Screenagers, and how to educate them Dr. David A. Brown & Carl Merat

Screenagers Techno-savvy young people, reared on electronic screens and feel perfectly comfortable with them. Term coined in 1997 by Douglas Rushkoff in his book Playing the Future. What screens are we talking about?

Screens Television Computer Mobile phone ATM Pocket PC Tamagotchi Discontinued in 1998, Tamagotchi was an egg-shaped, pocket-sized gadget with a cartoon pet that appeared on a screen.

Televisions Until the 70’s, a screen delivered entertainment and information to a passive audience The remote control gave us interaction Today, the television screen provides multiple uses Mainly entertainment

Computers Early 80’s personal computers screens finally did something for us We moved from viewer to user We became not just active, but interactive Transformations: 1. Automation (computations) 2. Entertainment 3. Telecommunication

Mobile Phones More accurately described as a mobile screens Speaking into it uses only one of its many facilities For today’s generation it’s –an entertainment center –A portable lifestyle (communication) –an extension of self

How those between the ages spend their time in an average week hours online (excluding ) 13.6 hours watching television 12 hours listening to the radio 7.7 hours talking on the phone 6 hours reading non-school related books and magazines 2003 study from Yahoo Inc. and Carat North America

94% of youth ages who have Internet access use the Internet for school research 78% believe the Internet helps them with schoolwork. 47% say it helps them a lot. 71% of online teens used the Internet as the major source for their most recent school project. 41% of online teens use and instant messaging to contact teachers or classmates about schoolwork. 34% of online teens have downloaded an online study aid. 18% of online teens know of someone who has used the Internet to cheat on a paper or test Study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project Screenager’s Internet use

Screenager’s world Immediacy (real-time) Entertainment Choices Interaction (content & people) Flexibility Information Customization “New factor”

Educational considerations Pace of lesson Number of practice activities Making the case for relevancy Techniques for gaining and focusing attention Context of examples and practice activities Amount of structure and organization Type of feedback to give Level of learner control Reading/vocabulary level Amount and types of reinforcement Amount of time allowed for instruction Amount and type of learning guidance Level of concreteness / abstraction

Current trends Improving teaching and learning Incorporation of active learning Facilitating out-of-class learning Emphasize Assessment Learning centered approach

Facility dictates number of students per session. Specific time, schedule and location Instructor Led Cannot accommodate different learning styles Number of students not related to facility. Anytime, anywhere Learner Centric Can accommodate different learning styles Traditional vs. E-Learning

What promotes Learning Social learning experiences Varying instructional models Varying expectations Choices that allow students to capitalize on personal strengths and interests Overt use of socio-cultural context Course material that demonstrates valuing of diversity Creating Learning Centered Classrooms. What Does Learning Theory Have To Say? Stage, Frances K. - Muller, Patricia, A. - Kinzie, Jillian - Simmons, Ada 1998

Social learning Experiences, such as peer teaching and group projects, particularly those that promote group construction of knowledge, allow a student to observe other students' models of successful learning (social constructivism, self-efficacy, learning styles)

Varying instruction Models that deviate from the lecture format, such as visual presentations, site visits, and use of the Internet (multiple intelligences, learning styles, self-efficacy)

Varying expectations Alternate students' performance assessments, from individual written formats to group work that includes writing and presentation, interpretation of theatrical or artistic work, and performance of actual tasks at a work site (action based) (attribution theory, multiple intelligences, learning styles)

Add Choices Choices that allow students to capitalize on personal strengths and interests (self-efficacy, multiple intelligences, learning styles)

Create Context Overt use of socio-cultural situations and methods that provide authentic contexts and enculturation into an academic disciplinary community (social constructivism, conscientization)

Value diversity Course material that demonstrates valuing of diverse cultures, ethnic groups, classes, and genders (conscientization, learning styles)

“The danger in not analyzing the characteristics of an audience is assuming that all learners are alike. An even more common error is assuming that the learners are like the designers.” Smith & Ragan, Instructional Design 1999