory and
Learning
Teaching
Preferences
Methods
Recommendations for
Engagement, Further
Study
Balanced
View of
Millennials
F. Technology,
Information C. Business
Literacy
E. Giving
D. Ethics
Patterns
4

5. Generational Characteristics
Generations: Strauss & Howe Pew
Greatest Generation: 1901-1924 190?-1928
Silent Generation: 1925-1942 1928-1945
Baby Boomers: 1943-1960 1946-1964
Generation X: 1961-1981 1965-1980
Millennials: 1982-200? 1980-199?
Source: Pew Research Center,
Strauss and Howe
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6. A. Pew Research Center Report: Millennials,
A Portrait of Generation Next (February 2010)
• They are more ethically/racially diverse
• Less religious: 1 in 4 unaffiliated with any religion and
identify as atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular
• Less likely to serve in the military-2% males are vets
• On track to become the most educated generation in
U.S. history
• History’s first “always connected” generation
• 8 in 10 sleep with their cell phone at night
• 37% are unemployed-largest in 30 years
• Only 6 in 10 raised by both parents-smaller than other
generations
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7. A. Pew Research Center Report: Millennials,
A Portrait of Generation Next (February 2010)
• Respect their elders-say older generation is superior when it
comes to moral values and work ethic
• Less skeptical of government; think government should do
more to solve problems
• More than 2 to 1 voted for Obama, but half now say he has
failed to change Washington
• Think their generation is unique and distinctive because of
their use of technology
• Distinguish themselves as a generation that gets along well
with others, especially their elders
• Sent or received 20 texts over the last hour (12 for gen x, 5 for
Boomers)
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8. General Characteristics
• Will be about 80 million strong at their peak (Youth Bulge)
• They are not overly concerned about the environment
• Aspire to work for Google, Microsoft, Apple, Disney, Nike, Sony
• 45 percent have an annual income of $25,000 or less
• 50 percent are single, 30 percent are married; 25 percent identified
as unmarried partners
• 375 stated they “just needed a change” as the chief reason they
sought out their last job
• Generally, Millennials don’t know American or world history like
Boomers, with exception of civil rights
• Comfortable clustering in Urban areas, Mixed-Use developments
• More likely to use profanity, wear suggestive clothing, have tattoos
• Come from households with incomes much higher in comparison to
the average American a generation ago
Source: mryouth intrepid, 2010; Metlife Mature Market Institute 2009; College Board and Art and Science Group, 2008
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9. A. Feelings Toward Adults
• When asked about problems facing their generation,
many Millennials respond that their biggest one is the
“poor example that adults set for them”
• Respect their parents’ values and feel close to their
parents
• Respect their elders and feel prior generations worked
harder, were more ethical
• Perpetual access to parents may manifest in
dependency, lack of feeling like an “adult” or grown up
Source: Understanding the New Students, 2003
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10. A. Hispanic Millennials
• Fastest growing segment of population in many parts of
U.S.
• Feel like their caught between two worlds
• In many cases, first in their family to go to college
• More likely to drop out of school and become parents
• In 1970, only one-third of young Hispanic females were
enrolled in college; by 2007, this figure had risen to over
half (54%)
• Financial pressures to support family were the leading
barrier to education completion
Source: Pew Social Trends, 3/16/2011
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11. B. The Learning Pyramid
Lecture
Reading – 10%
Audiovisual – 20%
Demonstration – 30%
Discussion – 50%
Practice Doing – 75%
Teach Others – 90%
Source: National Training Laboratories, Bethel, Maine
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12. B. Active Learning
Reading
Hearing
words
Looking at
pictures
Watch a movie Passive
Look at exhibit
See it done on location
Participate in discussion
Give a talk Active
Do a dramatic presentation
Simulate the real experience
Do the real thing
Source: Audio-visual Methods of Teaching, Holt, Rinehart, Winston
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13. B. Transformative Learning Theory
• Adult education based theory that suggests ways in which adults
make meaning of their lives
• Looks at “deep learning” not just content or process learning
• Examines what it takes for adults to move from a limited knowledge
of knowing what they know without questioning
• Examines what mechanisms are required for adults to identify,
assess and evaluate alternative sources of information
• Reframes adult world-view through the incorporation of new
knowledge or information into their world-view or belief system
Source: Transformative learning institute,
http://transformativelearningtheory.com/index.html, accessed 4/13/2011
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14. B. Deep Learning
• “Deep learning refers to broadly applicable thinking, reasoning,
judgment skills – abilities that allow students to apply information,
develop a coherent world view, & interact in more meaningful ways.
• Deep learning — learning associated with higher-order cognitive
tasks — is typically contrasted with rote memorization.
• Memorization may help students pass an exam, but it doesn’t:
– expand students’ understanding of the world around them
– help them make connections across disciplines, or
– promote the application of knowledge and skills in new
situations”
Source: Community College Survey on Student Engagement 2010
14

