5. “The expectation for involvement
with faculty and other students
overrides a desire to use
technology.”
Education the Net Generation
Diana G. Oblinger and James L. Oblinger, Editors
13. Major Events – Millennials
• From the PBS Documentary –
Generation Next which aired in 2007
• http://www.pbs.org/newshour/generation‐
next/demographic/timeline_majorevents.html
Major Events
• The Technology Timeline
• http://www.pbs.org/newshour/generation‐
next/demographic/timeline_technology.html Tech
Timeline
14. 60 Minutes on the
Millennial Workforce
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4126233n
15. The Millennial is…
• Comfortable with • Goal Oriented
technology – never lived • Success driven
without computers • Aware of the lifestyle they
• Connected 24/7 desire
• Confident • Diverse – most diverse
• Optimistic generation EVER
• Hopeful • Service oriented
• Independent (often despite • Inclusive
helicopter parents) • Team Oriented
• Determined
16. Core Characteristics
SPECIAL STRESSED
Close to Parents eXPERIENtial
DIVERSE SERVICE oriented
CONFIDENT Team Oriented
18. STRESSED
High achievers
•
Sleep deprived
•
Grade‐driven
•
MUST meet goals and think the means
•
justifies the ends to succeed at meeting goals
(i.e. – cheating o.k.)
• Constantly in motion
• Live in a 24/7 world
20. EXPERIENTIAL
• Learn by doing
• Learn through
discovery
• Interactive
• Collaborative
• Engaged
• Multitasking
• Strong leadership
• Well defined goals
21. DIVERSE
Value racial diversity
•
Value ethnic diversity
•
Least Caucasian generation in history
•
Largest Asian and Latino population in U.S.
•
history
23. CONFIDENT
• Expect CONSTANT
affirmation
• Girls outpacing boys as
leaders
• Goal – setters: short
and long term
• Plan + Action = Success
24. Team Oriented
• Learn collaboratively
• Strong communicators
• Demand to stay connected
• Focus on “We” rather than “I”
25. What We Know About
Millennial Learners
• Visual communicators
• Integrate the virtual and the physical worlds
• Learn better through discovery than by being
“told”
• Shift attention quickly
• Pay attention only to what interests them
• Respond quickly and expect quick responses
in return
26. What We Know About Millennial
Learners
• Digitally Literate BUT have a poor
understanding of information quality – not
Information Literate
• Less text literate than other generations –
they do not read
• Very goal oriented
• Multitaskers
• CRAVE interactivity
27. What We Know About Millennial
Learners
• Must be “forced” to reflect
• Expect to participate in the learning process –
not passive learners
• First person learning is the expectation –
simulations, visualization, experiential
activities
• View graphics first, then might check out text
28. WEB 110 – Fall 2008
Student Pre‐Course Survey
Do you have a computer at home with Internet access?
7%
5 students
YES
66 students
NO
93%
29. WEB 110 – Fall 2008
Student Pre‐Course Survey
Which types of computers do you use?
69%
70
60
50 49
55%
students
40
30
20% 1%
39
20
students
14 1
10
students student
0
desktop laptop PCC computers none
30. WEB 110 – Fall 2008
Student Pre‐Course Survey
What type of Internet connectivity do you have?
60
86%
50
52%
40 High speed
34%
30
20
37
7% 7%
24
students
10
students
5 students 5 students
0
DSL Cable Modem Dial‐Up None
31. WEB 110 – Fall 2008
Student Pre‐Course Survey
How much time do you spend on the Internet each day?
13%
23% 1 or less hours/day
5 or more hours/day
65%
1‐5 hours/day
32. WEB 110 – Fall 2008
Student Pre‐Course Survey
Why do you use the Internet?
Other
Academics
Entertainment
25%
85%
65%
Personal Research
80%
65%
Find Info
76%
Communication
34. BEST PRACTICES
Teaching the Millennial Learner
• Provide structure for students
– Clear expectations, detailed instructions
– Allow students to help determine the structure of the
course (syllabus, goals, assignments)
• Be specific about acceptable behavior
– offering visual examples if possible
• Provide both leadership and guidance
• Use positive and frequent affirmation of
achievement (like video games)
– Actions/consequences
– Effort = reward
35. BEST PRACTICES
Teaching the Millennial Learner
• Allow students to connect with each other
and the content through collaborative and
peer‐to‐peer assignments
– Clear instructions on how to manage problems
• Challenge the students
• Hold students accountable
– Flexible assignment schedule with “choices”
• Provide active, engaged, fun, and
student‐centered learning activities
36. BEST PRACTICES
Teaching the Millennial Learner
• Teach “delayed gratification” by building
reflection into the curriculum
• Encourage learning for “learning’s sake” not
just a grade
• Provide service learning opportunities
• Build a sense of community within the course
and/or major
37. BEST PRACTICES
Teaching the Millennial Learner
• Incorporate time management skills into the
curriculum
– Paced schedule for assignments
– Short modules of study
• Proven pedagogical success strategies
Provide study guides
–
Provide extra credit opportunities
–
Provide model examples of assignments and projects
–
CLEARLY and EXPLICITILY explain rules of behavior and
–
link the consequences to grades
40. Action Plan
• How can I teach it using…
– A more structured approach
content modules, more frequent feedback
– More visual content
use games, slide shows, role‐playing
– Incorporating collaboration among students
small groups
– Personalization
peer coaching, case studies, choices
– Digital communication tools
wikis, blogs, Google Docs
41. Action Plan
• How do I know students are learning?
– Use journaling – blogs, wikis
– Create small groups with role assignments
– Hold synchronous chats
• What assessment strategies will I use?
Objective
–
Subjective
–
Project based
–
Group activities
–
A combination
–
42. Action Plan
• How do I add more structure to the course?
– Create a “paced schedule” for the Unit of Study
– Email reminders for assignments even if you’ve
told the students the due date and posted it
online
– ALWAYS have an online supplement for your
courses – the online presence gives students 24/7
access to content and other students
– Give students very detailed step‐by‐step
instructions with visual content whenever possible
44. Action Plan
• How do I add more personalization to the course?
– Assign students with similar interests to small groups for some
projects/assignments
example: nursing majors complete a writing/reflection project in a Business 110 course on the
“Business of Nursing”
– ASK students what they want to learn in the course and why – survey
them – share the findings
use a survey tool like Zoomerang to ask the students questions the very first week of class,
share the results week 2 and let the students know what you incorporated in the course from
the survey
– Allow students more input in how the content and assessments will be
delivered – give them choices
give students a choice of an objective test, a take‐home test, an online test; let them choose to
take 3 of 4 assessments in the course, give them choices within the test
– Be sure students know some of your human story and encourage them to
share theirs
take advantage of the technology and have students set up profiles, share yours, setup a
Facebook account, a blog, a wiki and invite students to join you there; I recommend edublogs
and pbwiki www.edublogs.org http://pbwiki.com/academic.wiki
45. Action Plan
• A list of collaboration options…
– Assign students to small groups; assign roles to
each member of the group
Facilitator – initiates and keep sthe communication going; Recorder – makes sure the
information being shared is condensed and presented appropriately; Contributor –
participates in the conversation, project, etc.; – change groups and roles throughout the
semester for other assignments
– Assign students projects which might be turned in
individually or as a group, but allow them to work
together on the projects. Require that students
“journal” or report on the project status directly
to the instructor
47. What We Know For Sure
• Tools – both high tech and low tech ‐ are
available to instructors to help us create
– Visual learning
– Collaborative learning
– 24/7 access to learning
– Student/Student, Student/Instructor,
Student/Content interaction