from a different perspective diana g. oblinger, ph.d. copyright diana g. oblinger, 2005. this work...
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From a Different Perspective
From a Different Perspective
Diana G. Oblinger, Ph.D.
Copyright Diana G. Oblinger, 2005. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial,
educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the
author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
Copyright Diana G. Oblinger, 2005. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial,
educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the
author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
―
CarieCarie
The Net Generation
• 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
• Identify with parents’ values; feel close to parents
• Respectful of social conventions and institutions
• Fascination for new technologies
• Racially and ethnically diverse
―Howe & Strauss, 2003―Howe & Strauss, 2003
Media exposure
• 10,000 hours video games
• 200,000 emails
• 20,000 hours TV
• 10,000 hours cell phone
• Under 5,000 hours reading
By age 21, the average person will have spent
– Prensky, 2003
Today’s learners
• Digitally literate
• Connected
• Experiential
• Immediate
• Social
NetGen learning preferences
• Teams, peer-to-peer
• Structure
• Engagement & experience
• Visual & kinesthetic
• Things that matter
Student in-class preferences
―Kvavik, 2004―Kvavik, 2004
0
20
40
10
30
Limited IT
Moderate IT
No IT
Extensive IT
Online
Per
cen
tag
e
Balance between the old and new
―Roberts, 2004―Roberts, 2004
• Students expect faculty to have in-depth knowledge of their field
“I want my professor to know as much as there is so I can learn as much as I can in 15 weeks.”
• Faculty should be able to use technology effectively
“I like to access a syllabus, course assignments and handouts on the Internet. This helps me organize my schedule and lets me prepare for class.”
• Don’t overuse PowerPoint, the Internet or videos
“PowerPoint is to provide power to a particular point. It doesn’t mean putting the entire class on slides”
Engaging learning experiences
—adapted from Accenture, 2000
LectureQ&A
Facilitated discussion
Case study
Debate
Problem solving
Game
Real project
Voting
Passive Active
Em
otio
nally
eng
agin
g
Teaching/learning mode
Interaction
• Concept inventories
• Student response units
• Immediate results keep students engaged
• Allows real-time modification of instruction
A. About half as long for the heavier ball
B. About half as long for the lighter ball
C. About the same time for both balls
D. Considerably less for the lighter ball, but not necessarily half as long
E. Considerably less for the heavier ball, but not necessarily half as long
Two metal balls are the same size, but one weighs twice as much as the other. The balls are dropped from the top of a two story building at the same instant of time. The time it takes the balls to reach the ground below will be:
http://workbench.concord.org/modeler/ss3.htmlhttp://workbench.concord.org/modeler/ss3.htmlhttp://workbench.concord.org/modeler/ss3.htmlhttp://workbench.concord.org/modeler/ss3.html
Simulations
Online laboratories
—del Alamo, 2003
Ancient Spaces
Developed by the Faculty of the Arts, University of British Columbia
Reconfiguring activities and space
• SCALE-UP: Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs
• Class time spent on tangibles and ponderables
• Problem solving, conceptual understanding and attitudes are improved
• Failure rates are reduced dramatically
--Beichner & Saul, 2003
Hypertext minds
• Crave interactivity
• Read visual images
• Visual-spatial skills
• Parallel processing
• Inductive discovery
• Attentional deployment
• Fast response time
• Short attention spans
• Choose not to pay attention
• Reflection
• Practice
• Text literacy
• Source quality
QualitiesQualities ConcernsConcerns
――Prensky, 2001Prensky, 2001――Prensky, 2001Prensky, 2001
Google vs the library
• Web as information universe not the library
• Library resources tend to be―Text based―Require help from experts (librarians)―Logical―Based on library organization
rather than subject matter
―Lippincott, 2005
What can you do?