15. B. Instructor vs. Learner Centered
Models
Instructor-Centered Learner-Centered
• Knowledge transmitted • Knowledge construction
• Passive • Active
• Context independent • Context dependent
• Assessment separated • Assessment integrated
• Competitive • Cooperative
Source: Huba and Freed, 2000; Dooley and Wickersham, 2008
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16. B. Attributes of Learner-Centered
Instruction
Students:
• Are actively involved in their learning
• Apply knowledge and experiences to emerging issues
• Integrate discipline-based knowledge
• Understand and can generate “excellent” work and
become sophisticated “knowers”
• Are respected and valued
Source: Dooley, Wickersham, Texas A&M University, 2008
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17. B. Model of Student Engagement
Student Active
Motivation
Engagement Learning
Source: Student Engagement Techniques, Barkley, 2010
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18. B. College Faculty Use of Student-
Centered Teaching Methods
• Assistant professors are more likely than associate and
full professors to employ student-centered teaching
methods and less likely to use extensive lecturing
• Assistant professors are 16.7 percentage points more
likely than full professors to report using cooperative
learning
• Full professors are 8.5 percentage points more likely
than assistant professors to report using extensive
lecturing
Source: Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, http://heri.ucla.edu
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19. C. Millennial Views on Business,
Marketing and Communication
1. The Organization
• Collaboratively led enterprise
• Stimulating work environment
• Idea powered culture
2. The Product
• Technology breeds humanity
• Quality is core
• Eco-friendly is nice
3. The Marketing
• Celebrities: overpriced mannequins
• Interaction creates connection
• Peer-to-peer drives influence
Source: www.millennialinc.com, accessed 3/31/2011
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20. D. Millennials and Ethics
• Pressure to commit misconduct is an age-independent
trend-one that is experienced by all workers
• Retaliation also appears to be an age-independent trend
• Younger employees are more likely to observe
misconduct than older employees
• Younger employees are generally less likely to have a
positive impression of their company’s ethical culture;
thus, they have less positive experiences
• They value confidentiality and privacy less than other
groups
Source: Ethics Resource Center, Millennials, Gen X and baby Boomers: Who’s working
at your company and what do they think about ethics. 2009
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21. D. Millennials and Ethics
• Like Gen X, they believe doing a good job is about the work you
do – not how many hours you put in
• Connect easily with a greater diversity of religions, races, and
sexual orientations
• More likely to find it acceptable to blog or tweet negatively about
their company
• More likely to find it acceptable to keep copies of confidential
documents
• More likely than Boomers to find it acceptable to call in sick when
they are not
• Least likely to find it acceptable to ostracize someone for
reporting an off color joke (whistleblowing)
Source: Ethics Resource Center, Millennials, Gen X and baby Boomers: Who’s working
at your company and what do they think about ethics, 2009
21

22. E. Millennials as Donors
• 91% of Millennial donors are at least somewhat likely to
respond to a face-to-face request for money
• 71.0% don’t need to volunteer for an organization before they
donate
• 60.5% say they would like access to board and executive
leadership
• E-mail is Millennial donors’ most preferred communication
method with Facebook and print lagging significantly behind
• When researching about a non-profit, Google is the donor’s
first point (86.4%), followed by Facebook (51.2%)
Source: Millennial Donors: A study of millennial giving and engagement habits;
www.millennialdonors.com, accessed 3/31/11
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23. F. Student Information Literacy
• 69% reported owning an internet-capable phone (above national
average)
• Owners of iPhones & Androids much more likely to self-report:
– a higher technology adoption level than owners of other phones
– using educational and academically related applications on their
phones
• Google is the preferred search engine
• Expect to find answers quickly and easily, w/o sorting through
numerous pages of query results (they peruse 2 results on average)
• Fewer than 10% of students who searched for information on their
phones reported visiting a website’s “About us” page
Source: Student information literacy in the mobile environment, Kristin Yarney, 2010
http://www.educause.edu accessed 4/8/2011
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24. F. Student Information Literacy
• For apps and mobile web access, students seemed to be
conducting their evaluations “on the fly” at the time the info is
accessed
• Students tended to “powerbrowse” through titles, content
pages and abstracts looking for quick results
• When asked if they were able to focus their attention while
reading on their phones, 92% of respondents said “yes”
• 81% said their phone distracted them either “sometimes” or
“frequently” during homework sessions outside of class
Source: Student information literacy in the mobile environment, Kristin Yarney, 2100
http://www.educause.edu accessed 4/8/2011
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25. F. Millennials and Media Devices
• 75% have created a profile on a social network
• 29% visit it several times a day
• 20% have posted a video of themselves online
• 80% have sent a text message in the last 24 hours
• 41% own a cell phone/no landline
• 83% sleep with their cell phones by their beds
Q. What did you do in the past 24 hours?
 Watched a video online = 32%
 Posted a message to an online profile = 32%
 Played video games = 28%
Source: Pew Research Center, Millennials 2010
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26. F. Texting Disorder
• The American Journal of Psychiatry labeled excessive texting
as a subtype of Internet addiction, “compulsive-impulsive
spectrum disorder” with four characteristics:
1. Excessive use: losing sense of time or acting in a
neglectful manner
2. Withdrawal: becoming angry and/or depressed when
deprived of access
3. Tolerance: craving more usage
4. Negative Repercussions: lying, becoming socially isolated
and/or fatigued
Source: www.masspsy.com
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27. F. Social Networking
• 85% of students who visit social networking sites use
them to see what their friends are up to
• 70% participate in their message boards to communicate
with friends
• 18-24 year old students are using them 6.5 hours per
week on average
• Average 111 friends across their profiles
• 61% say they are interacting with people they’ve never
met in person
Source: Harris Poll, Dr. Jeanna Mastrodicasa, UF Assistant Vice President for
Student Affairs
27

