I embrace the challenges with the older generations and help them to understand the main reason they are reintegrating education in their careers. They aren't here to just be stagnant and be unaccepting to change, instead they are here because they are embracing the challenge of change and reinvention. Most times that little first day speech really hits home!
Denise,
I like to remind those older students that push back as it related to online learning that I will be there to support them along the way and that employers have and will go this route with job training and they will already expect you to have some basic computer skills
Antoine Lewis
It seems that the majority of the students lacking computer skills are older. However, I do get younger students who are computer phobic. A lot of the fears of students stem from a lack of exposure to technology. I am amazed, though, at the number of students who embrace technology but lack some basic skills. For instances, many students will type a URL in a search engine instead of the appropriate location to find a specific site.
Martha,
I agree that the older generation often lack computer skills. The hard part can be those that do not embarrass change or giving it a chance. This digital age we are in can intimidate those older student wanting to further their education. I believe technology is good but we in higher education must do our part in having a balance of traditonal and new teaching methods. Lastly a proper credit worthy orientation course should be provided in my opinion to demonstrate you can handle online learning and the technology involved.
Antoine Lewis
So being one of those older people not so tech savvy, I have to say that is why I am taking this class to get some new ideas. I have already found that their are different search engines for academic learning. I can not wait to use that knowledge. I also have to say that I am so amazed with the younger people, they are so quick at picking up new things like technology. It is like it is part of their DNA. These young people grow up with hearing terms like search engines, zip files, rar, and never open an exe. It is a whole foreign language class they didn't offer back when computers when these big huge blocks that took up most of the room. So the challenges I see in my classroom is the language barrier.
Carrie,
I have found that getting your own DropBox and using excel regularly while also incorporate videos into your assignments and/or class discussion helps with the technical experience for you and the students. At the end of the day lectures and class discussion is still productive but adding audio or visual adds to how our young students learn.
Antoine Lewis
