1 The Next Generation Learner Diana G. Oblinger, Ph.D. EDUCAUSE Live, July Copyright Diana G. Oblinger, This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

2 Kids

3 Children age 6 and under 2.01 hours / day playing outside 1.58 hours using computers 40 minutes reading or being read to 48% of children have used a computer 27% 4-6 year olds use a computer daily 39% use a computer several times a week 30% have played video games Playoutside Usecomputer Reading – Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003

4 Teens web use 100% use the Internet to seek information on colleges, careers and jobs 94% use the Internet for school research 41% use and instant messaging to contact teachers or schoolmates about class work The Internet is their primary communication tool 81% friends and relatives 70% use instant messaging to keep in touch 56% prefer the Internet to the telephone – Lenhart, Simon & Graziano, 2001; NetDay, 2003

5 What kids want from the net – Grunwald Associates, 2003 New & exciting Base: Kids Learn more/better Community Show others what I can do Be heard Percentage

6 What would you do without the Internet? We could not do any schoolwork We have to have the most current, up to date information to be accurate Devastatedeverything would be so much harder and take so much longer to do We depend upon having the Internet now How would your schoolwork be affected if you no longer had access to the Internet anywhere? – NetDay, 2003

7 College students

8 The Net Generation Born in or after 1982 Gravitate toward group activity 8 out of 10 say its cool to be smart Focused on grades and performance Busy with extracurricular activities Identify with parents values; feel close to parents Respectful of social conventions and institutions Fascination for new technologies Racially and ethnically diverse Howe & Strauss, 2003

9 Freshman experience base Ctrl + Alt + Del is as basic as ABC They have never been able to find the return key Computers have always fit in their backpacks They have always had a personal identification number --Beloit College, 2003 Paul Newman has always made salad dressing Bert and Ernie are old enough to be their parents Gas has always been unleaded

10 Todays learners Digitally literate Mobile Always on Experiential Community-oriented

11 Media literacy 10,000 hours video games 200,000 s 20,000 hours TV 10,000 hours cell phone Under 5,000 hours reading By age 21, the average person will have spent – Prensky, s Video Games Reading Television Cell Phone

12 Internet: A social technology Net Geners use the Internet primarily as a social technology While at home, students use the Internet to maintain multiple lines of communication with others IM used for quick communication (e.g., Whats up?) or phone used for longer communication Home computer is repository of important information; other devices used to transport the material (laptop, PDA) --Lextant, 2003

13 Out of class experience The largest discretionary block of time for students is outside of class Students have clearer memories of singing or writing or volunteering than of a class Kuh, et al.,1994 & Light, /5 th of students said the specific incident that changed them profoundly took place outside of the classroom Learners construct their own courses of learning, often facilitated by technology

14 NetGen learning preferences Teams, peer-to-peer Structure Engagement & experience Visual & kinesthetic Things that matter

15 Net Gen strengths Multitasking Goal orientation Positive attitudes Collaborative style Technology savvy Raines, 2002

16 College Internet use – Jones, % Internet has a positive impact on academic experience 73% Use the Internet more than the library for research 72% Check every day 60% believe the Internet has improved relationships with classmates 56% believe the Internet has improved relationship with professors 46% Allows them to express ideas that they would not have expressed in class

17 Rising expectations The rising expectations of computer-literate constituents are difficult to meet Service expectations Self-service Customer-service Immediacy Customization Choice Students want customizable learning experiences They are more vocal in expressing their opinions

18 Non-traditional becomes traditional More than half of undergraduates are women One-third are other than white 43% are 24 or older (i.e., of non-traditional college age) 80% are employed 39% are employed full-time 10% or undergraduates have a disability Number of students (ages 5-24) who speak a language other than English at home more than doubled from 1979 to 1999 NCES, 2003

19 Adult learners 35% of undergraduates are adult learners 70% of all adult learners are female 38 is the median age of undergraduate adult learners 45% of adult learners are over years of age 80% of adult learners are employed – Swail, 2002 citing NCES, 2002

20 Risk factors Part-time enrollment Delaying entry into post-secondary ed Lack of high school diploma Having children Being a single parent Financially independent Working full time while enrolled --NCES, 2003 Risk factors associated with not completing a degree

21 Generational comparison

22 Product of the environment Video games Computers GenerationXGenerationX The Web Multiple, mobile devices Instant messaging Online communities Net Gen BabyBoomersBabyBoomers TV generation Typewriters Memos

23 Attitudes TV Generation PC Generation Net Generation WebWhat is it?Web is a toolWeb is oxygen CommunityPersonal Extended personal Virtual PerspectiveLocalMulti-nationalGlobal CareerOne career Multiple careers Multiple reinvention LoyaltyCorporationSelfSoul AuthorityHierarchyUnimpressedSelf as expert Savage, 2003

24 Age vs. online preferences 63% 55% 38% 26% (N = 27) (N = 324)(N = 814) (N = 344) Dzuiban, 2004 Students who were very satisfied with Web-based learning by generation

25 Implications

26 Infrastructure

27 Pervasive learning Mobile Federated devices Ubiquitous Internet Presence aware Integrated & aggregated Interactive Social

28 Digital archives

29 Learning objects Any digital resource that can be reused to support learning Customizes learning experiences Fosters new relationships through sharing content Streamlines course development Metros, 2003

30 Cyberinfrastructure Remote data collection First-person learning Development of expertise NSF IIS Sanderson, 2004

31

32 Pedagogy

33 Interaction Concept inventories Student response units Immediate results keep students engaged Allows real-time modification of instruction A.About half as long for the heavier ball B.About half as long for the lighter ball C.About the same time for both balls D.Considerably less for the lighter ball, but not necessarily half as long E.Considerably less for the heavier ball, but not necessarily half as long Two metal balls are the same size, but one weighs twice as much as the other. The balls are dropped from the top of a two story building at the same instant of time. The time it takes the balls to reach the ground below will be:

34 Simulations

35 Visualizing problems

36 SCALE-UP Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs Class time spent on tangibles and ponderables Problem solving, conceptual understanding and attitudes are improved Failure rates are reduced dramatically --Beichner & Saul, 2003

37 Augmented reality Combines physical world and virtual world contexts Embeds learners in authentic situations Engages users in a socially facilitated context Computer simulation on handheld computer triggered by real world location Klopfer & Squire, 2003

38 Environmental detectives Players briefed about rash of local health problems linked to the environment Provided with background information and budget Need to determine source of pollution by drilling sampling wells and ultimately remediate with pumping wells Work in teams representing different interests (EPA, industry, etc.) Klopfer & Squire, 2003

39 Results Augmented reality: engaging and easy Cooperation and competition in game play Gender patterns appear (males are number driven; females are interpersonally driven) Klopfer & Squire, 2003

40 Questions to ask How well do we understand our students? Do we have an infrastructure that enables ubiquitous access? How interactive are our learning environments? Are there ways that technology could increase that interaction? What types of physical spaces will lead to greater learning? to greater community? Do we meet student expectations for service and convenience?

41 © 2004 All rights reserved.