I am a baby boomer and not the most tech saavy person. However, teaching to Gen Y students has forced me to rethink the tradional black/white board method of giving information. I'm using alot more tech in my classrooms and have found out it is often easier to give information that way.
gen y students expect immediate gratification
ROBERT,
this is a great point & really goes back to good ole audience analysis & making sure I know how to reach my present audience.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
charles,
that's great to hear & bravo to you for being flexible & willing to try new & different methods.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Good point. I know Gen Y is known for their multi-tasking ability but recent studies have shown that when people signal task they are more productive and in a learning environment they learn and retain more information.
This is hard to get across to students who think that they can text, listen to the lecture, and browse on their lap tops and still have an understanding of the material.
What they don’t understand is that it’s not the multi-tasking but constant stimulation they crave. As an instructor this is something that I have to work with and design learning environments that allow students to remain stimulated (for example multiple stations where students are ask to perform a task or teach another student a task before moving to the next station). While at the same time encouraging students to learn how to focus on one task and completing it before starting another. In her book Mind in the making Ellen Galinsky has identified focus as one of the seven essential skills every child needs to learn.
Since I teach in a food and beverage arena (culinary arts) I will use hospitality here as my example. Years in the business and in the classroom has taught me that you have to know your customer so you can meet or exceed their expectations. Are you catering to a group of Mary Kay sales reps or the National Welders Guild? Well lunch might look a bit different eh? Understanding what the different generations have experienced, how they learn and what they bring to the educational table can enhance learning for all. It all starts with knowing the audience! Once you "know" something about them (which can be accomplished by simply asking, ice breakers etc) you can customize and modify your approach to suit the group. Let's face it-great-engaging-well planned teaching works for all!
michelle,
this is a great point & one to take note of; it really does go back to good ole audience analysis.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I use a variety of mediums when I teach. However, I find I need to be careful about the assignments I give my students. I teach to an age diverse group with students ranging from 19-60 years old. I have given assignments that require students to research information from the internet. I have found my generation X and Y students often have little difficulty however my Boomer's get frustrated with searching the web. It can be difficult to find a happy middle ground between keeping Gen Y engaged and frustrating Boomers that can be easily overwhelmed by today's technology.
When planning instruction for Gen Y students, it is essential to incorporate technology into their instruction. You must realize that these students are more likely to watch a youbtube video on how something is done than read the text of it from their textbook. They want to have access to you and the course at all times. I have taken full advantage of our school's portal to keep them up to date with assignments, commentary and grades.
Generation Y Learners are not individuals looking for information. Routinely any information that can be presented in a classroom setting can be obtained through the use of technology. As William Clinton once said at NYU's Graduation, "11 year olds can find on the Internet what I had to go to a University to learn."
Using this realization, presentation of information can be the start of a process for translating the information into understanding. While telling a student that the Arteries send blood from the Heart and the Veins bring it back, explaining the steps inbetween with analogies such as a, "Garden Hose," to translate the understanding of pressure will help these students incorporate the information to their field.
Robbi,
yes the portals are a great way to keep connected & to provide much of the information in the format & way that the Gen Y students appreciate the most.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Gen Y individuals tend to want everything handed to them. So you have try and get them into a thought process of their own, so they may have a better chance of survival in the real world.
One way it impacts my instructional planning process is that I find myself using technology more and more to enhance my lectures in the classroom.
Gen Y students expect and have access to lot of information, but they have trouble analyzing details of the information available to them. Also many times they have access to incorrect information (too much information available) which may have negative impact.
For Gen Y students you must incorporate their way of learning into the lesson. You must use technology and more importantly, embrace the direction of tech use rather than try to push against it. Using smart phones as part of the lecture or allowing them to bring in their ipads for note taking is the new wave.
I teach law and criminal justice classes. Both professions require some degree of literacy. I, therefore, require students in introductory courses to write a book report. Many of the Gen Y ers tell me that it is the first book they have ever read. They all have terrible handwriting because they are used to doing schoolwork on a computer.
Generation Y learners impact the instructional planning process because the world revolves around them. Here at our cooking school, our lessons need to have social media integrated into the curriculum so that we can keep them engaged. We schedule time during our demonstrations and for them to take pictures of the finished product. Generation Y students need to stay connected with their “FRIENDS†at every moment of the day. We remind the Y generation that the customers that have money to spend on “Eating Out†Right now! are from the Baby Boomers and the X generations. They will not have customers if they only make what they like to eat.
Saroj,
you nailed it on the head regarding one of the challenges of the vast amount of information that we currently have at our fingertips. I personally feel one of our jobs as instructors today is not so much teaching how to find the information, but rather how to determine which information is valuable & trustworthy.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Gen Y learners seem to have less of an attention span for me when I am lecturing in person, yet they can comfortably sit through an hour on-line lecture with slides and visuals. I would have to assume that I need to become a multi-media persona to communicate most effectively with them. Which I am constantly working on improving.
Definitely need to think outside of the conventional teaching box and implement various methods to effectively communicate the information by using the tools they use for discovery and research.
