Are Learners Different Today?
From Connectivism
Much has been said about how learners today (especially teenagers and younger learners) are different from previous generations. The distinction of digital immigrants and digital natives is not particularly helpful (see A Concept Beyond its Best-before Date). A more favorable term (and less prone to age-based divides) is found in the concept of millennial learners. Millennial learners are [FIXME:]
Diana Oblinger edited Educating the Net Generation an analysis of the different attributes of younger learners when contrasted with previous generations: "The Net Generation has grown up with information technology. The aptitudes, attitudes, expectations, and learning styles of Net Gen students reflect the environment in which they were raised—one that is decidedly different from that which existed when faculty and administrators were growing up."
Chris Dede, in Planning for Neomillennial Learning Styles states: "Overall, the Internet-based learning styles ascribed to "Millennial" students —those born after 1982—increasingly apply for many people across a wide range of ages, driven by the tools and media they use every day. As computers and telecommunications continue to evolve, what new forms of neomillennial learning styles might emerging media enable, and how can higher education prepare for this shift?"
The National School Boards Association released a report in 2007 (Creating & Connecting: Research and Guidelines on Online Social - and Educational - Networking - .pdf): "Online social networking is now so deeply embedded in the lifestyles of tweens and teens that it rivals television for their attention, according to a new study from Grunwald Associates LLC conducted in cooperation with the National School Boards Association. Nine- to 17-year-old report spending almost as much time using social networking services and Web sites as they spend watching television. Among teens, that amounts to about 9 hours a week on social networking activities, compared to about 10 hours a week watching TV. Students are hardly passive couch potatoes online. Beyond basic communications, many students engage in highly creative activities on social networking sites — and a sizeable proportion of them are adventurous nonconformists who set the pace for their peers."
Adults in some rapidly changing fields are setting up places to learn outside the traditional school buildings -- both online and physical meetings.
further reading
- Wikipedia: the internet generation
- Wikipedia: information and media literacy
- Community wiki: Sudbury school for adults -- a non-traditional physical learning place.
