The “Net Generation:” Implications for Libraries and Higher Education University of Oregon Library Faculty Meeting February 1, 2007

OUTLINE Profile of the “Net Generation” The next cohort: What can we expect in 4-5 years? Reshaping library services for today’s students Implications for redesign of learning spaces Questions & Discussion

What is the Net generation, and what are their learning preferences?

Educating the Net Generation Diana Oblinger Vice President of EDUCAUSE

Born in or after 1982 Gravitate toward group activity 8 out of 10 say “it’s cool to be smart” Focused on grades and performance Busy with extracurricular activities Fascination with new technologies Racially and ethnically diverse Net Generation

By 21, average Net-Gen-er –10,000 hours video games –200,000 s –20,000 hours TV –10,000 hours cell phone –Under 5,000 hours reading That is 1/10 the time reading as other media Saturated with Media

Teams, peer-to-peer Engagement & experience Visual & kinesthetic Demand for immediacy Net Gen learning styles

Student in-class preferences Limited IT Moderate IT No IT Extensive IT Online Percentage ―Kvavik, 2004 Student Preferences for levels of instructional technology

Make learning interactive and experiential Consider peer-to-peer approaches Utilize real-world applications Emphasize information literacy in courses Mix online and face-to-face Encourage reflection Create opportunities for synthesis Use informal learning opportunities What should Faculty Do

“Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” - Marc Prensky, 2001

What can we expect in the next cohort of students?

Next Generation Kids approx. 15 years old today Continuation of the net generation only with increasing intensity. Multi-taskers Hands on, experiential Prefer media rich content Gadget and Technology rich Savvy Consumers Expect quick results Think technology is essential to education

Multitasking Always doing many things Short attention spans Developed “hypertext minds”

Hands On, Experiential Learn better by discovery Doing things much more interesting than listening about things Like working in groups and expect group work in courses Like interactive exchange Never read instructions

Prefer Media Rich Content Media saturation results in intuitive visual preference High levels of competency in visual / spatial (for example, gaming) Focus on visual and media comes at some expense in text literacy

Gadgets and Technology Technology is always there and they expect it work Ubiquitous access to multiple technologies does NOT translate to being an expert user Challenging for IT support organizations – kids have no interest in understanding how things work, they just want them to work Can we leverage these gadgets?

Savvy Consumers Expect to be able to choose what kind of education they buy as well as what, where and how they learn Want choices in most things Want to be able to customize everything.

Impatient Want what they want right now Part of the whole issue of multitasking High demands on service and support organizations

Technology is Essential It is such an important part of our world and embedded in our society, must know how to use it. It is helpful and makes things faster Helps poor students Makes learning about anything anytime easier To connect with friends

Some Debate Naomi Baron, linguistics professor at American University thinks parents and educators have created this monster by pandering to them “at some point, what we are doing is killing higher education” Michael Gorman, Dean of Library services at CSU Fresno and former President of ALA “this sort of end-of-history approach is dubious to me, this idea that we have reached a watershed and we have to throw everything aside and come in with new approaches”

More Debate Robert Johnson, VP for Information Services at Rhodes College “As huge university libraries push aside their books, they are sending a terrible message to their students”. Dale Smith, Director of Network Services at the University of Oregon “Don’t we have some responsibility to produce literate graduates?”

How Does Generational Change Shape Library and Information Services?

Roles of Librarians & Information Professionals Observing Changes: Libraries and information services have a front-row seat for seeing students’ learning behaviors Faculty Response: “We mold how they learn” The Problem for Us: How do we balance expectations of faculty and students? Richard Sweeney,University Librarian New Jersey Institute of Technology

Providing Information Resources Observations Students are awash in information The library’s information is harder to get to than the results of a Google search Solution? Work with faculty and through the curriculum to convey to students that there are different kinds of information, some more valuable than others

Organizing Information Resources Observations Obstacles to getting information seem inexplicable to students Anything less than full-scale digitization is less than impressive Solutions? Use technology to break down obstacles whenever possible Indoctrinate students to the romance of dusty volumes

Teaching about Information Resources Observations Role of librarians unclear to students Librarians may not be where the students are, when the students are Students may prefer figuring things out themselves, or with peers Solutions? Participate in the curriculum and campus life Find ways to be where the students are Explore peer-to-peer instructional service models

Enabling Students and Faculty to Use Information Resources Observations Students will use technology for its own sake; not so faculty Copying, reusing, and sharing information is easy -- especially if it’s digital. But is it legal? Solutions? Technology must enhance the learning experience Students and faculty must have a “safe space” for using information

How Would We Like for NetGens to Think of the Library? As a source of valuable and readily available information As a place equipped for learning and study -- both physical and virtual As a haven for a community of learners

How should we redesign learning spaces?

What are Learning Spaces? No longer a traditional classroom or strictly defined environment Can be anywhere that people learn – physical or virtual, classroom or chat room, on-campus or off- campus Linked to research on “Information Grounds” -- social settings in which people share everyday information while attending to a focal activity. (Karen Fisher, UW iSchool)

Informal Spaces Students spend more time out of class than in it Learning occurs through conversations, web surfing, social interactions Mingle, share, make connections Spontaneous interactions

NetGens Used to dealing with simultaneous inputs while working Different values when it comes to learning “Let’s build it” approach Collaborative, social creatures Almost symbiotic relationship with IT

Technology: The Enabler Technology is a tool Ubiquitous access to technology Laptops, tablets, cell phones, iPods, digital cameras, PDAs, etc. - Devices continue to get smaller, functionality becomes integrated Connected any time, any place

Learning Theory and Styles Shift from memorization to understanding Constructivist theory: –Contextual –Active –Social Problem-based

NetGen Learning Preferences Teams Peer-to-peer Engagement and experience Visual and kinesthetic Service learning

Learning Activities Collaborative Cooperative Supportive Active Multiple learning paths Multiple learning resources

Software and Tools IM, chat Real-time polling devices Screen sharing software Online quizzes and tutorials Media files Discussion boards E-portfolios Web-based file sharing Productivity, analysis, and presentation software

Facilities and Equipment Café and wireless are almost a given Comfortable, inviting environment Natural lighting Flexible seating Tables with space for all the “stuff” Accessible, adaptable, integrated facilities

Facilities and Equipment, cont. Flexible IT infrastructure and complete IT integration Shared screens: smartboards, projectors, LCD panels Printing Digital media workstations Multiple platforms, devices

Prediction is very difficult, especially of the future. -Niels Bohr

Ideas for Questions & Discussion Where can we find opportunities for collaboration -- between libraries; between libraries & other academic support partners? How do we make sure we support faculty who want to transition their teaching and curriculum? Does having an educated populace benefit society or is a college education a private good for the individual?

Questions & Discussion, continued We as service and support organizations have built arcane mechanisms that force the student and faculty to understand history and organizational structure to find help. What can we do about that?

Ideas for Questions & Discussion, continued The Net and Next Generation kids are used to customization, from cell phone covers, to the look and feel of the PC desktop, to web sites. What should we do to provide a customizable college experience?

Thank You! Andrew Bonamici