Teresa,
This is so true & as you say this means that we must put even more time into our preparation.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The instructional planning process may change into an effective results, connecting between generations is good blending, X approach and Y approach ideas will form into a scientific approach. Like skills plus technology equals hi-tech.
I find that planning for class needs to become a lot "looser" over the past four or five years. For example, today in my Ethics class we were discussing War, Terrorism and Civil Liberties and our class got into an interesting and helpful sidelight on the issue in Crimea. While this was something in the news I had read about this weekend I didn't realize the urgency and interest the Gen Y students in the class had for discussing this current event. Vietnam, 9/11 and Iraq we on the textbook menu but this sidelight proved much more inspiring. Be ready to change it up when the situation calls for it.
Kevin,
this is a great point & sometimes we can see that the social media/technology driven world does help our students know what's going on in the world.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As a Gen Y learner myself, I believe that the work and design has to be collaborative and flexible, responding to the needs of learners in the moment and engaging participants throughout the process.
It's important for instructors to understand Gen Y, because they will know which teaching style to use. Te instructors will know that the use of technology will probably be useful in the classroom.
The 'right now' mentality means that learning must be fast paced, applicable to the real world, and interesting. Multi-media and class discussions are a must. How do you all attempt to pacify the needs of Gen Y in a multi-generational classroom without alienating the other generations?
Sarah,
yes, we really should try to view the classroom as a dialogue that engages the learners.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
anthony,
yes, the better we understand our classes & the learners, the better we are equipped to reach them.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree with both this statement and the previous one. In my experience it does seem that Gen Y students have a very entitled approach to learning and teaching, getting an A for showing up. I have experienced a challenging attitude with some students to demonstrate their superior technological skills. One way of affectingly managing this type of attitude, for me, seems to be acknowledging their position and challenging more critical thinking beyond a technological understanding or dependence. Something that seems to be missing is an actual understanding of self reflection where as a technological dependence may weaken such an ability.
Christina ,
this is a good approach; I've noticed a lot more of questioning of grades so to me, having them "prove" why a question is right or wrong might be a good way to develop these skills.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree, you need to keep their attention by constantly switching the activites in the classroom. I sometimes keep them engage by involving their smart phone with the lecture.
I do not think ADD/ADHD is on the rise. I do agree that it is more widely diagnosed and quite possibly over diagnosed.
I agree, I feel as though I have to have a "wow" moment every 45 minutes or else I lose their attention. Whether it be a picture, a witty joke or something to impress them. I can't simply have a discussion/lecture as I would have in some of my own experiences in auditorium classes I once had in college. It seems my lectures have to be "TED" talks-esque.
cynthia,
I heard a great quote about this the other day from a psychologist: "People who think they have ADD/ADHD often just have a severe case of modern life." A good reminder that many times we need to take ownership & learn to filter for ourselves & not look for an excuse.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Characteristics of generation Y learners are that they are technology driven and tend to work well with positive encouragement.
I have often found that with Gen Y students I have to take a more out of the box approach to their learning. I have forgone the power points as much as possible and focus more on learning through discussion. This seems to keep their attention better than the lights out pour and snore methodology used while I was in school.
Jamie,
This is a great point & definitely true. This also helps them learn how to make sense of what they are hearing & not rely on the power point.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As Gen Y students have grown up surrounded by technology, the use of technology in the classroom has transformed from using technology to deliver education to something more integrated. I am a Gen Y individual myself, and many of my students use their smartphones in class to take video or pictures of demonstrations, and one student in particular plays back the video demos as he produces his own product in the lab.
Educators should be able to plan for this and use it to our advantage. The phone can be a valuable tool if we structure its use properly. It can also be a tremendous distraction if it is not managed carefully.
This generation is connected and they do communicate with their friends on a constant basics. Being connected fosters collaborative skills development, they learn to work together at an early age. Their collaborative skill accelerate the learning process.
