I teach in the healthcare field and my students also seem to lose interest. My issue - I sure hope their healthcare providers don't stop in the middle of surgery or some other procedure to check social media. It makes one stop and think!
Cynthia,
this is a good point & there are definitely general concerns with attention spans today. I would also say that we need to give our students (most of them, there are exceptions) the benefit of the doubt that when they are in the work environment, especially if it's something like healthcare, they will understand appropriateness.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Gen Y students are contantly engaging in social networking activities. Utilizing these networks as part of the learning process not only makes the Gen Y students feel comfortable, it is also an efficient tool to augment the learning process.
My son has used FB chat for collaborating on assignments with other students. Occasionally they "studied together" for quizzes and exams. I'm not so sure how effective that was in high school, as his grades have improved dramatically in college where studying is primarily in the library or at a friend's home. As the MaxKnowledge content revealed, while education techniques and students' attitudes have changed, their brains have not.
Gen Y sees social networking as a must. They need to feel connected to feel a part of a community. The connectivity of a social network allows them to feel integrated and therefore accepted by their peers.
Answer: negatively.
Accepting the wisdom of a mob without having any interest in facts or critical thinking does not benefit society.
In today's society, more people are using various social media networks than ever before - so much to the point that more time is spent in social networks than in people calling each other on the telephone. Social networks provide a medium of communication that is accepted at all age levels, so influence is impacted significantly. Students are interested in using technology as a means of communication, so the social networking experience fits in nicely.
Hi Michael,
I agree with you completely. In today's campus classrooms, social time is definitely taking place. One thing I do in my class is to ask students to keep their cell phones on vibrate but that they may step out of class if they need to take or make a call - life still happens every day.
Susan ,
and we must explore these different learning methods & techniques.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
y student are more tech oriented and learn from online lessons as well as hands on tasks
Social Networks can be the new, "Refrigerator," in which students hang their tests that they made an A on. Social Networks can also be a positive-brand social support system, or a means to keep a tighter social support system with a great number of people causing the benefits of social expectation theory to propel students to achieve further success.
I am very hesitant and cautious regarding FB with students who are currently enrolled. I have found that even when there are clear policies regarding fraternization with students those lines can become clouded and blurry very quickly. I think it is safest for all, student and teacher alike to avoid this. Once they graduate, that is one thing but while they are still attending it is best to safe rather than be sorry.
I must be the odd-ball. I find facebook a great way to check up on students when they are absent from class. They will miss an exam, tell me that they were sick, and I see photos of them at the pool or at a park or with other friends. I tell them... nice try... You should unfriend and block me. lol.
These are great ideas to add to the classroom.
Social media allows them to gain instant feedback on pretty much anything - instructor, class, institution etc. and their actions and behaviors are heavily influenced by what they see on social media.
Update: Younger GenYers are turning away from facebook, and more often using twitter and instagram. Facebook is for "old" people. My 15 year old daughter no longer uses facebook, but is always on her phone.
Social networks influenece the learning of gen y students often by guiding a discourse. Often opinions are formed and reinforced by multiple sources via social media. Education can play a role by being part of the discussion, if they are allowed. There is also the risk of a class, school or instructor appearing on a news feed and the student rejecting it because they want the news feed to be friends only. This presents another risk of social networks which is "information shopping" where users seek views that only reinforce their personal bias, rather than seek opposing and often challenging views.
I agree, students may say they are checking their notes, while in reality they are sending
class mates answers to the tests.
More involvement and activity.
The use of social networks allows students to stay in contact outside of school. Many of my students have formed Facebook groups for their class in which they are able to discuss school. It enables them to find out work missed, arrange study groups and even vent. As an instructor I do not have access to these groups but believe that it is a great resource for them to have.