• 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
―
ChrisChris
Non-traditional becomes traditional
• 43% are 24 or older
• 80% are employed; 39% are employed full-time
• 87% of all higher education student commute
• 10% of undergraduates have a disability
• Non-traditional defined as:―Part-time enrollment―Delaying entry into post-secondary education―Lack of high school diploma―Having children―Being a single parent―Financially independent―Working full time while enrolled
―NCES, 2003, Bleed, 2005
Three-fourths of students are “non-traditional”
Adult learners
• 35% of undergraduates are adult learners
• 70% of all adult learners are female
• 38 is the median age of undergraduate adult learners
• 80% of adult learners are employed
– Swail, 2002
Educational goal:
• 70% Degree
• 30% Non-degree
Risks and graduation
• Almost half of beginners delayed starting college
• One half had two or more persistent risk factors
• 91% entered college immediately after high school
• 85% had no persistent risk factors
Two-year colleges
Four-year colleges
--NCES, 2003
Traditional targets of blame
• 7% academic difficulties
• 3% academic load too heavy
• 1% poor advisement
– Bleed, 2005
Courses not completed
• 30% traditional day
• 15% day, partial semester
• 23% day, one day a week
• 21% evening, one day a week
• 20% every two week start
– Bleed, 2005
Life interruptions
Transportation problems
Financial problems
Limited time
Family responsibilities
Health issues
Work responsibilitiesJob shift
– Bleed, 2005
0
20
40
10
30
Per
cen
tag
e
60
Age vs. online preferences
―Dziuban, 2004―Dziuban, 2004
Mature
63%Boomer
55%
Gen X
38%
Net Gen
26%
Students who were very satisfied with Web-based learning by generation
Students who were very satisfied with Web-based learning by generation
What can you do?
• Make classes flexible
• Provide online options
• Tailor support systems to the students’ needs
• Get data about what works
Nontraditional learners have unique needs
―
JamieJamie
In high schools
• Cradle-to-grave use of e-portfolios
• Not expert users; laptop as a tool
• Sense of entitlement to Internet access; any interruption is a violation of their rights
• Prefer Internet research to library research
• Are exposed to problem-based learning, collaboration and computers in the classroom
– Backon, et al. 2003
What do students think about IT?
…it’s part of our world
– – Threshold, 2004Threshold, 2004
…it’s really helpful; it makes things faster
…abstract concepts are easier to grasp
…we can learn as much as we want about anything
…some students are better now thanks to computers
…I connect with friends to get help or to help others
…computers can never replace humans
…can increase hands-on learning in science
Teen’s web use
• 100% use the Internet to seek information on colleges, careers and jobs
• 74% of teens use IM as a major communication vehicle vs. 44% of online adults
• 54% of students (grades 7-12) know more IM screen names than home phone numbers
• The Internet is a primary communication tool― 81% email friends and relatives― 70% use instant messaging to keep in touch― 56% prefer the Internet to the telephone
– Lenhart, Simon & Graziano, 2001; NetDay, 2003
What kids want from the net
– Grunwald, 2003
New & exciting
Base: Kids 9-17
0 10080604020
Learnmore/better
Community
Show otherswhat I can do
Be heard
Percentage
Multitasking while online
– Grunwald, 2004
0 10080604020
PercentageBase: Kids 13-17
Listen to radio while
online
Watch TV while online
Talk on phone while
online
Visit a site mentioned by someone on the phone
Send an IM to person you’re
talking to
Visit website seen on TV
Visit website mentioned on
radio
Children age 6 and under
• 2:01 hours / day playing outside
• 1:58 hours using screen media
• 40 minutes reading or being read to
• 48% of children have used a computer
• 27% 4-6 year olds use a computer daily
• 39% use a computer several times a week
• 30% have played video games
– Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003
Neuroplasticity
• The brain reorganizes itself throughout life: neuroplasticity
• Stimulation changes brain structures; the brain changes and organizes itself based on the inputs it receives
• Different developmental experiences impact how people think
• For example, language learned later in life goes into a different place in the brain than when language is learned as a child
―Prensky, 2001―Prensky, 2001
Text vs. visual
Visual literacy
• A picture is worth a thousand words
• Bombarded with visual images
• Ability to read and write visual language
• Assign visual literacy projects―Create digital movie―Visual literacy across the curriculum
―Bleed, 2005
Augmented reality
• Combines physical world and virtual world contexts
• Embeds learners in authentic situations
• Engages users in a socially facilitated context
Computer simulation on handheld computer triggered by real world location
―Klopfer & Squire, 2003
Environmental detectives• Players briefed about rash of local health
problems linked to the environment
• Provided with background information and “budget”
• Need to determine source of pollution by drilling sampling wells and ultimately remediate with pumping wells
• Work in teams representing different interests (EPA, industry, etc.)
