Nicholas ,
I would agree with this statement. It does seem that this generation of students has a harder time connecting & really focusing & thinking through processes.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Technology has created a great advancement in the capcity to learn, yet in my experience it has also hindered this generation as well. Physical changes are also appearing in this generations such as "Fixed Eye Movement" which prevents students from being able to scan and read effectively and also the muscles in the hands are not being developed for writing due to computer use and texting.
Now, although these may seem of concern to some, others may not see the need for these physical attributes due to the widely available use of technology.
Technology misses the basic concepts of learning. I find my students having trouble to write things out in script and bypass other skills that they should have.
I am a Generation X instructor who was part of programming what we have today. I use technology as much as I can because it keeps students engaged as well as informed. Students are able to use other resources to help understand a lecture. Since students are attached to their devices, just as I am, use the devices to ask questions and engage the students.
It has mpacted them by resulting in
expectations about the instant availability
of information becuse of their access to
Computer based systems.
J. E. Wright
John,
you make an excellent point here regarding their interest level. Too often we assume that if it's technology, the student will be interested, but they must have an interest in the subject too.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
In this day and age there is alot of online training isn't there? I find that some students seem to be able to learn things quite quickly from web based training because that is what they are used to. They have the ability to learn alot of information as fast as they can input it. Of course they have to be interested in the subject or they wont spend much time at all learning about it.
James,
this is true & also, adapting to the styles of this generation can be done & still adhere to strong educational methods.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree. I feel it is important for us as educators to adapt to the gen Y students styles. Their generation as a whole is unlikely to immediately change. Therefore, we should be flexible and make a better effort to understand them and their learning styles. If we think about it, the generations before ours faced the same obstacles with us, right?
Donna,
yes, the juggling of life with technology is an ongoing struggle for this generation & an opportunity for us to help them with other aspects of their education.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Gen Y learners are extremely tech savvy and expect information to be delivered in an exciting, fast-paced, and stimulating manner. If they are not "entertained" you lose their attention quickly. They are accustomed to the world moving quickly (video games, movies, internet, cell phones). However, they often lack the initiative to use these tools, that they use every day, to benefit themselves when learning. It is a really good idea as an instructor to assist the students in using the devices and technologies they have available to enhance their learning experiences. I teach a clinical course, and the students rarely (if ever) use their cell phones for quick access to information (like drug indexes). The students don't even use the calendars in their phones to plug in dates from the syllabus until instructed to do so. The concept of using these "fun" devices for "work" is foreign. Once they get the hang of it, they begin to load technical, professional reference apps. Gen Y students also have to learn the difference between a reputable site or app and one that may be questionable. Quite frequently they have the idea that if it's on the internet or a computer, it must be correct or true.
Gwendolyn,
this is a great synopsis & I think our role as instructors is to work toward a balance of both.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
In my opinion, technology has a positive and negative impact on Gen Y students. It's positive because information can be obtain quickly through devices such as computers, phones and tablets. You can get information in the comfort of your own home or while you're on the go. The negative side is that people can totally rely on technology. They try to multitask too often and not efficiently complete a task. It also interferes with communication skills and writing/grammar abilities.
Coming from the Baby Boomer generation, I can most definitely see that technology has impacted the learning process of Gen Y students in an amazing, but at the same time, an alarming way. One must ask oneself what will this generation do if there are massive "blackouts" of electronic devices? Would they be able to actually use cognitive skills without their "devices"? I believe this generation needs to find a balance between the old and the new. One should not surmise that technology is simply going to replace everything. Human beings still need to have human to human contact. That is the nature of man and I opine that one cannot change nature.
I think technology has been a positive point of learning; however, it should only be a portion of the learning process.
Amen to that. It's also frustrating that through the decline of actually learning things and holding knowledge in their own minds, they're overly-dependent on technology. Tech will always change, it will not always be instantly available on demand, and gets used as a crutch when it is available and it does work. I'm not advocating rote memorization, but many seem to have no independent capabilities, no life skills, little retention, and little problem-solving skills, relying on the tech to bail them out.
I have found the Gen Y students to be very receptive to computerized testing formats, which has made my job easier. They expect technology to be used and seem to have a hard time learning in other formats.
Technology has really sped up how quickly Gen Y students expect responses.
I tend to see students who want immediate answers to questions, even if they occur over the weekend.
Classroom times have become much more fluid and extend well into the evening and early morning.
Boundaries seem to be slipping away.
Ward
I think technology has negatively impacted students. They don't feel they need to take notes and would rather pull out their phones to Google an answer rather than use Critical Thinking skills to find a solution on their own. With especially the 18-22 year olds, technology has been a huge distraction particularly with smart phones.
Unfortunately some educators get in the habit of thinking "gen Y'ers" are lazy because they do not seem to want to "work" for answers to questions. What we have to realize is that in the age of electronics that they have grown up in, we have inadvertently taught them that every answer to every question is only a few keystrokes away from them.
