Noreen,
this is a great idea as it helps them see what sites are more reliable than others.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It definately seems like it has shortened the attention span in the classroom. I try to change things up very often to keep the students engaged.
Dr. Meers, I agree with your statement that we need to help students find information that is reliable. I give my students a list of websites that have accurate information that they can use in my courses and others. For example www.cms.org and certain medical universities, students in this generation just need some guidance.
To get a better perspective, I discussed this topic with my older son who is a Gen Yer. This discussion gave me two issues on how technology impacts their learning process: (1) the constant and instantaneous access to entertainment definitely affects Gen Yers attention span (e.g., DVR, having multiple windows open on the computer at the same time, texting, etc.); and (2) the convenience of technology has made it unnecessary for Gen Yers to "work hard" for their answers (i.e., answers to problems many times can be "Googled" or found with a click of the mouse, instead of having to look up the information in books); this convenience affected students ability to use critical reasoning and analytic skills.
I just learned that I am categorized in Gen Y!!! I feel that I have a lot of attributes to gen X and have always considered myself part of gen X. Technology has not always been a part of my upbringing, but I have found that the students who are truly Gen Y are constantly trying to use technology to get the quickest answer to a questing instead of doing the research in their text. I find that all this technology is actually taking away from the learning process and impeding student learning. I have many students who believe that any internet sours is appropriate for formal research papers. I do not even know if many of my students have actually even been in a real library to research a topic.
Bruce,
this is so true & while there is much that can be learned from older styles, there is a lot of value to the use of the technology that is available too.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
When I went to school personal computers did not exist and as the course states, much was lecture and reading with practical skill s learned in the field. I feel students are at an advantage today because they have a wealth of information at their fingertips and have the ability to learn much more in school before entering the workforce thanks to simulated environments and countless video lectures available online.
I agree. This is why it is very important for colleges to integrate critical thinking skills into the curriculum. Students can typically find information, but they don't often evaluate the quality of the source.
I believe that technology has had both positive and negative impactson the learning process for Gen Y students. On the positive side it is wonderful that they have access to so much information so quickly.On the negative it has impacted learning and practicing may of the basic skills. They no longer really have to learn to spell as long as they have access to spell and gramar check programs. they don't remember the basic mathmatical prcesses and formulas again due to calculators, etc. As a Boomer myself, I find it very difficult to get them to disconnect from technology even long enough for conventional lectures and thier attention spans shorter than other generations. We are literally encouraged to "entertain" students to retain them in classes now.
Gen Y students transition with great ease from interpersonal to digital interaction, which is seamlessly "multi-tasked". They also have a tremendously sophisticated skill set in learning new technologies, which results in a "fearless" attitude. Online collaborative platforms, together with class interaction, contribute to the collaborative aspects of learning, and are very popular with gen Y learners. On the flip side, in the classroom, it is not always easy to monitor and discourage the use of social media during tasks that require concentration. However, in my own experience teaching graduate courses, there is a level of maturity that is self-monitored.
Tim,
I've noticed this expectation of immediate answers/feedback too.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think technology has enhanced the learning expeince. The only draw back is that most expect information to be given to them right away. There is no more waiting to look it up, they google it and there is the answer. If they are made to wait for an answer they don't understand why.
One thing I like about how Gen Y learners use technology is they seek feedback through their portals about their grades and track their progress better. I have had students from other generations that rely on coming to class and getting the assignment from me when they have missed it, whereas the Gen Y students often check their portals daily. They are also used to receiving praise for their efforts, so they want to know what they need to do to get the better grade. Unfortunately, that does not always translate into "wanting to learn the material better." At least they seem to be more willing to check out supplementary websites I supply them with than they do handouts.
Karen,
and while technology is a great tool, we also need to help students learn the value of the interpersonal skills.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find myself agreeing with the previous comments. I have had students video and audio tape me while doing demonstrations. Many students have difficulty in putting their technology away and pay attention to what is going on in front of them. For example, students are checking facebook, tweeting and instagram-ing during class instead of communicating with the person sitting next to them.
Kristina,
I think these are all great measures that not only hold the students accountable, but they also help them learn how to use these different tools for success.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree, Gen Y are always trying to utilize technology as a shortcut. What's frustrating is that we give different tools for them to learn. For example the textbooks we use have an online support. We have a student portal that we put information on and the students still don't utilize it. But, as you said they will Google it. We've started giving our student research papers that include works cited so that we know they aren't just copying information. Also, we set-up forums like this to make them use other forms of technology.
I agree students want to find a quick answer through a web search and they are satisfied with just having an answer. Instead of reading about it and really understanding and aquiring knowledge.
Since I teach in an automotive school, technology is the cornerstone of the industry. However, it seems that the effort in learning this technology is overshadowed by the ability to immediately access information. While it is important to use information to diagnose problems with the technical systems, it seems that the ability to think and understand does not have the same value any longer. Students feel that they can look up anything and this will give them the answers and get them to solve problems. Unfotunately, this is not always the case. They start to learn this in in the lab/shop setting. However, you pretty much have to go over 70% of the information you covered in class in order for them to complete their lab activities. This tends to become very frustrating for the instructor.
Impacts have been good and bad. My program requires critical thinking and it doesn't come easy for them. Thy are use to immediate answers at their fingertips via google and do not seem to want to take the time to problem solve.
