Generations play different roles in communication. Baby boomers may be overwhelmed with the technology and may need a lttile hand holding to get those students to familiarize themselves with the online class and their computers. Generation Y students tend to exhibit weak writing skills.
A basic understanding of the different characteristics of the different generations would prove helpful when providing feedback.
Identifying generations in the online classroom is important as it helps the classroom comradery as well as the flow of communication. Knowing each student and their background can be helpful, but does anyone find this challenging in an online course? I require all students to provide a intro on themselves, but I do not always get their age or age range. Hence, I do my best to create my classroom communication to attend to all generations. I think setting up initial communication guidelines that all students must follow is helpful for me and the communication in my class.
Dori,
Yes, it is just knowing your audience that is important. And, your students are your audience. Thanks
It is important to understand the role generations play in communication in the online community because as an instructor, I might be able to difuse any situation that may arise with any of these three generations. For instance, I might need to walk a Baby Boomer through the online chat process once before he/she really undertstands how to do it by hi/her self. Likewise, I may need to encourage a Mellennial to step outside their comfort zone and interact and introduce themselves to the other students online. Knowing this, would be beneficial in how an instructor deals with the online student.
Tanya,
WOW! The continued conversation about professionalism is impressive. Thank you for being a professional role model.
Sunshine,
So, true. You, as an instructor, serve as a guide, facilitator and role model. Keep communicating!
I find that the biggest role generations play is in the professionalism of the students communication. Even within the generations there is a huge gap.
We can all use a little guidance in a classroom so I am sure to provide recorded walk throughs of the different programs that we use to ease some anxieties. For example I teach math and we use My Math Lab. This can be very overwhelming the first time a students opens the program. I take them on a guided tour which typically eases their minds. I remember having to get to know MML myself, so I like to save my students some trouble.
Understanding these roles helps us understand communication habits of these groups and anticipate potential challenges for them. We can help them overcome these challenges through guidance and feedback.
P.,
Right on. Learning more about the students and the generations helps instructors understand their students more fully. Keep up the good work.
It is important to understand the role generations play in communication in the online community because each generation has its strengths and weaknesses. For example, Baby Boomers have social graces but may lack technology skills and need remedial instruction in order to be able to use technology;
Gen Xers may be loners and need to be brought into conversations and communication with the instructor and with other students;
Millennials, also known as "Generation Y," are known for not being empathetic to others. They are the true "loners," even more so that Gen Xers. They may need to be tutored on the need -- in life as well as in learning -- to be more in tune with the needs of others and educated in the need to "feel" for other humans.
All of these things: competence in using technology, the ability to communicate with others, and the ability to feel empathy for other people -- all these tools are necessary in order for one to be successful in the virtual online learning environment.
David,
Right on. Each class is different and the more we know about our students (the audience) the better we can provide content to students in ways they can more readily understand it. Keep up the good work.
Melissa,
Great. Glad the course was helpful and thank you for your input.
As we have learned in this section different age/generational groups have different online communication styles. If the goal to properly engage the entire class the instructor needs to assess the way the students in their class approach online communication. This is especially important in coordinated student-to-stud dent (Peer-to-Peer) communication in group projects.
Hello,
I am a Gen X and I can see how I'm able to relate to the Boomers and the Milenials well. I compares this with the discussions I have with my collegues both on ground and online. I feel fortunate to be able to feel comfortable, yet I wonder how effective other instructors effectiveness. I have now decided that this will be my next in-service discussion for a co-teach coming up. Accordingly, the course was worth it to me.
Thanks,
Melissa
Dr. Glenn,
right on. The instructor must serve as a facilitator. This is a difficult transition for some instructors who are used to the F2F classroom and a lecture environment. But, it's an important and necessary transition. Thanks for the resources as well. Kudos!
The online form of learning places the responsibility for learning squarely on the learner. The instructor is a facilitator with expert subject matter knowledge. The online arena also empowers individuals towards a stronger emphasis to grow and apply critical thinking in their practice. The student invested in seeking a sheepskin with doing things to get them done soon experiences a hefty learning curve when engaged in online learning. The instructor is shielded from the inappropriate behavior of individuals participating with an expectation that the instructor will spoon feed them. Therefore, understanding different generaltional communicaiton syles is very important. I believe that online education is an excellent forum for promoting growth for learning skills. Time management requires attention to support the student centered learning. Instruction online employs the transferring of thought through the written word to function. This solicits critical thinking for communication. Students that procrastinate in their learning habits soon fall behind. The individual learns very quickly that the external control habit of seeking to blame others does not work. As a full time online instructor with 75 plus students the magic of effective online communication is apparent in recognizing student learning. I can empower their learning with motivational effective communication designed to influence their thinking without dealing with the inhibiting factor of the student’s communication filters. My communication style flexing is calculated, scripted and effective. The successful student soon learns that their learning skill is the fulcrum for success. The net is a superb vehicle for infusing learning into the individual’s life. The importance of viewing learning as a skill in life as opposed to going to school to learn is invaluable. Online learning reflects an enthused approach to learning as displayed in the perspective of reinvention of the knowledge base constantly (Tapscott, 1999, p. 10). The awareness that learning has become a continuous lifelong learning process is empowered by the increase of skill necessary to communicate via the web.
Reference
Tapscott, D. (1999, February). Educating the net generation. Educational Leadership, 56(5), 6-11.
Gary,
You are so right. We have to not only understand others but also understand ourselves so we can close that communication gap. Keep up the good work.
A few years ago (actually a number of decades ago) when my daughters were teenagers, we discused a movie they wanted to see. You've probably heard similar scenarios...this is a really bad movie-then why do you want to see it?- no, bad means that it's really good-then what do you call a terrible movie that is reaaly bad?-a bad movie-how do you know the difference? It ends with my being told I am totally gnarly(!?!)I never did figure out if that was a compliment or an insult. Classic communication gap between generations.
Now, with the likelihood of the Veteran generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y (4 generations) learning together in the same environment, effective, clear communication becomes an even greater imperative. In most on-line communication, nonverbal and audio cues are lost. The instructor must not only deliver his message across generational and cultural barriers, but also be able to interpret the responses across those same barriers as well.
Phillip,
What are the challenges of having generational difference?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Brenda,
Thanks for your input. You are so right about the respect factor. We can learn so much from others when we learn and understand them. And, communication is the key to any teaching, but especially important for the online environment. Thanks again.
