Millennials & Digital Learning Steve Kessinger Director of Information Services & Technology skessinger@bluefield.edu

Target Acquired

This creates EXPECTATION First thoughts… Millennials are a generation unlike any other They do not know life without tech This creates EXPECTATION

How have we dealt with this expectation? Think about this a moment… Did we blow a head-gasket? Did we threaten to pull our hair out? Did we ignore it and keep doing what we do?

How should we deal with this “millennial expectation”? Bring lectures into this millennium Use multimedia - videos, memes, pictures, etc. Leverage your LMS – even in a traditional setting Use but be wary of social networking – don’t try to be too dank Enough with the paper Stop printing – no really – please stop – we’ll talk more on this… Stop, Collaborate, & Listen Get it? If so, you’re on the right track! Create collaborative environments for feedback, assignments, etc. Engage in Active Learning to foster Personalized Learning Environments where the students help drive the direction of the course rather than delivering the same content each term

So, if I do this – what then? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAp17wYIMLU

Why should I adapt to millennial expectation? Millennials are masters of social engineering Millennials thrive on social networking. They will not think twice about voicing their displeasure publically in a way that makes you and the institution look bad. Your job may depend on it Even if you have tenure, bad publicity is bad publicity. Social networking can have a direct impact on lowering enrollment which can ultimately result in staffing/program cuts. If you’re in the K-12 arena, bad publicity isn’t going to be taken lightly by your Board of Education with so many social media stories hitting mainstream media.

How does this make me better? It gives you credibility with your students Millennials endure a reputation for being whiny, entitled, lazy, etc. They are sick of the stereotyping. As with anyone else, they want to be respected for their strengths and for what they bring to the table. Meeting millennials’ expectations creates passion for learning Working with millennials on their own terms will get results. Reliance on technology makes you a greener teacher Wait. What? By changing my teaching methods, I can also become environmentally friendly?!?!

The Greener Teacher: A Win/Win By posting syllabi, giving assessments through a LMS, grading electronically, communicating/collaborating online, and reducing reliance on text through the use of multimedia, you’re becoming more environmentally responsible. DID YOU KNOW? Bluefield College’s printing habits are on track to kill 83 1/8 trees this year and generate nearly 10 tons of CO2. To put things in perspective, that equates to nearly 550,000 hours running a 60W bulb! DID YOU KNOW? Between the beginning of Fall 2016 and midterms of the Spring semester, faculty printing has cost the College approximately $6,700.

Questions/Comments?