Today's students have been raised in an age when technology is advancing rapidly and they are constantly exposed to digital media, making them very different from earlier generations of learners. According to Diana Oblinger studetns today are generally not afraid of technology, are connected constantly to information and other people, prefer experiential, hands-on learning, expect immediate results, and are very social. Oblinger detailed several characteristics that generally describe today's learners:
No Fear Of Technology - Although today's learners feel comfortable learning and using new technology, it doesnt mean that they know all techology.
Hands-On Learners - Many young learners today perfer hands on learning.
Social - Today's students feel comfortable connecting and socializing in ways that previous generations would never consider. Unlike previous generations, which generally relied on a hierarchical method of learning, today's learners take a more lateral approach to learning, valuing what they learn from peers and nontraditional sources.
Engagement - Today's learners feel comfortable disengaging from something they don't find interesting or relevant. "They have a different kind of expectation about the interactivity and how an environment will draw them in," Oblinger said.
Visual - This generation is more visual and kinesthetic than any generation before. "They interpret images with ease and develop images with ease.
Movement - Today's students prefer to work on things that matter so they can make a difference. Although they don't necessarily engage in traditional political or community channels, they like fell they make a difference.
Time Constraint - Today's learners are very busy and their learning is constrained by a lack of time.
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3 comments:
You bring up some good points in your posting. This could bring in the question that ADHD is quite over diagnosed. With our current day students, they seem to need a lot of stimuli, and with all of this stimuli, they need to constantly be "entertained" or amused. In the classroom, they are not so much. That is perhaps why the diagnosis of ADHD is probably so high. At home, they can be stimulated with TV, the stereo, IM chats, and other peripherials.
Jarret, I think you pointed out a great idea. Students, indeed, think outside of the box--at least outside of our box. Perhaps, we'll catch up to them and their superior tech. abilities.
You point out that today's students do not "fear" technology. This is so true. If only their teachers held the same view! I realize that many teachers are afraid they will "break" it. I try to encourage teachers to not be afraid of "breaking" it; "After all," I say, "that is how we learn to fix it." Often the way to get better is to have setbacks, and when it comes to technology, these setbacks cause us to build technology skills.
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