One way it impacts my instructional planning process is that I find myself using technology more and more to enhance my lectures in the classroom.
Gen Y individuals tend to want everything handed to them. So you have try and get them into a thought process of their own, so they may have a better chance of survival in the real world.
Robbi,
yes the portals are a great way to keep connected & to provide much of the information in the format & way that the Gen Y students appreciate the most.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Generation Y Learners are not individuals looking for information. Routinely any information that can be presented in a classroom setting can be obtained through the use of technology. As William Clinton once said at NYU's Graduation, "11 year olds can find on the Internet what I had to go to a University to learn."
Using this realization, presentation of information can be the start of a process for translating the information into understanding. While telling a student that the Arteries send blood from the Heart and the Veins bring it back, explaining the steps inbetween with analogies such as a, "Garden Hose," to translate the understanding of pressure will help these students incorporate the information to their field.
When planning instruction for Gen Y students, it is essential to incorporate technology into their instruction. You must realize that these students are more likely to watch a youbtube video on how something is done than read the text of it from their textbook. They want to have access to you and the course at all times. I have taken full advantage of our school's portal to keep them up to date with assignments, commentary and grades.
I use a variety of mediums when I teach. However, I find I need to be careful about the assignments I give my students. I teach to an age diverse group with students ranging from 19-60 years old. I have given assignments that require students to research information from the internet. I have found my generation X and Y students often have little difficulty however my Boomer's get frustrated with searching the web. It can be difficult to find a happy middle ground between keeping Gen Y engaged and frustrating Boomers that can be easily overwhelmed by today's technology.
michelle,
this is a great point & one to take note of; it really does go back to good ole audience analysis.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Since I teach in a food and beverage arena (culinary arts) I will use hospitality here as my example. Years in the business and in the classroom has taught me that you have to know your customer so you can meet or exceed their expectations. Are you catering to a group of Mary Kay sales reps or the National Welders Guild? Well lunch might look a bit different eh? Understanding what the different generations have experienced, how they learn and what they bring to the educational table can enhance learning for all. It all starts with knowing the audience! Once you "know" something about them (which can be accomplished by simply asking, ice breakers etc) you can customize and modify your approach to suit the group. Let's face it-great-engaging-well planned teaching works for all!
Good point. I know Gen Y is known for their multi-tasking ability but recent studies have shown that when people signal task they are more productive and in a learning environment they learn and retain more information.
This is hard to get across to students who think that they can text, listen to the lecture, and browse on their lap tops and still have an understanding of the material.
What they don’t understand is that it’s not the multi-tasking but constant stimulation they crave. As an instructor this is something that I have to work with and design learning environments that allow students to remain stimulated (for example multiple stations where students are ask to perform a task or teach another student a task before moving to the next station). While at the same time encouraging students to learn how to focus on one task and completing it before starting another. In her book Mind in the making Ellen Galinsky has identified focus as one of the seven essential skills every child needs to learn.
charles,
that's great to hear & bravo to you for being flexible & willing to try new & different methods.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
ROBERT,
this is a great point & really goes back to good ole audience analysis & making sure I know how to reach my present audience.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
gen y students expect immediate gratification
I am a baby boomer and not the most tech saavy person. However, teaching to Gen Y students has forced me to rethink the tradional black/white board method of giving information. I'm using alot more tech in my classrooms and have found out it is often easier to give information that way.
One of my favorite books of all times is the Art of War by Sun Tzu. And one my favorite hobbies is applying the lessons of Sun Tzu to the classroom. In his book Sun Tzu states “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.â€
While most of the time I do not consider the students I work with as my enemy this quote does ring true about the need to better understand them. What drives them, what makes them say wow, what are their common cultural references basically what generation are they. Understanding that gen y is tech savy reminds me to incorporate technology in my assignments and in class lessons. My experience has been the more I understand the students I’m working with and the more I understand myself and where I am coming from the more successful the class is going to be.
gary,
and along with this, we have to understand that they see "connections" differently. It's just as important for them to stay connected to friends around the country as it is to talk to the person next to them.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Cheryl,
I agree with you. This generation is more of a multi-tasking group. As instructors, it's also very important that we keep in mind the different learning styles so that we can ensure that everyone in a class is learning a great deal of knowledge. The students today are also adept of technology so we have to stay adept as well. Fortunately, the Gen-X group was brought up learning at least the basics of technology.
We must definitely take into consideration that the Generation Y group is significantly different that the other groups and that they tend to rely on technology as a way of life rather than something that is simply nice to have. Cellular phones have about the same value as an arm or leg in today's generation. The attention span seems to be shorter, so it's very important that we catch their attention from the beginning with technology as this is what they can typically relate to.
Y generation students are more inclined to connect with technology and see things from a global perspective. This means that they are more inclined to believe that they are part of the large group and less likely to feel separated and look to technology for answers so are more comfortable with self directed study.
It's been my experience that technology ,although a great tool, is not as important as good old fashion teaching skills. Today's students coming out of high school do not know nearly as much as my generation and statistics show that! But then again, Im just an old baby -boomer.
Cheryl,
and for better or worse, they are used to being "stimulated" constantly so if the attention lags at all, they will move on to something else.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
