generations and their learning

Neo-millenials:Who are these people & what are they doing

in my classroom?

Jim MarteneyLos Angeles Valley College

Jim MarteneyLos Angeles Valley College

Thanks to:Jeff Van Syckle, Broome Community College

For starting this project

neo-millenialsecho boomersdigital nativesdigital natives

Generation YThe Net

Generation

Generations

http://www.eiu.edu/~arc/ - Eastern Illinois U.

Birth Cohorts20-22 years

GI’s (WWII)1901-1924

Silent Generation1925-1942

Baby Boomer1943-1960

Generation X1961-1981

Millennials1982- 2002

First, an Explanation

We’ve been trained since youth to replace paying attention with taking notes. That’s a shame. Your actions should demand attention.

(Hint: bullets demand note taking. The minute you put bullets on the screen you are announcing, “Write this down, but don’t really pay attention to it now.”)

People don’t take notes when they go to the opera.

---Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog

Each Generation . . .

• Consists of approximately a 20-year span (not all demographers and generation researchers agree on the exact start/stop dates)

• Has a unique set of values• Reacts to the generation before them• Looks at their generation as the

standard of comparison• Looks at the next generation skeptically:

these kids today . . . .

http://www.cpcc.edu/planning/studies_reports/ActiveFiles/millennial%20comm%20college.ppt

“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; the show disrespect for adults, and love to talk rather than work or exercise. They no longer rise when adults enter the room. The contradict their parents, chatter in front of company gobble down food at the table and intimidate their teachers.”


“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; the show disrespect for adults, and love to talk rather than work or exercise. They no longer rise when adults enter the room. The contradict their parents, chatter in front of company gobble down food at the table and intimidate their teachers.”

---Socrates (469-399 B.C.)


What generation?

• This group was born at a time when it was considered natural & appropriate for families to have large numbers of children

• This generation wed early; started divorce epidemic

• This generation are about 95% retired at this point

• This group was born during an era of depression and war


Silent Generation

What generation?

• More likely to live in two-income household.

• Have children at home• Have a basic feeling of security• More likely than others to focus on

education• Have the higher level of education• 88.8% of this generation completed

high school


Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers

Don’t Trust anyone over 30

Baby Boomers

Boomers Live to Work

Baby Boomers


The Dick and Jane Reading Series not only taught us to read, but taught us about socializing.

Growing Up With Dick and Jane: Learning and Living the American DreamBy Carole Kismaric and Marvin Heiferman 1996

Baby Boomers


Work was the 18th word introduced

The Dick and Jane Reading Series not only taught us to read, but taught us about socializing.

Growing Up With Dick and Jane: Learning and Living the American DreamBy Carole Kismaric and Marvin Heiferman 1996

What generation?

• This group grew up during the post Watergate era and the energy crisis.

• They were in many cases children of divorce and nontraditional family units

• Many were latchkey kids who were raised on electronic media (television, Atari 2600s)


Generation X

Rina Vizer

A Politics for Generation X

Gen Xer’s

Gen X is not a fad. It is not an aberration, it is not about a generation gone astray. GenX is about the effects of a changing society on a generation. Those effects are irreconcilable and will affect subsequent generations.

Gen Xer’s

If this generation seems ‘unmotivated,’ or ‘without’ a work ethic, we must remember that their lack of of future expectation is the only sensible stance to take in a world that has proven unreliable, unpredictable, and uncertain and which is now changing at an unprecedented pace.

Great Expectations by M. Hornblower in Time Magazine, June 9, 1997

What generation?

• Sheltered• They have experienced a positive

economy while moving through their school years

• This generation grew up on kid safety rules, lockdown of public schools, sweeping national youth safety movement

• Technological sophistication


Millennials

The Millennials

“The Millennial Generation will entirely recast the image of youth, from downbeat and alienated to upbeat and engaged – with potentially seismic consequences for America.”

---Howe and Strauss, Millennials Rising, 2000

The Millennials

Have Much In Common With Grandparents

• Both generations larger than preceding one.

