Gen Y learners understand that their "image" and "brand" is inseparable from their personality, and that this interconnectedness applies to the rigor with which they conduct themselves professionally.
Kevin,
thanks for sharing your thoughts & I think these are good perspectives & thoughts to keep in mind.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Social networks like Facebook are a hit with students and frankly, after a lot of prodding, I kind of enjoy Facebook as well. I think the bigger challenge is for an instructor to build a culture in the classroom where the LMS is viewed as a place they'd like to check in and check out once in a while.
Evidence to the contrary I still feel uncomfortable creating a Facebook presence to be utilized for professional/student reasons. As well, even though previous student attempt to connect with me via LinkedIn I don't accept their requests. I teach a class in Social Media Marketing and often students are quite puzzled why I can't open up this part of "me" to them -- however, the LMS is where I feel better protected, by the institution which employs me and the preconceptions the students bring to producing and delivering items via the LMS.
Social networks will, I suppose, continue to have their greatest impact on GenY learners from a personal perspective -- maybe in time instructors like me will feel more comfortable communicating with them on the networks they prefer. :)
Personally, I do not accept friend requests from students, nor do I share my personal cell number. Our school has strict guidelines about instructor/student fraternization. I make it a point to my students that they may contact me through the school email and I always respond.
While I understand the Gen Y need for instant gratification, I also believe we are setting people up for failure if we allow them to expect instant responses on a regular basis. Many of my students are entering a profession where their personal atatchment to cell phones and facebook will be prohibited. I have to make them understand that they could be terminated from a position for violations of these regulations.
I do advocate the use of cell phones for internet research in class, however I make it on my terms, and monitor the use. I find that by doing this the students can get their "fix" and I can emphasize responsible use.
In one class I use them to my advantage. I teach a professional development class to prepare the graduates for job searches etc. They are required to look at their social media website and pretend they are an HR individual who is looking at possibly hiring them. Then I ask the student if they would hire themselves simply based on what they have on the social networking cite (pictures/posting etc.). Some change their information right away.
Jae,
yes, this generation lives via social media/networks & this is the best way to inform & connect.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It is helpful for schools to use social networks to let students know about campus activities such as clubs, workshops or volunteer events. The more students know about opportunities at their school, the more likely they are to get involved and benefit from gaining additional skills or networking contacts.
Jo,
but I would argue that you can teach critical thinking through social media. By having the students evaluate certain statements that they or others have made & analyzing them from a critical standpoint.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It is not a good influence. there is no need to crittically think about a subject matter because between texting, blogging, and twitter they can get the answer. Social networking for the most part gets answers to Gen y students faster which is not a postive influence.
Sarah ,
in what way are you meaning? Not reliable for information, not reliable to communicate with students, or better for instructors to avoid the personal contact?
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree, FB is not a reliable source for communication.
Setting up a FaceBook page for each class, students are able to stay connected and use this social media to facilitate learning. Many of my students have set up specific FaceBook page for their respective classes and share information as well as questions and concerns. Social media allows them to stay current with all the projects and activities in their classes and eliminates the possiblity of misinterpretation.
I think that, as instructors, we need to incorporate group activities to help students feel connected while learning.
Rather than giving students social breaks I try to encourage a more conversational approach to learning where I set the topic and intro the information but students are allowed to put their two cents in fairly often and it alleviates their need for more disruptive and/or less productive interactions with each other
As with their personal lives, Gen Yers have a "need" to feel connected professionally. Professional networking allows for professional growth and advancement and is an excellent educational tool for the classroom experience, especially LinkedIn.
Kelsey,
this is a great illustration of how many in this generation are using their networks & the value they see in them.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I believe in some cases that social networks can be distracting to the learning environment due to the fact that students can be more interested in what is happening on social media than in the classroom. I believe if students are guided on how to utilize social media in a productive professional manner(networking), then it could be beneficial to their future careers.
Soical networks are not just the personal outlets anymore. An example is that this generation uses their connections as mentors and teams to help solve problems. I was taking a training course and the instructor share a story where there was an issue with the client, the entire team was in a conference call meeting. To shorten the story, The Generation Y memeber left the meeting and about an hour later came up with the solution to the problem. While many thought he was "rude" for leaving the meeting, he just reached out to his "network" for help solve a problem.
nancy,
this is true & so the question for educators is how can we leverage them to help with education.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Gen Y students feel dependent upon them in order to keep up on the latest news among their friends and family members.