28. G. Student Characteristics – Ten Attributes
of an Information-age Mindset
• Computers aren’t • Multitasking is a way of
technology life
• Internet is better than • Typing is preferred to
T.V. handwriting
• Reality is blurred • Staying connected is
• Doing is more important essential
than knowing • Zero tolerance for delays
• Learning more closely • Consumer and creator
resembles Nintendo than are blurring
logic
Source: Understanding the new students. Diana Oblinger, EDUCAUSE Review
July/August 2003
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29. G. The American Freshman (2010)
• Self-rated health for incoming first year students is at its lowest point since
1985
• Current economic situation significantly affected their college choice
• Students were more likely to have “major” financial concerns about
financing their education and less likely to be going to a college more than
100 miles away
• More students self-identified as having ADHD and psychological disorders
than any other disability/condition
• A significantly higher percentage of incoming first-year students reporting
“hidden” disabilities, drank alcohol during their senior year of high school
• Expectation to seek personal counseling in college is at an all-time high
• Expectation to have at least a “B” average at all time high (grade inflation)
• Optimism abounds as 57.6% believe there is a “very good chance” that they
will be satisfied with college, the highest figure since 1982
Source: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA 2010
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30. G. Student Characteristics
• National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported
that three-quarters of all undergraduates are non-
traditional, defined as:
– Delayed enrollment
– Attend part-time
– Work (either full or part time)
– Are financially independent (as defined by financial aid)
– Have dependents
– Are single parents
– Lack a high school diploma
Source: National Center for Educational Statistics, 2010
30

31. G. Preferred Learning Methods of the
Millennial Generation
Q. What Study methods help you to better understand a
course topic? A. Reading Material Before Class 56.9%
Q. What types of electronic resources do you use for your
assignments? A. Google 98%
Q. When you begin an information search, what is your
starting point? A. Google 69.5%; Library database 19.5%
Q. What learning course materials do you prefer?
A. Mixture of lecture, group work, discussion, problem
solving 91.3%; solve problems 92.3%; videos 86.8%
Source: Arlene Nicholas, Salve Regina University
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32. G. Student Perceptions of Professors who are
Familiar with Millennial Culture
• Techno-savvy: possess the ability to effectively utilize technology
• Currently relevant: use “real,” “relevant,” and “current” examples in
class
• Seriously humorous: Associated professor’s tone of voice as an
indicator or connection. Instructors perceived as “boring” or
“monotone” were seen as lacking connection
• Relaxed and relatable: Actively “listened,” “related,” and talked to
students about their lives
• Professors perceived as “down-to-earth,” “informal,” “relaxed,” and
“flexible” considered connected; those perceived as “uptight,” “strict,”
“intimidating,” or “condescending” considered disconnected
• Seem to strongly resist authoritarian power structures, rigid course
policies
Source: Christy Price, Dalton State College 2010
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33. G. The Millennials’ Ideal Professor
• Energetic, enthusiastic, upbeat with a positive attitude
• Open minded and flexible
• Alert as to whether students understand
• Nice, friendly, caring and helpful
• Approachable
• What seems to be missing form this list???
Source: Christy Price, Dalton State College 2010 33

34. G. The Millennials’ Ideal Learning
Environment
• Students know one another and work in groups
• Learning is relaxed, enjoyable and fun
• A multimedia format is utilized
• Relevant real-life examples
• The number one characteristic respondents desired in an
ideal learning environment is that it be interactive and
participatory
“This generation is more likely to seek wealth as opposed to
meaning and purpose in life; therefore, they typically view
their college education as a means to an end”
Source: Christy Price, Dalton State College, 2010
34

