James,
and the more we can incorporate this technology into our classes the better chance we have of reaching these students.
Dr. Ryan Meers
The impact that I see mostly is connectivity and the immediate response. These learners need to have multiple resources through technology in order to complete assignments and discussions and this can be seen in the classroom and the online classroom. With an online classroom it is expected to have this connectivity because this is the primary way of communication through a classroom portal. However, in a ground classroom setting I have seen a positive response to these learners when I connect a classroom portal for them to receive grades, feedback, assignments, discussions, resources and announcements. This not only connects this generation but it assists the other generations who are not as tech savy to utilize and practice this form of learning and communication.
The immediate response impact is something that I as a Gen Xer am still getting use to. The expectation that learning or feedback or communication may not always be immediate is frustrating to Gen Y and this is hard to grasp sometimes. Should the lesson be to push for immediate response for optimal learning or is the lesson to slow things down. This is something that I go back and forth with.
Leigh,
I too struggle with this idea as a Gen Xer. I've tried to accomodate the need for immediate feedback without killing myself in the process.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Gen Y students are used to instant gratification due to reliance on technology like the internet. If a student had a question to research in the past, they would drive to the library, use a card catalog to find a book, use the index to find the topic, then read the information they needed. This could take 1-2 hours. Now students "google" it and receive information within seconds. This fast-paced lifestyle fosters a generation of students that are easily distracted, impatient, and inquisitive. There is a lot of pressure on instructors to know more, be more innovative/entertaining during lecture and to give instant feedback.
I quite agree with this. Quite often I find students are lost without their "smart phones, etc." But as their ability to access information becomes more efficient, unfortunately and quite frequently, they are unable to decipher, discern and assimilate this information. Because of the deluge of info so readily available, it's increasingly difficult for them to focus sufficiently on anything.
This often seems to lead to frustration. Unfortunately some of the learning methods (dismissed as 'old school' and summarily disregarded) like taking concise notes, drawing diagrams/sketches, applying logic or common sense are still quite valid means of education.
Additionally, I've often found the technology to be a serious distraction (pretty, shiny objects)—texting during lectures, checking voice and e-mail on impulse. As they become more savvy, they're not necessarily getting smarter.
Charlotte,
yes this can be very frustrating & we need to try & help our students learn the balance between instant gratification & effective research.
Dr. Ryan Meers
David,
great summary of some of the struggles that we face with this generation of students.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Technolgy has impacted gen y students in a great way there are very much in tune with the every day changes of technolgy. The danger is just like it says in the course instructor beware.If you as an instructor are not in the the fast lane of technolgy admit it. The Gen Y students are very eager to learn what they dont know and very helpful with what they do know
I agree that Gen Y students may lack the understanding behind why a topic is important. They have access to so much information and it can be a challenge for them to sift through what is important as well as why it is important.
I enjoy using technology when I teach(such as the internet)so that students can quickly access information, as well as learn techniques for finding legitimate and pertinent information. Students can apply the information they find by doing some type of small group work (which they seem to enjoy). Case studies lend themselves well for students to use the information they find and to use critical thinking so that the "why" behind the content becomes apparent to the learner and also makes sense to them.
I feel that students tend to have more difficulty focusing on the task at hand. I feel the need to repeat myself more often with these students.
I agree. It seems technology could be making some students "lazy" as they no longer feel they have to figure things out on their own becaue they can simply Google something or use Wikipedia to give them the answers they need. So the readily-available technology we have could be a double-edged sword.
Warren,
I think you make a great point here. I've found that Gen Yers respect you more when you're not a techie & admit it, then trying to bluff.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Shelly,
yes, this is a great use of the internet. We need to show our students that the internet can provide reliable info at a fast pace.
Dr. Ryan Meers
it also seems that they beleve that what they read online is always the truth and try to use this against what we are teaching. I am so tired of hearing can i google that.
Brian,
I too have found this to be a struggle. I think the key is to try & help them learn how to research effectively with technology & helping them realize that sometimes they need to move away from technology & do it the old fashioned way.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Technology has become such an integral part of Gen Y. This generation has a world of knowledge at their fingertips through computers, and smart phones and other devices. They don't need to really research anything anymore they can just google it.
Daniel,
I agree & part of our job is to help them become wise discerners & consumers of that information.
Dr. Ryan Meers
You are able to find and figure anything with the aid of technology. I however feel this diminishes the thought process of the brain and does not help a student fully develop.
Students of this generation rely too heavily on technoligy and at some point it may come back to haunt them. Should the power grid fail and they no longer had electricity to operate their devices, I'm not sure they could survive. I grade papers from these kids all of the time and the spelling is horid. someone told me that schools don't even bother teaching spelling because computers have spell check and when you add texting and the spelling and symbolism used there,it really becomes a challenge to figure out what they are trying to convey on paper. We are really dumbing people down in a traditional sense. I find that a lot of my students don't even know how to read an analog clock and can't do simple math without a calculator. Maybe I see this as a problem since I am more or less a boom-xer being born in 1960 and am able to relate to both gerenations easily.
I agree Jeff. The writing skills are horid, but I am also seeing basic communication skills suffering as well. Common courtesy to people seems to have to be asked for. Formulating a sentence without saying "like" 3 times is a struggle. They would rather text someone sitting beside them than try to carry on a conversation. I guess we are too old to understand. The generation above me couldn't understand us either.
