Mark Gray

When does one know if taking some time off for vacation is the best way to manage/decrease stress?

To what degree do you think Gen Y students see less of a need to "know" things given the almost immediate access to information they have grown up with and expect? Many older cohorts would need to access a library or encyclopedia to get information about something they don't know. There was more of a necessity to have the facts in our heads. Has this declined with Gen Y?

I often have students from three generational cohorts in the same class. The Gen Y's and Boomers often clash in learning styles and even avoid each other in group activities. What are the best ways for an instructor to bridge these tensions?

I notice students often tune out during video portions of the class. There is almost a sense that "this is not my text book or instructor so I don't need to pay attention." At the same time, students ay they like to view multimedia content. What is the best way to encourage them to pay the same attention to it (i.e., taking notes) as other formats?

First impressions matter and there are always a few students who make these during the second class! What is the best way to give these students who were absent the experience of the first class without disrupting the second session?

We often are encouraged to add more and more to our syllabi such as detailed summaries, assignment descriptions, etc. Isn't there a point where this becomes problematic and may even create anxiety for students? Doesn't it also limit the degree of surprise and anticipation they have for class? or may it even make them think about classes they could miss because they feel they already know about that or have done that before?

Many instructional styles we experienced as students and have adapted to our own classrooms were used before the advent of the internet, smart phones, and the "digital classroom." There are a number of studies indicating our students today have different expectations and needs when it comes to instruction. Within these arguments is a notion that lectures don't really "work' any more. How much should an instructor adapt their style to these new needs without minimizing content and learning objectives?