35. G. EDUCAUSE Study of Undergrads
• Oriented toward inductive discovery or making observations,
formulating hypothesis and figuring out the rules (Nintendo)
• A linear thought process is much less common than bricolage
or piecing information together from multiple sources
• More comfortable in image-rich and audible environments
than text
• Gravitate toward activities that promote and reinforce social
interaction
• Source: EDUCAUSE Center for applied research. The ECAR study of
undergraduate students and information technology, 2010
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36. G. EDUCAUSE Study of Undergrads
• Expect immediacy with which a response is expected or the
speed at which they are used to receiving information, the Net
Gen is fast
• Achievement oriented. They want parameters, rules, priorities
and procedures
• Technology is not necessarily better: face-to-face interactions
are ranked either first or second preference
• They expect constant connections and thrive on immediate
gratification
• It’s not technology per se, but that makes learning engaging, it
is the learning activity and social interaction
Source: EDUCAUSE Center for applied research. The ECAR study of
undergraduate students and information technology, 2010
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37. Recommendations for Engagement
• Demonstrate genuine interest and provide regular honest
feedback on assignments and class participation
• Learn their names and ensure they know each others’ names
• Provide resources and guidance on how they can manage the
information they generate and consume, because they may
read information out of context or partially interpret
• Provide exercises that allow them to understand and create
meaning based on their experiences and understanding of the
world (constructivism)
• Vary the type of technology used and learning modalities to
maintain interest and challenge
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38. Recommendations for Engagement
• Develop exercises that promote experiential hands-on
learning
– Small groups, in-class presentations, peer review, field
work, simulations, game shows
– Integrate music, art, games, video, and creative activities
– Design handouts and digital modules in a visually
appealing manner
• Make exercises and activities relevant to real-world scenarios
• Focus on learning outcomes and frequently offer recognition
and rewards, as they’re achievement oriented
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39. Recommendations for Engagement
• Provide students options toward the completion of
assignments, as they are used to exercising choice and
customer service
• As possible, rework classroom furniture to accommodate peer
to peer learning and interactive exercises
• Assess your level of commitment as it may require increased
curriculum and coursework design time
• Assess satellite classrooms A/V technology, geography, etc.,
as they may not promote learning, interactive engagement
• Utilize Data Driven/Evidence based assessment strategies
– Assess deep learning variables and outcomes
– Assess student classroom engagement
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40. Helpful Tips
• Let students know you will utilize SafeAssign to reduce
plagiarism, as the lines blur in the digital age and usage
of smart phones and quick Google searches
• Utilize warm up exercises; (Center for Creative
Leadership, Barkley’s Student Engagement Techniques)
• Develop proficiency in effective group facilitation
techniques
• Master and utilize the advanced functions within
Blackboard or whatever course management software
being utilized
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41. Best Practice
Utilize Reflective Teaching Techniques:
• Refers to an activity or process in which an experience is
recalled, considered and evaluated usually in relation to
a broader purpose
– Stage One: The Event itself
– Stage Two; Recollection of the event
– Stage Three: Review and response to the event
• Journal writing
• Collaborative diary keeping – share and discover
Source: The Teacher Trainer http://ttjournal.co.uk; Bartlett, 1990
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42. Helpful Tips
• Utilize peer evaluation assignments
• Allow students to establish agenda for a class
• Establish classroom norms, student agreements
• Develop clear, bullet-proof syllabus
• Utilize personal web pages, blogs or Facebook in
assignments
• Allow students to communicate via cell phone text
messaging
• Create “special events” in courses, assignments
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43. Best Practice
• Georgia Gwinnett College gave each instructor both full
time and adjunct a cell phone. The college encouraged
faculty members to respond to texts and phone
messages within 24 hours or one business day
• Instructors obtained free phone number phone number
from Google Voice that can ring to any phone
• The cell phone availability, along with mentoring and
smaller class sizes has been successful in increasing the
retention rate for returning sophomores to 75 percent,
almost double that of similar colleges in Georgia
Source: EPCC faculty development http://epcc
facultydevelopment.blogspot.com, accessed 3/31/11
43

44. Areas for Further Consideration/Study
• Student expectations: Possible disconnect between what
students expect from courses and what they receive
• Educational resources: publishers may not keep pace with
learning modalities; may require further utilization of
simulations, games, real-life scenarios to obtain deep learning
• Generational and racial/ethnic mix in classes: may pose
challenges to engagement, use of technology
• Literature - conflicting data on key Millennial characterizations
• Library interface, utilization of user-friendly “Apps”
44

45. Thank you!
marcus_castro@redlands.edu
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