Hi, I have students of different ages in the same group and communication techniques should be varied for each, the course is very interesting because it brings enough to the topic so difficult communication
Dr. Crews,
Isn't that the truth. My 4 year old grandson can work a computere, Ipad, Itouch better that his parents, and his 17 year old aunt Kristin. It is amazing what the future generations can do with technology. We should have a large amoount of skilled minimal invasive surgeons from the last generation playing so many video games. They can manipulate inside the abdominial cavity while looking through the camera on a screen like it were childs play. LOL
Lisa,
I am glad you enjoyed the module. It's important and fun to investigate these things and think critically about your student population. Some of the generational lines may overlap and some people don't quite fit into their generation, but general guidelines are good.
The generations can learn from each other and enhance collaborative projects. Nice job.
Stephanie,
Correct. These differences to play an important role in teaching and learning. AND, knowing these differences is essential.
Thank you.
I liked this mod, it was informative about the wide range of students we encounter online. It was interesting to see the year I was born overlapped into 2 categories, and I have traits of both. So important to remember that our students are any where from their teens to 50's plus. I peronally call the millennial generation the mirowave babies; always wanting something now. I believe it is good to have a mixture of the 3 generations so they can assist others with their positive strengths. It is important to realize that all have different skills in technology as well. I like having the baby boomers set the example for good communication of the discussion boards with proper grammar and spelling.
The diffrences in presepectives plays a signifcant role
Diana,
You are completely correct - the classroom is a very diverse environment. It sounds like you are on the right track in trying to understand the variety of student you may have. Keep connecting!
Thanks!
With more people returning to school, looking for a change of career, improving on their current education or just continuing their educational path, a classroom can be a diverse group. An instructor should have an awareness of this and not take anything for granted. Understanding the "typical" generational students but also being aware there might be students who don't fit the assumption. There might be a young student who is very well traveled and has gathered worldly experiences. I have a young student who has been homeschooled her entire life, everything is new and wonderful to her. Either way, I believe instructors must find a way to connect with their students and understand the array of possibilities that may exist.
Diana,
I am glad you enjoyed the module. It's interesting that you have already notices a difference in your students using the discussion board. You are on track to assist all age students in your classes.
Thanks for your input.
This module was very informative. I do have a range of ages in my online classes and it is important to understand, for me anyway, the technology differences. I teach an online keyboarding class that has special software. The older students are very intimidated by the software.
I also notice a difference in the discussion board. The younger students' answers are very short and sometimes sloppy. I can tell that the older students spent a great deal of time thinking about their answers and also typing them. They usually have correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
With all of that said, I can hope that with the messages I send and the messages that the older generation sends, that the younger students will start spending more time on their posts.
Gail,
You bring up a good point. Generation is a relative term. There are also people who are "border line" in one generation or another and have characteristics of both.
It's important to think about students' characteristics and learning no matter what their age. And, you are right that students need to be ready to learn.
Nice job.
Good point. There is a tendency to become too familiar and type in the first thing that comes into your head. Students and facilitators need to remember their audience.
It certainly is very challenging to have an online class with 35 students, all coming from different part of the world with different age groups, gender, and culture!! What I have learned from 14 years of online teaching has been not to generalize and try to get to know my student the first week when they post their introduction. From their background and experience, I am able to apply my examples to their industry so they can have a better understanding of the course coverage. I also tell my young text message generation that when they write email or respond to others, they have to use the whole world and not write as if they are texting a friend.
Well for one thing generation is a relative term, generation relating to your age or generation relating to your online savy. Our current times exposes most of the work force to online communication in one form or another. However, one can be experienced in online communication but lack exposure or training in almost daily new technical devices that go on the market (twitter, ect.). Technology is daily being updated that the generation (no matter what age) of today needs to be ready and accessable to learn.
Virginia,
Thanks for your input. I am glad you enjoyed the information and can relate it to various areas in your life.
Everyone is different and we have to take the time to work with all individuals. Thanks!
I enjoyed the generalizations about the generational differences. They correspond to what I have learned in other contexts.
I think one should stay aware that they are generalizations and that individuals in groups have more variance than groups vary from each other.
Gail,
I can relate to those ditto machines. The smill and the purple on my white pants. ;-)
You are correct in that it's the appreciation - appreciation of the audience and that develops a connection between the learner and teacher. Culture, yes, that too plays an important role.
Being aware of all of these is the first step. Thanks for your input.
This is easy because I am of the generation of ditto machines.
One always needs to appreciate their audience. Some are quite savy in the computer world. Others are not. To take it one step forward, culture too can play a big role in communication gap.
Shelly,
I am glad this module helped you see things from a different perspective. It is important to let students know that your classroom is a learning environment for everyone. Perfect.
It seems as though you are handling teaching in the online environment very well.
Thank you.
I really found this discussion to be eye-opening as well. To be quite honest, I do try very hard not to make assumptions about my students at all. Often, unless they share their age, I have no way of knowing it anyway. I have students from 18-70-ish and some are great when it comes to technology, communication and social skills and others are not...and it often has nothing to do with their age. I did think this was an interesting discussion though and it does provide some perspective on some of the challenges we face working with some students. I definitely feel encouraged to focus a bit more on communication, learning styles, etc. in my own class as this is just as important as the core content stuff.
With that said, I think one of the things that has really allowed students to feel like they can connect with me and feel supported by me is that I don't claim to be an expert. I don't claim to even know more than they do. I really present myself as someone here to facilitate and guide them in being successful. I am careful not to give away all of my authority, but I also want them to know that I see my role as a support. As someone who can help them create a plan for getting from Point A to Point B. I am careful to not be condescending because many of my students have far more life experience than I do.
