Learning, Multitasking and Generation M

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Learning, Multi-tasking and Generation M

• Joy Mighty, PhD
• Denise Stockley, PhD

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Agenda

• Multi-tasking
• Generation M
• Teaching Generation M

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How many people

• Watch TV?
• Watch TV and talk on the phone?
• Watch TV, talk on the phone, and do another
  activity (e.g. using the computer, reading, doing
  craft, marking student papers)
• These are all examples of multi-tasking and
  multi-tasking is normal!
• Generation M just do different tasks!

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For example Multitasking while online
Listen to radio while online
Watch TV while online
Talk on phone while online
Visit a site mentioned by someone on the phone
Send IM to person youre talking to
Visit website seen on TV
Visit website heard on radio
0
80
60
40
20
100
Base Kids 13-17
Percentage
Grunwald, 2004
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Defining Multi-tasking

• A mode of operation offered by an operating
  system in which a computer works on more than one
  task or application at a time.
• The act of juggling several tasks at once, as
  opposed to working from task to task in a linear
  fashion.
• www.netdictionary.com/m.html

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• Generation M

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Generations
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Generational Differences

• Baby
• Boomers
• TV generation
• Typewriters
• Memos

• Generation
• X
• Video games
• Computers
• Email

• Net Gen or Millennials
• The Web
• Mobile devices
• IM
• Text Messaging
• Online communities

D. Oblinger
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The Millennial Generation
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For Millennials

• Ctrl Alt Del is as basic as ABC
• Computers have always fit in their backpacks
• The Internet is better than TV
• Reality is no longer real
• Doing is more important than knowing
• Multitasking is a way of life
• Typing is preferred to handwriting
• Staying connected is essential
• There is zero tolerance for delays
• Consumer and creator are blurring
• Bert and Ernie are old enough to be their parents

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Web Use of High School Students

• 100 Use the internet to seek information on
  universities, 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
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MILLENIALS ARE SPECIAL

• Special - Product of a dramatic birth-rate
  reversal. Older generations have instilled in
  Millennials the sense that they are vital to the
  Nation.
• Generation of wanted children
• Central to their parents sense of purpose
• Many Boomer parents delayed having children until
  financially secure

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MILLENNIALS ARE CONFIDENT

• Optimistic/Confident - Good news for a Millennial
  good news for the Nation! 9 in 10 Millennials
  describe themselves as confident, happy, and
  positive.
• Raised by parents believing in the importance of
  self-esteem
• Optimistic yet practical
• Hopeful of the future
• Enjoy strong connections with their parents

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MILLENIALS ARE ACHIEVING

• Achieving Higher school standards and more
  accountability.
• They are very much into setting and meeting goals
  
• They have the benefit of the best-educated
  parents
• They are the smartest ever with rising
  proficiency in math, science and standardized
  tests
• They are subject to mandatory testing

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MILLENIALS ARE TEAM-ORIENTED

• Team Oriented - Millennials believe in their
  collective power. Group learning is emphasized
  in the classroom.
• They are used to being organized in teams
• They have spent much of their time working and
  learning in groups
• They have established tight peer bonds
• They are inclusive

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MILLENIALS ARE SHELTERED

• Sheltered Spawned by the youth safety movement
  after events such as Columbine, child-abuse in
  the media, child safe devices and rules.
• Baby on Board signs were created for this
  generation
• Their well being has dominated legislation (child
  restraints, home products, movie/video ratings,
  campus security)
• Boomer parents tend to be over-protective

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MILLENIALS ARE CONVENTIONAL

• Conventional Millennials support the idea that
  rules can help. They take pride in their
  improving behavior.
• They identify with their parents values
• They are rule followers (if we give them clear
  rules they can understand)
• They accept authority
• Whatever passive approach to dissent
• They feel close to their parents

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Growing Up Messages

• Greater exposure to and experimentation with
  grownup activities
• Be smart you are special (Nickelodeon, Baby
  Gap, Sports Illustrated for Kids)
• Leave no one behind (taught to be inclusive and
  tolerant of other religions and sexual
  orientations)
• Connect 24/7 (learned to be interdependent-on
  family, friends, and teachers)
• Achieve now! (right college, right preschool)
• Serve your community think of the greater good

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• The number one thing to realize with the
  Millennials is that as a whole they reflect much
  more parental perfectionism than any generation
  in living memory. Colleges and universities
  should know that they are not just getting a kid,
  but they are also getting a parent.
• William Strauss
• Author, Millennials Rising

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MILLENNIALS ARE PRESSURED

• Pressured They are pushed to avoid risks, study
  hard, and take advantage of opportunities.
• They are pushed to succeed
• They are pushed to attend college
• They are pushed to choose careers that pay off
  nicely

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• Teaching Generation M

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Generation Ms Learner Characteristics

• Rules are perceived without personal or moral
  commitment leading to cheating is OK if you
  dont get caught
• Learning not for the sake of learning and thrill
  of knowledge
• Studying to pass the test, pass the course, and
  get the degree
• Easily bored if nothing to do
• More general knowledge but less discipline to
  explore a subject in depth
• Experience high levels of stress and anxiety
• Large career aspirations, but with unrealistic
  expectations about what is required to reach the
  goal

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Generation M Pedagogical Strategies

• Collaborative Learning
• Problem or Case Based Learning
• Service-Learning - learning must expand beyond
  classroom walls
• Learning Communities
• Learn academic content through real-world
  examples
• Learning must be relevant, engaging, and
  meaningful to their lives
• Information must be individually tailored
• Portability of information is critical
• Content must be dynamically generated

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Teaching Strategies and Retention

• Lecture 5
• Reading 10
• Audio-Visual 15
• Demonstration 30
• Discussion Groups 50
• Practice by doing 75
• Teaching Others 90

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Parental Involvement in Learning

• How can you assist your Generation M child in
  learning outside of the classroom?

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Summary Ending on a Positive Note

• Violent crime is down
• Tobacco and alcohol use are down
• Teen pregnancy is down
• Aptitude test scores are up
• Optimism about the future is up
• Trust of mom dad, authority and government are
  up
• They are the best educated, technologically
  advanced, and technologically comfortable
  generation in the history of the universe (as we
  know it)!