Preparing for the Next Generation: Teaching Millennial Students in the Community College Chuck Lepper Director of Faculty Development & Student Life Initiatives Ivy Tech Community College – Central Office April 21, 2007

Who is the Class of 2007? Nearly 70 Million strong vs. estimated 76 Million post-war baby boomers. Feel significant pressure to perform well – derived from their parent’s generation (Yuppies). In general, they are up beat, confident and have SOME of the moral and social perspectives associated with young adults in the 1960’s Greater focus on social class - recognition of benefits and barriers Due to parent’s success in the early 1990’s, they have become accustomed to luxury items and assume their careers will provide money to fulfill their needs Source: Fortune, July 24, 2000, Vol 142, Issue 3, pp

Strong desire to be well educated Concerned regarding ability to make $$ Grew up during a time of high divorce rates –desire to establish loving/caring families Technology oriented – do not view the computer as technology, but a way of life. “Control, Alt, Delete” is just as familiar as their ABC’s Source: Fortune, July 24, 2000, Vol 142, Issue 3, pp Who is the Class of 2007?

Differences Between Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennial Students Source: Brownstein, A. (2000, October) The Next Great Generation?, The Chronicle of Higher Education, A71. Baby Boomers Generation X Millennial Overall Mood PassionateCynicalPractical View of Authority AttackedIgnoredTrusted Academic Standards EasingLaxTightening Parental Role RecedingDistantIntruding Violence/ Risk Taking RisingHighConventional

Differences Between Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennial Students Baby Boomers GenerationXMillennial Pop Culture ControversialAlienatedBland Racial/Ethnic Consciousness AssertedAcceptedQuestioned Cutting Edge Fields Arts & Humanities Business & High Tech Politics and Social Sciences Community Service FallingLowRising Main Arguments About war and country About race and gender About class and culture “Big Question” What does it mean? Does it work? How do we build it? Source: Brownstein, A. (2000, October) The Next Great Generation?, The Chronicle of Higher Education, A71.

What Research Tells Us A “new” generation comes along every 22 years. Generations have one of four orientations: CivicAdaptiveIdealistReactive Source: O’Reilly, B., & Vella-Zarb, K. (2000). Meet the future. Fortune, 142(3), p

Generation by Generation GI’s/VeteranBorn Civic SilentsBorn Adaptive Baby BoomersBorn Idealist Generation XBorn Reactive MillennialBorn Civic ??????Born 2004 – 2026Adaptive Source: Managing & Motivating the Generations: Implications for the Student and the Employee, Combined Sections Meeting 2003, Peggy Blake Gleeson, Texas Woman’s University – Houston & Matrix Rehabilitation, Katy, TX.

Civic Orientation Typically Large in size Focus is on Technology and Institutions Last Batch came of age when FDR was President (WWII) Most likely respond to tangible not spiritual problems. Will focus on delivering practical solutions Source: O’Reilly, B., & Vella-Zarb, K. (2000). Meet the future. Fortune, 142(3), p

Millennials in the Classroom Incorporate Teamwork Technology is expected Expect teachers to know more than they do They want more attention from authority figures Active and interactive: let them move Visuals Provide multiple focal points Provide supervision and structure They are readers so provide more back up information Want to know “will it be on the test?” Make it fun, experiential, allow them to come up with their own solution. Source: Managing & Motivating the Generations: Implications for the Student and the Employee, Combined Sections Meeting 2003, Peggy Blake Gleeson, Texas Woman’s University – Houston & Matrix Rehabilitation, Katy, TX.

What Millennial Students Expect Frequent & instantaneous feedback – At the touch of a button Specific expectations Skills & information that reduce stress and increase marketability Training in people skills Fun and experiential learning Ability to come up with their own solutions TECHNOLOGY!!! Source: Managing & Motivating the Generations: Implications for the Student and the Employee, Combined Sections Meeting 2003, Peggy Blake Gleeson, Texas Woman’s University – Houston & Matrix Rehabilitation, Katy, TX.

Views on Technology 70% use instant messaging 41% use and instant messaging to contact teachers 84% own a computer and of that 25% own more than one computer 28% own a laptop computer 75% use for assignment clarification 73% are more likely to use internet than library for research Oblinger, D. (2003). Boomers, gen-xers & millennials: Understanding the new student. EDUCAUSE July/August 2003, p

Millennial Students are Information- Age Oriented!! Computer’s aren’t technology Spend more hours on-line than watching TV Reality is no longer real Doing is more important than knowing Learning more closely resembles Nintendo than logic Multitasking is a way of life Typing is preferred to handwriting Staying connected is essential Zero tolerance for delays Consumer and creator are blurring Oblinger, D. (2003). Boomers, gen-xers & millennials: Understanding the new student. EDUCAUSE July/August 2003, p

Some Ideas to Explore Pronto – Free on-line IM system through Blackboard On-Line Communities using Campus Connect Thematic Communities Service Learning Games Non-Banking approach to teaching Others??

Keys to Developing Successful Learning Environments Know who they are / Meet their needs Know why you are doing it (theory to practice) Assess learning and outcomes – adjust as needed Focus of teaching should be learning and not instruction View self as learning along with students Collaborate with others to create a seamless learning environment Think “outside the box”

Conclusion “ Focusing on student learning turns our thinking about the future of our colleges and universities upside-down: from faculty productivity to student productivity, from faculty disciplinary interests to what students need to learn, from faculty teaching styles to student learning styles, from classroom teaching to student learning” Source: Guskin, A.E. (1994, July/August). Reducing student costs and enhancing student learning: The university challenge of the 1990s. Change, 26, 4,