• Both generations see themselves as powerful and able to change the world.

• Both generations have an optimistic outlook.

• Both believe in the power of science to conquer the unknown.

Comparing Generations

Millennials

The Trophy Generation

Millennials?

Millennials Work to Live

“Find a job you enjoy and you will never work a day in your life.”

• No feeling of “Company Loyalty”• If things not working out, quit, there is

another job out there.

Who are the Millennials?

• Born in or after 1982• Presently 80 million (largest generation)• The oldest entered college Fall of 2000• Life expectancy of 75 years• 3 most popular names

Males FemalesMichael JenniferJason JessicaChristopher Ashley


Notable events . . .

• 9-11• Columbine• Oklahoma City Bombing• Princess Di’s death• Clinton Impeachment Trial• O.J. Simpson Trial• Rodney King riots• Lewinsky scandal

The Millennial Generation:The Next Generation in College Enrollment

• Research by Dr. Terri Manning, Bobbie Everett & Cheryl Roberts of Central Piedmont Community College

Two Responses to This Research1. The Millennials are spoiled rotten

brats whose parents have given them everything.

2. This generation is extremely talented and will bring technology and teamwork skills to the workforce.

Manning, Everett, & Roberts. Central Piedmont Community College.

Millennials

• This generation is civic-minded, much like the GI Generation.

• They are collectively optimistic, long-term planners, high achievers with lower rates of violent crime, teen pregnancy, smoking and alcohol use than ever before.

• This generation believes that they have the potential to be great.

• We are looking to them to provide us with a new definition of citizenship.


Millennials – Demographic Trends

• The Baby Boomers chose to become older parents in the 1980s while Gen X moms reverted back to the earlier birth-age norm, which meant that two generations were having babies.

• In 1989, 29 percent of the 4.4 million live births were to women aged 30 and older.

• Millennials have older largely Baby Boomer parents: Average age of mothers

at birth at an all time high of 27 in 1997.


• Smaller families: Only children will comprise about 10% of the population.

• More parental education: 1 in 4 has at least one parent with a college degree.

• Kids born in the late 90’s are the first in American history whose mothers are better educated than their fathers by a small margin.


Millennials – Demographic Trends

• Millennials have become the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in US History.

• Nearly 35% of Millennials are nonwhite or Latino.

• 21% of this generation has at least one parent who is an immigrant.


Millennials – Changing Diversity

• Boomers rebelled against the parenting practices of their parents.

• They made conscious decisions not to say because I told you so or because I’m the parent and you’re the child.

• Strict discipline was the order of the day for boomers.

• Boomers became friends with their children.


Baby Boomers as Parents

• They explained things to their children, (actions, consequences, options, etc.) – they wanted them to learn to make informed decisions.

• They allowed their children to have input into family decisions, educational options and discipline issues.

• The popularity of computer software/games that changed the ending based on the decisions children made (Role Playing Games).


Baby Boomers as Parents


The Result . . .

Millennials

The Trophy Generation

• Millennials have become a master set of negotiators who are capable of rational thought and decision-making skills at young ages.

• They will negotiate with anyone including their teachers; some call this arguing.

• More and more students challenge me and the material. They either see it as opinion, and nothing else, or they see it as … propaganda. (Central Piedmont Community College Instructor)


The Result . . .

• With technology• With each other• Online• In their time• In their place• Doing things

that matter (most important)

From http://www.coe.uh.edu/courses/practicum-sum04/longhorn/21stCenturyLearner.ppt. Manning, Everett, & Roberts. Central Piedmont Community College.

Millennials want to learn . . .

• They need to understand why they are doing what they are doing – objectives of classroom activities and projects.

• They want to have input into their educational processes.

• They want to be involved in meaningful activities, not mundane work.

• They think it is cool to be smart.• They will respond well to programs like

learning communities and service learning.


In school . . .

• They are likely to appreciate clear expectations, explicit syllabi, and well structured assignments.

