I am a Boomer teaching adult learners, some of which are Gen X and some are Gen y. It seems that both respond well to use of any technology in the classroom. Gen Y students, from my point of view, are much more impatient and lose attention easily so lesson planning for them needs to be faster pace and more entertaining than for the Gen Xers. Gen X students are less demanding on the methods of presentation of information and don't tend to question the knowledge or qualifications of the instructor as much as Gen Y.
Jon ,
this is a great observation & echoes my experience as well. Gen Y planning requires a little more time & energy for sure.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find the Gen Y students tend to want the instant gratification without puting thought or effort into their work which can be conflicting among students in na smaller class setting when the students gap multiple generations and the older students put tremendous effort into learning and work
Gen Y are tech savvy, multitasking.
I find when I am grading test, Gen Y students want to know what their grades are before anyone else, and take it personal when they miss 1 question. They also have a strong need to be constantly attached to their electronic devices, and gaming is their social interaction with others. Some of my Gen Y students are more into fictional character challenges that reality.
Tammy,
yes, I've noticed this myself. You are very right about taking the missed questions personally & I have to consistently remind my students that this is not necessarily a commentary on them personally.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I tend to agree with this observation. I found a correlation between Gen Y learners, the instant gratification and their reliance on technology to solve their problems instead of formulating their own hypothesis and theories. Couple that with the propensity to work in team and their reliance on sources outside themselves becomes a limiting factor in their own development. There is a disconnect between self reliance and success in the future workplace for them.
You must integrate technology into the learning environment to hold their interest and create value.
Bob,
I had an interesting conversation with some Gen Y students about this very thing. Their own perceptions was that they have lost something with their over reliance on pulling up information rather than memorizing.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
So as an educator, how do you reach them to show them that they need to break the habit of relying on others and start thinking and problem solving for themselves?
most gen y students tend to rely on there internet and cannot think on there own they seem to want instant gratification. it some times is helpful to have them work in grope with other gens
I feel sorry for the Generation Y learners. I don’t think it’s that they are not willing to learn they just don’t know how to learn in many cases. I believe they have so many distractions, which includes the internet, cell phones, video games, or technology. In general, in this busy world, I feel it does impede their learning to a certain extent. As an educator, I know how these distractions can affect the learning process and I try and make every possible effort to help them avoid those distractions and help them understand the importance education has for their future.
I had to look up lacing wheels, and I found a whole new world! Thanks for broadening my world view, Jeffery!
Nice metaphor, Peter! Not only do I notice a reluctance to read but also an inability to read anything even slightly complex. If it requires layers of thinking, they're lost. To continue with your metaphor, if it isn't served to them as baby food, they'll starve because they haven't learned how to chew.
Because they expect technological bells and whistles, I'm learning to make good use of them. But I also try to hand them some real-life elements to touch (like rock specimens in my English class). They expect quick, easy answers, since the internet supplies that so readily, but we work on patience and persistence when the first search doesn't satisfy our need. They like being 24/7 in touch with their friends, but they resist team projects with people they don't know because that will involve more effort than just texting and they don't trust that others will or can handle anything more substantial. There's also an odd sense of entitlement, an expectation that the teacher must do all the work and that they deserve an A because they registered for the course. To balance that unfortunate attitude, once they discover they can delve more deeply into ideas, they mobilize their resources and produce marvelous displays of learning. It's an adventure!
Paul,
this is a good observation. They do need to learn how to silence the distractions & force themselves to fully focus & concentrate on the task at hand & also how to learn for themselves.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have found that sometimes it’s a real challenge to get the “buy in†from Gen Y. You have to take the time to explain the benefits of the lesson before they will put the effort into learning.
Gen Y learners are used to instant gratification thanks to technology. They have become very visual and used to constant interaction. It is important that educators understand this and plan instruction that is visual and shows them instantly how they are doing with the topic. This means incorporating visual and kinesthetic means into lessons and learning. The standard lecture will not work for them - they will be bored and tune out. Educators need to step out of their comfort zone and learn how to reach these learners.
Brian,
yes, this is very true. Taking the time to explain the "why" & the value/benefits as you said it well worth it to help with engagement.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Teaching to a level that they are understand is great, but if yoo introduce them to a different learning style they tend to adapt.
