How the characteristics of your students might affect how they learn and what an ideal environment might look like for them.
I teach Information Literacy to first year Education students. They are mostly school-leavers (digital natives), with some mature students (digital immigrants) (terminology from Prensky, 2001). According to the ‘Investigating the Net Generation’ survey, neither group can be pigeonholed in terms of their technology use, except that students under 25 (in 2006) were more likely to be advanced users of mobile phones and media sharing.
From my own observation I have noticed that most of the school-leavers are very comfortable with using a computer, but still need some assistance navigating Blackboard. Generally they have a low awareness of how to critically evaluate web content, and are not familiar with the base knowledge that database search interfaces assume (eg. what peer reviewed means). The mature age students also have a low level of awareness in these areas, but can be more hesitant in their approach to using online interfaces/tools.
Bennet, Maton and Kervin (2008) point out that one learning style cannot be generalised across a whole generation. The digital natives ease with interfaces may allow them to navigate faster, and therefore learn faster. However, it is really an understanding of the base knowledge underlying database and internet use that allows students to understand and use the tools well.
The main likely difference that I can see is ease of use of online learning tools. Older students may take longer using these tools, but will be as able to use them as a NetGen student. However, depending on their familiarity with online technologies, there may be no differenc in speed of use at all. What this means in reality is that students from both groups will need support and guidance in using new tools. Though there may be a difference in speed when working with elearning tools, I assume that individual learning differences will have a greater impact, as posited by Bennet, Maton and Kervin (2008).
The ideal learning environment for both NetGen’ers and older students would be a safe, respectful, constructively aligned environment. I would concentrate on person to person interaction activities during class (while there is the chance) and online activities at home to reinforce what was learnt in class. Allowing students a way to peer mentor would be wonderful. Online discussion forums may assist with this. Constructing aligned teaching/learning activities will also create a good learning environment, as will formative feedback from students to me, and from me to the students. I see a role for Survey Monkey in both giving and receiving feedback.
The interesting thing is that the web 2.0 technology used in classroom is often not the same that the students use. There is a divide there. I'm learning to use Blackboard and am finding it quite useful. i will certainly use it a lot more this semester.
ReplyDeleteI had a very similar experience with first year communication students in Arts and Sciences. The Net Gen's had no fear of using the technology; there was a 'second nature' quality to the way they navigated their way around. However, they still had to 'learn' how to use the data-bases and blackboard etc - just like the mature-aged students who were a lot more anxious to start with. By the end of the unit, both groups had grown enormously in their confidence and use of both technologies.Well formulated thoughts Anne!
ReplyDeleteI thought what you said about students not being able to critically evaluate web content was interesting. There is obviously a real need to upskill students in the area of using information critically. I had never thought about assigning mentors to students but this is a great idea and I am going to put some time into deciding how this could happen in my context. Thanks for these ideas.
ReplyDeleteI wonder .. it seems from your observations that our younger students maybe somewhat proficient in a use of technologies relevant for socialising with their age group, but seem to have a lack of capacity for transferring generic technology capacity to other technologies. This seems to me to debunk the natives/immigrants divide.
ReplyDeleteGerlinde says.....comming from a students point of view, it became apperent in my use of blackboard and all the tools that go with it, that the tutors/teachers had great difficulties to engage dynamically with the students electronically and manage the content fairly and transparently for each student. they left the bulck of interaction to the student group. this lead to more and more fragmentation, less and less interaction and a great deal of dissatisfaction as some students did all the work and others just hung in there.
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