• They expect detailed instructions and guidelines for completing assignments.

• They want to know what will be covered on tests and what exactly must be done to earn an A.

• Because of their high expectations of themselves, students may become demoralized by earning a B or C in college.


High expectations . . .

• They function in an international world.• This generation has been plugged in

since they were babies.• They grew up with educational software

and computer games.• They think technology should be free.• They want and expect services 24/7.• They do not live in an 8–5 world.• They all have cell phones and expect

to be in contact 24/7.


High expectations . . . technology

• Students are increasingly savvy when it comes to technology.

• Students expect faculty to incorporate technology into their teaching & be proficient at it.

• At the very least: Communication via e-mail, access to online resources, PowerPoint presentations, Internet activities, discussion boards, and electronic classrooms are expected.


High expectations . . . technology

Source: Educause. Manning, Everett, & Roberts. Central Piedmont Community College.

Satisfaction with online courses

63%55%

38%

26%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Veterans Boomers Gen X Millennials

Children under 6 years– 48% have used a computer; 27% (4-6

year-olds) use a computer daily– 39% use a computer several times a

week– 30% have played computer games

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Technology use

Teens– 100% use the internet to seek information– 94% use the internet for school research– 41% use email and IM to contact teachers

and schoolmates about school work– 81% email friends and relatives– 70% use IM to keep in touch– 56% prefer the internet to the telephone

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Technology use

Digital Natives• “native speakers” of the digital

language of computers, video games and the internet

Digital Immigrants• Those not born into the digital

world but later became fascinated by the technology.

----Marc Prensky

Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

Digital Natives

Today’s 21-year-olds• Born, 1985 internet was 2 years old and

Mario launched Super Mario Brothers• Grade school, World Wide Web invented• Middle school, Palm Pilot launched• High school, cell phones• College, Napster and Blogger launched-

1999• College, iPod and early social networking

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1884740,00.html

Digital Natives

• Today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.

Marc Prensky

• “Different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures.”

Dr. Bruce D. Berry, Baylor College of Medicine

• Students have never known life without the computer. It is an assumed part of life.

• The Internet is a source of research, interactivity, and socializing (they prefer it over TV).

• Doing is more important than knowing.• Staying “connected” is essential.• There is zero tolerance for delays.


“Information Age” Mindset

• Learning more closely resembles Nintendo; a trial and error approach to solving problems.

• The infrastructure and the lecture tradition of colleges may not meet the expectations of students raised on the Internet and interactive games.


“Information Age” Mindset

Attitudes

TV Generation“Boomers

PC Generation

“Gen X

Net Gen“Millennials

Web What is it? Web is a toolWeb is oxygen

Community PersonalExtendedPersonal

Virtual

Perspective Local Multi-national Global

Career One careerMultiple careers

Multiplereinventions

Loyalty Corporation Self Soul

Authority Hierarchy Unimpressed Self as expert

Ready for a change?

• A variety of authors have discussed the influence of media such as the World Wide Web on students’ learning styles.

• By its nature the Web rewards comparison of multiple sources of information, individually incomplete and collectively inconsistent.

Dede, C. 2005. Planning for Neomillennial Learning Styles. Educause Quarterly. 28:1

Neomillennial Learning Styles

• Learning is based on seeking, sieving, and synthesizing, rather than on assimilating a single "validated" source of knowledge as from books, television, or a professor’s lectures.

• Also, digital media and interfaces encourage multitasking.

• Superficial, easily distracted style of gaining information or a sophisticated form of synthesizing new insights?



• Napsterism - the recombining of others’ designs to individual, personally tailored configurations.

• People of all ages have shifted from purchasing music prepackaged into albums to mixing/tailoring their own sequences of artists and songs.

• Businesses data-mine the choices individuals make, then provide customized services.



• Increasingly, people want educational products and services tailored to their individual needs rather than one-size-fits-all courses of fixed length, content, and pedagogy.

