When teaching Gen Y learners I try to incorporate topics related to social networking, because this is what they have grown up on. Also, I realize they need instant gratification, so I try to make sure I get their grades to them in a timely manner, by having tests and exams that can be graded immedialy on-line.
I've noticed, especially in online classrooms I've taught, that the focus tends to be on "student centered" lessons and feedback. Rather than creating a standard lesson plan and forcing all students to adhere rigidly to its parameters, student centered or student focused planning takes each individual student into account and how their learning style impacts their ability to get the most out of the class.
Jeffery,
I've found that once they get in there, they typically really enjoy the learning. But this generation is very used to immediate feedback & gratification so we must be on the guard for that.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
They expect everything comes easy and with real world experience or hands on it seems to elude some. Like lacing and truing laced wheels, it is a art form and of all the skills set we introduce them to this is one of the more harder to understand and wrap the minds around as there is so much to grasp. If they just apply it they start to get it and enjoy the rewards it gives back to them.
Sarah,
yes, visual aids of many types can be great learning methods for this generation.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Gen Y mult-task and get bored quickly. I incorporate several short activities into my lecture/discussions to keep/maintain attention and interest.
They are very visual so the use of videos are a great way to incorporate learning.
Ramondo,
and while there is an increase of credible & reliable sources available online, we do need to educate our students on how to conduct effective research.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Gen Y students tend to be more reluctant to go to libraries and do research...they expect everything can be googled/wikied. They need to be educated in what counts as a credited source of information to site when researching.
Eugene,
yes, there are so many tools & resources that we can use to supplement our lectures in the modern classroom.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find two general groups. Those that need me to reach beyond my Boomer 50%. And spoon feed them. We usually butt heads. I am rather tough on them. I am not the first teacher they have had with this attitude and they soon fall into line. Then there are the students that have been parented by boomers and are self sufficient eager to learn and come far beyond their 50%. I use a mix of roll playing, Power-Point and quick quizzes plus long projects. And within that group I usually have a good mix of learners.
I have always taken the approach with all generational cohorts in my class that all expectations should be clear and upfront, this leaves very little room for questions or uncertainties about what's due, when or how it will be graded. I also do my very best to get back to them with grades in a timely manner and also allow them time to digest exm/quiz grades and ask questions or review answers they may have gotten wrong.
Make expectations clear, at the beginning!
Gen Y learners are more technologically savvy. They will learn better through a means of connectivity.
Definitely need to think outside of the conventional teaching box and implement various methods to effectively communicate the information by using the tools they use for discovery and research.
Gen Y learners seem to have less of an attention span for me when I am lecturing in person, yet they can comfortably sit through an hour on-line lecture with slides and visuals. I would have to assume that I need to become a multi-media persona to communicate most effectively with them. Which I am constantly working on improving.
Saroj,
you nailed it on the head regarding one of the challenges of the vast amount of information that we currently have at our fingertips. I personally feel one of our jobs as instructors today is not so much teaching how to find the information, but rather how to determine which information is valuable & trustworthy.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Generation Y learners impact the instructional planning process because the world revolves around them. Here at our cooking school, our lessons need to have social media integrated into the curriculum so that we can keep them engaged. We schedule time during our demonstrations and for them to take pictures of the finished product. Generation Y students need to stay connected with their “FRIENDS†at every moment of the day. We remind the Y generation that the customers that have money to spend on “Eating Out†Right now! are from the Baby Boomers and the X generations. They will not have customers if they only make what they like to eat.
I teach law and criminal justice classes. Both professions require some degree of literacy. I, therefore, require students in introductory courses to write a book report. Many of the Gen Y ers tell me that it is the first book they have ever read. They all have terrible handwriting because they are used to doing schoolwork on a computer.
For Gen Y students you must incorporate their way of learning into the lesson. You must use technology and more importantly, embrace the direction of tech use rather than try to push against it. Using smart phones as part of the lecture or allowing them to bring in their ipads for note taking is the new wave.
Gen Y students expect and have access to lot of information, but they have trouble analyzing details of the information available to them. Also many times they have access to incorrect information (too much information available) which may have negative impact.
