Dennis,
Discussions really are a great way to engage Gen Y learners.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Austin,
And you may very we'll be opening up there minds to this kind of use too!
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think that a great strategy is to use more peer to peer learning styles. Most Gen Y students are used to socially interacting with others on a constant basis through sites such as FB, IG, Vine, Snapchat, etc.. That they are able to take input from various sources in order to form or gain a personal outcome. If someone asks me a question then I can turn it back on the class; "Who knows the answer to that question?" "Why do we do it that way?" What I am finding is that the more they interact with each other, the more actual critical thinking they are doing. People are not independant with their thoughts and knowledge anymore. They take input from various sources and from the opinions of others before they come to a conclusion themselves. Turn the classroom into a chatroom, into a blog, into a Facebook page, into a place where students can learn from other students with you as the moderator and final voice of knowledge.
Having them ask themselves why? Instead of me asking them. I like to use "Lecture time" as "Discussion time" and integrete technology whenever they can.
A great way to engage Generation Y learners is to make them feel as if the class is being directed towards them as an individual. To do this, it is important to get the student involved by asking them to contribute personal thoughts and observations. I love engaging Generation Y students in discussions concerning the learning objective.
I like to use You-Tube as a way to supplement fabrication demonstrations for my meat butchery class. The student spend much of their time on the site for entertainment so why not blend entertainment and education by directing them to videos that are useful for the class?
Thomas,
yes, using more technology in our classes is definitely a way to engage the Gen Y learner more in the classroom.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Mary,
the personal stories/examples are a great way to highlight the key concepts & ideas.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The best way is to add more technology and and freedom to work themselves
I use my personal experiences as stories throughout my lectures. This helps to show the relevance of the subject. I find that the stories also help to lighten the classroom environment and take some of the pressure off when learning something more difficult.
some strategies for engaging generation y learners
are use of power point presentations, internet research papers and you-tube offer great ways to interact with gen y students.
Mahnaz,
this is true & using the variety of teaching strategies is a great way to reach this generation.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think giving them projects which involve the use of technology and research is an effective tool to engage Generation Y learners. Using case studies or life experiences will allow them to use attained knowledge and use it in a particular situation, hence encouraging them to use their critical thinking.
Courtney,
and one of our key challenges is discovering ways to use technology to help build critical thinking skills.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As I'm finishing up this module, I've discovered some really great options for incorporating more technology into the classroom. I've also learned that critical thinking is a crucial skill that I must help my students articulate to be successful in the field.
Because they are focused on my experience in the field I like to give them examples of when I have used the information they are learning in class in the field. I share with them my personal experiences as part of class. Every once in a while the answer to a bonus question on an exam may be from one of those examples.
I have utilized and enjoyed the Socratic method. I have really pushed the students to expand their horizons and to reject the propaganda they have suckled from the social media sources all of their life's. In a very diplomatic and relaxed environment I shake their beliefs to the core and their rebuild them a brick at a time while encouraging them "dust themselves off" using critical thinking skills.
Kelsey,
yes, I like the idea of really pushing them in the area of critical thinking as they prepare for the work world.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Providing classroom experiences that requires critical thinking and thinking for themsevles. For example for their term project make it ongoing but "change it up" for example in business have them create their plan but then each week give a real world scenario for them to figure out, such as hiring, terminations, retirement, not meeting sales goals, etc. Allowing them to have an insight as to how or what happens within a company.
Some strategies for engaging generation Y learners would be to be extremely organized and provide lots of structure, incorporate social interaction as well as collaboration with others, be clear and precise about what is required for the class, provide feedback, as well as positive reinforcements, and use technology to enhance the learning process. I find that incorporating all these strategies makes the classroom run well and students feel at ease knowing what is expected of them and know what to expect from me.