―Klopfer & Squire, 2003
What can you do?
• Monitor changes in K-12 education, such as collaborative learning
• Do not assume all students come from the same environment
• Attitudes and values are shaped before students come to college
• Technology is moving farther into the background; use does not equal understanding
Remember that patterns change every 3-4 years
―
Generational comparisonGenerational comparison
Net Gen experience base
• Ctrl + Alt + Del is as basic as ABC
• They have never been able to find the “return” key
• Computers have always fit in their backpacks
• They have always had a personal identification number
--Beloit College, 2003, 2004
• Photographs have always been processed in an hour or less
• Bert and Ernie are old enough to be their parents
• Gas has always been unleaded
• Rogaine has always been available for the follicularly challenged
Not an age phenomenon
• Are you more comfortable composing documents online than long-hand?
• Have you turned your “remembering” over to a technology device (phone numbers, meetings, etc.)?
• Do you go to meetings with your laptop or PDA?
• Are you constantly connected? (The Internet is always on whether you are at home or work? Your cell phone is always with you?)
• How many different activities can you effectively engage in at one time?
• Do you play video or computer games?
―Suter, 2001―Suter, 2001
Students compared to faculty
Multitasking Single or limited tasks
Engaging Disciplined
Spontaneous Deliberate
―adapted from Himes, 2004
Pictures, sound, video Text
Random access Linear, logical, sequential
Interactive and networked Independent and individual
StudentsStudents FacultyFaculty
―
Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was
designed to teach.
Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was
designed to teach.
―Prensky, 2001
―
Steps to take Steps to take
Step #1: What has changed?
• Are students different than we were?
• Do students have different learning preferences?
• How homogeneous is our student population?
• Do we know what students need to succeed?
• What skills must students have to be successful?
• Are we as competitive as we want—or need—to be?
Step #2: What are the options?
• What new options for teaching and learning are available?―Online labs―Simulations, games―Collaboration
• Would new programs better serve student needs?
• Are there IT tools that would add value?
• Are there alternative ways of using space—physical and virtual—that might facilitate to greater learning?
Very Very importantimportant
Very Very importantimportant
ExcellentExcellentperformanceperformance
ExcellentExcellentperformanceperformance
PoorPoorperformanceperformance
PoorPoorperformanceperformance
UnimportantUnimportantUnimportantUnimportant
Step #3: What should we do?
Step #4: What is the right balance?
Action Reflection
Speed Deliberation
Peer-to-peer Peer review
Visual Text
Social Individual
Process Content
Step #5: What must we do to be successful?
– Oblinger and Kidwell, 2000– Oblinger and Kidwell, 2000
VisionVisionVisionVision
Service DeliveryService DeliveryService DeliveryService Delivery
InfrastructureInfrastructure
Technology Financial PoliciesTechnology Financial Policies
InfrastructureInfrastructure
Technology Financial PoliciesTechnology Financial Policies
OrganizationOrganizationOrganizationOrganization
ProcessProcessProcessProcess
VisionRationaleGuiding principlesLeadership
Service
Student supportFaculty supportAdmin & student
InfrastructureTechnology PolicyFinancial
Organization
Org structureLeadershipDecision-making
ProcessBuy-in
Communication
Speed andresponsiveness
―
The goal is an organization that is constantly making its future rather
than defending its past.
The goal is an organization that is constantly making its future rather
than defending its past.
―Hamel & Valiksngas, 2003
