Net Gen Students, Learning, and Libraries Joan K. Lippincott, Coalition for Networked Information Oklahoma Chapter, ACRL November 10, 2006 Joan K. Lippincott, Coalition for Networked Information Oklahoma Chapter, ACRL November 10, 2006

Net Gen Students Born Grew up with computers and other media at home and in school from earliest ages Never were tethered to communication in a place Born Grew up with computers and other media at home and in school from earliest ages Never were tethered to communication in a place

Other Names… Millennials Digital Natives Gen Y Gen Next DotNets (Pew Internet & American Life) Millennials Digital Natives Gen Y Gen Next DotNets (Pew Internet & American Life)

Characteristics of Net Gen Students Always connected, multi-tasking Oriented to working in groups Experiential learners Visual Producers as well as consumers Always connected, multi-tasking Oriented to working in groups Experiential learners Visual Producers as well as consumers

Pew Internet & American Life Students are disproportionately likely to be (Internet) content creators Content Creation Online, 2004 Students are disproportionately likely to be (Internet) content creators Content Creation Online, 2004

How They Engage with Learning James Hilton, writing about his son’s Leonardo da Vinci project: As we worked together (on a Powerpoint), the thing that surprised me was how deeply he connected with the project. He asked enthusiastically: “How can I find another picture? How can I say something more here?”…He connected with Leo in ways that had not happened before and in ways that too rarely happen in the college classes I teach. I am simply not finding ways to take advantage of “rip, mix, and burn,” Nor are we in higher education embracing the potential for unbundling the ways we thing about scholarship - not just for student assignments but for all kinds of scholarship.” EDUCAUSE Review March/April 2006

Producers of Information for the Global Community “Blogging is an opportunity to exchange our points of view with the rest of the world, not just people in our immediate environment.” 5th grade Quebec student quoted by Downes, EDUCAUSE Review 2004

Net Gen and Traditional Learning Multi-media Figure it out Work in groups Multi-task Multi-media Figure it out Work in groups Multi-task Text-based Learn from experts Individually based Logical, linear Net Gen StudentsTraditional Learning & Libraries

It’s About More than Style… It’s about learning

What kind of learning? Deep learning Active Contextual Engaged Locally owned Social Deep learning Active Contextual Engaged Locally owned Social Carmean and Haefner, 2003

Forging New Relationships Academic/Social Virtual/Physical Learners/Teachers/Librarians Academic/Social Virtual/Physical Learners/Teachers/Librarians

Blending In-person and Virtual "Social networking sites like The Facebook are quickly blurring the line between online and real-world interactions. While most adults still separate their virtual existence from their real-world lives, college kids are increasingly living in both worlds at once.” Erika Lewis, Carleton College student from her Podcast script for a class "We Media: The Personal Media Revolution”

New Ways of Thinking about Teachers and Learners “We strive to stay ahead of the technology curve in ways that often exhaust older generations. This drive to keep pace with current trends is not fueled by society’s ability to educate and teach these technologies. Instead, we are a generation of learners by exploration.” Carrie Windham, student, Educating the Net Gen

Implications for Libraries Content Service styles New spaces Content Service styles New spaces

Content: Preparing students to become information producers Thinking of content in production mode, not just access mode Understanding new modes of scholarly communication Providing access to new types of tools Thinking of content in production mode, not just access mode Understanding new modes of scholarly communication Providing access to new types of tools

U. Virginia Valley of the Shadow

Cold War Timeline at Santa Clara University

Article in Vectors

USC Student Project

NCSA Evolution Highway Genome Project

Data for Visualization

GMU History Tools

New service styles Social networking Personalization Education - new emphases New forms of service delivery Social networking Personalization Education - new emphases New forms of service delivery

Facilitating new communities “Since we know that students are spending more time in social networking environments like MySpace and Facebook, building complex communities and sharing musings and opinions on everything…lets form a partnership with one of those companies to build a networking space focusing on the information needs of students. Such a site could enable dialogue and collaboration among its users, discussion of readings, and creation of multimedia class projects.” Kate Wittenberg, CHE, June 16, 2006

UIUC Undergrad Library Facebook

Brooklyn College Library MySpace

PennTags Social Bookmarking

U. Minnesota Undergrad Page

Who is teaching your students about: Statistical analysis software GIS software Multi-media software Visualization Use of digital libraries Use of large scientific data sets Information standards and preservation Policy issues related to information and technology Statistical analysis software GIS software Multi-media software Visualization Use of digital libraries Use of large scientific data sets Information standards and preservation Policy issues related to information and technology

Educating Students about Information

New Forms of Service Delivery New ways of accessing information Student-oriented services Blending virtual and physical services New ways of accessing information Student-oriented services Blending virtual and physical services

Visual representations of information

UPenn Business FAQ

Dartmouth RWIT: Center for Research, Writing & IT

Better blending of physical and virtual services Extensions of physical services on the web Blogs, LMS presence, chats after instruction sessions Extensions of virtual services in the physical learning space Events, speakers, films tied to web content Blending of print and digital collections Displays; News services Extensions of physical services on the web Blogs, LMS presence, chats after instruction sessions Extensions of virtual services in the physical learning space Events, speakers, films tied to web content Blending of print and digital collections Displays; News services

bioLIBlog and Biology Night at the Library at U. Tennessee

Cornell’s Mann Library Screensaver

Dartmouth News Center

New spaces Information commons Multi-media studios Group areas Informal spaces and cafes Information commons Multi-media studios Group areas Informal spaces and cafes

Libraries that fit student lifestyles Thinking of your information needs and lifestyle, which fits perfectly with your lifestyle? 64% Search engines 30% Online library 24% Library From OCLC College Students’ Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources Thinking of your information needs and lifestyle, which fits perfectly with your lifestyle? 64% Search engines 30% Online library 24% Library From OCLC College Students’ Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources

Indiana U. Information Commons

Dickinson College Info Commons

U. Mass. Amherst Learning Commons

Dartmouth Library

Vassar Media Cloisters

Georgia Tech Practice Presentation Room

U. Georgia Student Learning Center

Accomplishing change Hiring new types of staff Providing training for existing staff “Reverse mentoring” Working in teams with students Experimenting, piloting Adopting, adapting Doing research, assessment Letting go… Hiring new types of staff Providing training for existing staff “Reverse mentoring” Working in teams with students Experimenting, piloting Adopting, adapting Doing research, assessment Letting go…

Understanding Today’s Students “For as I read through article after article on the topic of academic librarianship, the prominent message is that today’s college students are lazy, procrastinating, plagiarizing patrons of the glut of information that has come to be known as the Internet.” Christen Thompson, portal, 2003

Or….Should We Shift Gears

The Net Gen Are Our Future Assist students with making the transition from the recreational use of technology to academic use of technology Provide environments, physical and virtual, which engage students Promote creativity in students’ discipline- related work Assist students with making the transition from the recreational use of technology to academic use of technology Provide environments, physical and virtual, which engage students Promote creativity in students’ discipline- related work

Further Information… Contact Joan Lippincott: “Net Generation Students and Libraries,” Educating the Net Gen, an EDUCAUSE e-Book, Photos are from websites, my collection, individual institutions, and Joanne Hennings’ website on I.C. Contact Joan Lippincott: “Net Generation Students and Libraries,” Educating the Net Gen, an EDUCAUSE e-Book, Photos are from websites, my collection, individual institutions, and Joanne Hennings’ website on I.C.