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Student Learning & Millennials

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Understanding Digital Children - Ian Jukes. One element of my professional reading at the moment is reading through Ian Jukes “Understanding digital children (DK's) Teaching & Learning in the New Digital Landscape”. Ian looks at the difference between digital kids and teachers and the impact that this has on teaching and learning. At one point Ian summarises the differences between Native Learners (screenagers) and Teachers. We know that experience, like using a computer, will change the structure of our brain, This is a concept called Nueroplasticity. We also know that, the more intense the experience, the more profound the change. Our students, who often have a greater exposure to technology, are likely to be more nuerologically adapted, but adults can as easily be "Digital Natives".

I think this is analogous with Prensky's “Digital native and Digital immigrants”. Media Exposure Mark Prensky - in his papers digital natives and Digital immigrants, highlighted the exposure our students have to different forms of media. Hybrid Learning: How to Reach Digital Natives by Alan Rudi. “Hybrid education offers promise for engaging students who are demotivated by the lack of meaningful use of technology, and associated opportunities for skill-building and efficiency, in many lessons today.” As technology continues to advance and become more accessible around the world, experts who study how children learn are developing fresh paradigms designed to reach the new generation of students dubbed “digital natives.” The term emerged in 2001 from the work of Mark Prensky, a thought leader, speaker, writer, consultant, and game designer in the field of education and learning. Prensky is also an outspoken advocate of forming a more relevant system for teaching our children.

According to Prensky, digital natives are the young people growing up in the digital world. They cut their teeth on tech gadgets, smart phones, and the Internet and can’t conceive of a life without technology. Technology has transformed the world around us. Purpose-driven learning -- Editor return to top. College Students on the Web: User Experience Guidelines. Online Learning Readiness Checklist for Students. We pursue online learning with the same passion and commitment to excellence that has marked our 100-year history in quality Christian education. CU Online courses are rich in learner-to-learner and instructor-to-learner interactivity. We balance our courses between offering learners maximized flexibility in terms of coursework completion and the rigor that characterizes a quality (and often condensed) academic experience. Online courses are not necessarily easier or less time-consuming than are face-to-face courses. Online students form a diverse learning community that requires regular “attendance” and nurturing to maximize the learning potential of all participants.

If you are looking for a correspondence course, where you can work in isolation outside of a structured schedule, CU Online courses are not for you. If you have registered or are planning to register for an online course: Characteristics of Millennial Students: What Professors Need to Know. The first indication that the Millennial Generation may be different from previous generations is to consider how many different names we have for the generation and the people who belong to it. They’re referred to as Generation Y, Nexters, Baby Boom Echo Generation, Echo Boomers, Digital Natives, Generation Next, Generation Me and, of course, Millennials. If nothing else, they’re one of the most studied generations. And while it’s important we don’t stereotype an entire generation of individuals, the large body of research on those born between 1981 and 1999 (or there about) has provided us with unique insights into their learning preferences, behaviors and attitudes. Christy Price, EdD, a psychology professor at Dalton State College, became interested in Millennial learners when she noticed a gap between students’ expectation for success and the effort they put forth in the classroom (Price, 2009).

References: Price, C. (2009). Price, C. Adult Learners - Factor Contributing to Issues in eLearning. Early Attrition among First Time eLearners: A Review of Factors that Contribute to Drop-out, Withdrawal and Non-completion Rates of Adult Learners undertaking eLearning Programmes Keith Tyler-Smith Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology Christchurch, New Zealand tyler-smithk@cpit.ac.nz Introduction The issue of student retention and completion rates in distance education have been investigated and vigorously argued over for at least the last seven decades (Berge & Huang, 2004).

Some have reported attrition from eLearning as high as 70 - 80% (Flood 2002, Forrester 2000, in Dagger & Wade, 2004). Questions about the validity of much of this reporting have been raised as it is argued that statistics on retention and drop outs are, at best, fragmented, do not compare like with like, and are either unreliable and / or misleading (Hall, 2001, Wang, Foucar-Szocki, Griffin, O’Connor and Sceiford, 2003). Models of attrition for distance education Motivation and persistence.

Supporting Online Students.