• Overall, the Internet-based learning styles ascribed to "Millennial" students increasingly apply for many people across a wide range of ages, driven by the tools and media they use every day.

• Neal Postman


Psychological Immersion

• Over the next decade, 3 complementary interfaces to information technology will shape how people learn:– The familiar "world to the desktop"

interface, providing access to distant experts and archives and enabling collaborations, mentoring relationships, and virtual communities of practice. This interface is evolving through initiatives such as Internet 2.0



• Over the next decade, 3 complementary interfaces to information technology will shape how people learn:– "Alice-in-Wonderland" multiuser

virtual environment (MUVE) interfaces, in which participants’ avatars interact with computer-based agents and digital artifacts in virtual contexts.

– MMORPG’s



• Over the next decade, 3 complementary interfaces to information technology will shape how people learn:– Interfaces for ubiquitous computing,

in which mobile wireless devices infuse virtual resources as we move through the real world.



• Ubiquitous computing names the third wave in computing, just now beginning.– First were mainframes, each shared

by lots of people.– Now we are in the personal

computing era, person and machine staring uneasily at each other across the desktop.

– Next comes ubiquitous computing, or the age of calm technology, when technology recedes into the background of our lives

http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/UbiHome.html

Immersion in Educational Augmented Realities

• MUVE: River City MUVE is centered on skills of hypothesis formation and experimental design, as well as on content related to national standards and assessments in biology and ecology

• Augmented reality simulations: Using GPS links students role-play environmental scientists investigating a rash of health concerns on the MIT campus linked to the release of toxins in the water supply.



• MUVE: River City MUVE is centered on skills of hypothesis formation and experimental design, as well as on content related to national standards and assessments in biology and ecology.

http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/rivercityproject/

http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/rivercityproject/


• Augmented reality simulations: Embedding students inside lifelike problem-solving situations.– "Environmental Detectives" augmented

reality simulation, for example, engages high school and university students in a real-world environmental consulting scenario not possible to implement in a classroom setting.

– Students role-play environmental scientists investigating a rash of health concerns on the MIT campus linked to the release of toxins in the water supply


http://education.mit.edu/ar/ed.html

Professional development

• Co-design: Developing learning experiences students can personalize

• Co-instruction: Utilizing knowledge sharing among students as a major source of content and pedagogy

• Guided learning-by-doing pedagogies: Infusing case-based participatory simulations into presentational/ assimilative instruction

• Assessment beyond tests and papers: Evaluating collaborative, nonlinear, associational webs of representations; utilizing peer-developed and peer-rated forms of assessment; using student-initiated assessments to provide formative feedback on faculty effectiveness


Professional development

• Some of these shifts are controversial for many faculty, and all involve "unlearning" almost unconscious beliefs, assumptions, and values about the nature of teaching, learning, and the academy.

• As the nature of students alters, instructors must themselves experience mediated immersion and develop neo-millennial learning styles to continue effective teaching.

• The mission and structure of higher education might change due to the influence of these new interactive media.


The Struggle

Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.

“Everytime I go to school I have to power down.” --complains a high school student

“www.hungry.com” ---recently stated by a kindergarten student at lunch

Games and Learning

…games can teach a multitude of skills, including problem solving, language and cognitive skills, strategic thinking, multitasking, and parallel processing.

--Marc Prensky

Games and Learning

• "The power of games is that they put you inside a world," he said, "and you see that world from an inside-out perspective, and you have to solve (games') problems from that perspective.”

---James Gee

http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i49/49a03101.htm

Economics 201

"I believe we are the first ones to fully emerge students in a narrative story and treat the whole course as a game.”

Jeff Sarbaum Professor of Economics University of North Carolina

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6342324

Economics 201

http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/econ201/

Second Life

A “sims like” virtual reality where you interact with others using lifelike avatars.

Second Life

http://secondlife.com/

Educators’ Goal

We should not be about creating educational content.

We should be be about creating educational experiences.

Generations

Thank You Very Much

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