Barbour, M. K. (2008, March). Today's student: Deciphering what's real. Brownbag discussion for the Office for Teaching and Learning, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
2. Generational differences:
the theory that people born
within an approximately 20
year time period share a
common set of characteristics
based upon the historical
experiences, economic and
social conditions,
technological advances and
other societal changes they
have in common
3. Generational Boundaries
• GI Generation “Greatest Generation”
– Born between 1901 and 1924
• Silent Generation
– Born between 1925 and 1945
• Baby Boomers
– Born between 1946 and 1964
• Generation X
– Born between 1965 and 1980
• Net Gen – Millennials – Gen Y
– Born between 1981 and 2000
4. What influences
generational
differences?
• Current Events
• Popular Culture
• Tech Innovations
• Media Hype
• Health Issues
• Fashion
• Economy
• Diversity
• Military Status
• Parenting
5. Historical Influences
Boomers: Gen X: Net Gen:
• Civil Rights • Fall of Berlin Wall • School shootings
• Sexual Revolution • Watergate • Oklahoma City
• Cold War • AIDS • Internet
• Space travel • Desert Storm • 9/11
• Assassinations • Energy Crisis • Iraq
6. This Generation’s Numbers
• 60 million - largest group
since the Baby Boomers
(72 million)
• 3 times larger than
Generation X
• Teen population is growing
at twice the rate of the rest
of America
• Made up 37% of U.S.
population in 2005
13. Net Gen Characteristics: Which fit you?
Gamers Digital Natives Socially Disdain Previous
Conscious Generations
High Expectations Spoiled Rotten Respect Value Diversity
Intelligence
Expect Incomes Experiential Optimistic and Family Oriented
Exceeding Parents Learners Positive
Collaborative Nomadic Inclusive Have More Friends
Healthy Lifestyle Clueless Direct More Liberal
Achievement Media Patriotic More Conservative
Oriented Consumer
Value Balanced Multi-tasker Confident Entitled
Lives
14. “Today's young people
have been raised to aim
for the stars at a time
when it is more difficult
than ever to get into
college, find a good job,
and afford a house.
Their expectations are
very high just as the
world is becoming more
competitive, so there's a
huge clash between
their expectations and
reality.”
15. • In 2002, 74% of high school students
admitted to cheating whereas in 1969
only 34% admitted such a failing. (p. 27)
• In 1967, 86% of incoming college
students said that “developing a
meaningful philosophy of life” was an
essential life goal whereas in 2004 only
42% of GenMe freshmen agreed. (p. 48)
• In 2004, 48% of American college
freshmen reported earning an A average
in high school whereas in 1968 only 18%
of freshmen reported being an A student
in high school. (p. 63)
• In the 1950s, only 12% of young teens
agreed with the statement “I am an
important person” whereas by the late
1980s, 80% claimed they were
important. (p. 69) Jean M. Twenge
16. Where Do We Go From Here?
1. It isn’t all
about you
2. The world
needs ditch
diggers too
3. Help the
DIWKs
17. “When asked
about problems
facing their
generation, many
millennials
respond that the
biggest one is
the poor example
that adults set
for kids.” p. 36
Oblinger, D. (2003). Understanding the new student.
EDUCAUSE Review, 38(3), 36-42.
18.
19.
20. “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.”
23. • Focus on undergraduate education
• 2006: 557 colleges and universities
• 2005: 529 colleges and universities
• 2004: 473 colleges and universities
• 2003: 437 colleges and universities
• 2002: 367 colleges and universities
• 2001: 321 colleges and universities
• 2000: 276 colleges and universities
24. NSSE results
• Work
expectations
for students:
–10-15 hrs
in class
–25-30 hrs
studying
25. NSSE results
• Work Reality:
–20% study 5 hrs
per week or less
–25% 6-10 hrs
–48% 11-30 hrs
–7% > 30 hrs
26. NSSE Time
On
us
co Acti
Task uo
lla ve, t i n el y k
bo
lea rat o n i m ac
C T db
rni ive
ng F ee
Student High
faculty Academic
Interaction Challenge
27. The most “shocking” discovery is
the “non-aggression pact” between
professors and students.
41. Colleges and
universities are
about to be beset
by a new
generation of
learners whose
skills and
expectations derive
from growing up on
the net.
42. The Net Gen and Technology
• The Net Gen’s technical
knowledge is broad, but
shallow
• Skills differ by academic
program; deepest in
engineering and business
• Technical fluency
does not equal
maturity
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0506/rs/ers0506w.pdf
46. Two Key Points
• Introducing
technology alone is
never enough.
• Big gains in
productivity come
when new
technologies are
combined with new
ways of doing
business.
49. “Lecturing still
absorbs more than
half to two thirds of
various
departments’
teaching practices…
These traditional
forms of teaching
seem to have been
relatively untouched
by the enormous
investment in
technologies.”