E-LEARNING FOR THE NET GENERATION

Phil Cowcill

Generation Y is one of the most influential groups in today's society, most likely because they are one of the largest cohorts and also because of their rapid adoption and use of technology. This group, for the most part, has grown up with access to the Internet and is therefore also known as the Net Gen or “Digital Natives.” Parents of Digital Natives are often seen as “Digital Immigrants.” Net Gen parents did not grow up with computers, cell phones, PDAs, or the Internet. They more or less immigrated into the digital world.

As you will read later in this article, the Net Gen thinks, works, plays, and acts differently from previous generations. A lack of understanding of the Net Gen can lead to conflicts and general stereotypical classification. I hope to provide some helpful insights into the typical Net Gen person.

WHAT ARE THE GENERATIONS?

Specific years for generation characterizations vary among observers. It is possible that you may be considered a Gen X in one study and a Baby Boomer in another. The chart in Figure 1 indicates the generation definitions I have used for this chapter and the size of each group.

Figure 1. Generational Distribution

Table 1. Breakdown of Generations by Year of Birth

Gen Y (or Net Gen) is currently the largest group. Table 1 shows the years of birth for each generation and what their ages will be by the end of 2011.

Demographers are discussing whether Gen Z or the Millennium Generation may be subdivided because of 9/11. The events on that tragic day have changed how we move and operate in our day-to-day lives. At the time of this writing, it is too soon to determine whether this group will be divided into pre-and post-9/11.

OVERVIEW OF THE NET GEN'S CHARACTERISTICS

One word of caution—the characteristics of Net Gen described here people are only a general overview of an entire generation. Not all people fit into categories. For example, the Net Gen person is typically comfortable with technology. However, some people in this generation are still intimidated by the technology and slow to adapt and use newer technology. This variation is often very evident in the classroom. So please keep in mind that these are general characteristics and often only a majority of the Net Gen would fall into one of these categories.

Try the following quiz to see how well you understand the Net Gen.

1. The Net Gen is not as smart as the previous generation. (True or False)
2. The Net Gen watches less TV than the previous generation. (True or False)
3. The Net Gen spends more time playing computer games than surfing the web. (True or False)
4. The Net Gen thinks differently than the previous generation. (True or False)
5. The Net Gen can truly multitask. (True or False)

OK, let's see how well you did.

1. The Net Gen is not as smart as the previous generation. This is false. The statistics for recording IQ levels have been on the rise by an average of 3 points per decade. Also, the College Board Advanced Placement exams have doubled in number of people taking and passing the exams. This indicates a rise in intelligence, as the exams have been in place for a long period of time (Viadero, 2002).
2. The Net Gen watches less TV than the previous generation. This is true. According to Nielsen's meters in 2008, they don't watch nearly as much TV. They tend to use the TV as background while searching online or texting others. However, they do watch TV at their convenience. This could be through the use of a digital video recorder (DVR, sometimes called a PVR) or through a network's website. Third-party sites such as Hulu.com provide access to recently run network shows shortly after they have premiered. Basically, prime time TV is replaced with “my time” TV.
3. The Net Gen spends more time playing computer games than surfing the web. This is false. By the time a person reaches the age of twenty, he or she would spend an average of 20,000 hours surfing the web and about 10,000 hours playing games. The games may be on the computer or a mobile device such as PSP, iPod, iPhone, Pocket PC, or a tablet, but they still spend more time surfing. For example, think about the number of hours spent watching videos from sites like YouTube or Blip.TV (Tapscott, 2008).
4. The Net Gen thinks differently than the previous generation. This is true. The Net Gen person actually has the ability to notice things more quickly than previous generations could. Net Gen-ers are able to skip from one thought to another faster than previous generations. It's as if their brains are “hyper-wired,” which allows them to jump to other thoughts quickly (Twenge, Konrath, Foster, Campbell, & Bushman, 2008).
5. The Net Gen can truly multitask. This is false. Although many people may think the Net Gens are multitasking, they are actually “task swapping”—which they do faster than previous generations did. It is possible that the Net Gen person is working on homework with the TV playing music in the background and texting friends at the same time. However, only one task will occupy the person's full attention (Tapscott, 2008).

So how did you do? Most people don't get all the answers right. I hope that you will have a much better picture of this generation by the end of this article.

NET GEN CHARACTERISTICS

As you are aware, technology has changed our world and new applications are changing the way we live, learn, and play. Conflicts often arise when these new methods and ideals collide with more traditional methods of conducting business. To help provide some insights to how Net Gen responds, this section will cover some of their expectations about work and school based on their digital experience.

Characteristic 1: Customize. When the Internet started gaining popularity in the early to mid-1990s, a majority of the sites were static. The content was stored in the web page and looked the same for all users. It couldn't be customized. Today, a majority of the sites are dynamic. Many allow users to customize the site to their preference. So it is possible for two people to load the same page but see different content.

iGoogle is an example of a site that allows you to customize the content. Figure 2 shows an example of a way you can customize it. Figure 3 shows the same site with a different look.

Figure 2. A Version of iGoogle

Figure 3. An Alternate Version of iGoogle

Characteristic 2: Information Push. Over the Internet, people can either pull information down or receive information pushed to them. For example, when you visit Facebook and look at your friend's status, you are pulling information down. On the other hand, Facebook has an iPod app that allows you to receive status updates. These status updates can also be sent to your mobile phone. When the information comes to you without any action on your part, this is a push. The fact that many of these social network sites offer a push service indicates that the Net Generation often prefer select information to be pushed to them.

Push technology is not exclusive to mobile technology. Information can be pushed to a laptop or a desktop. An application like TweetDeck can run on a traditional computer. Updates from Twitter can then automatically appear in a small window as they arrive.

Characteristic 3: Integrity. For the most part, the Net Generation insists on companies being honest and up-front. And for the most part, businesses operate with a sense of integrity that Net Gens can relate to and desire. If there is a perceived deception in a communication from a company, word will spread via a variety of social networks, which are far more powerful than any broadcast message. Net Gens will believe advice from a friend before they believe a message from a company. For example, Blockbuster started a new and exciting campaign in 2005 about no longer having any “late fees.” Consumers didn't realize that seven days past the due date, the customer's credit card would be charged the purchase price of the item rented. If the product were brought back late, the consumer was then charged with a “restocking fee.” While Blockbuster reported that only 4 percent of their customers were charged the restocking fee, it was a significant number of people in the eyes of the Net Gen. The outcry over the misleading communication led to a number of lawsuits. In the end, forty-seven states filed complaints against Blockbuster. Eventually, Blockbuster conceded and made several changes. They improved their in-store communications about their policy. They started printing the policy on the receipt and refunded the restocking fee. Blockbuster also had to refund the states that sued over $640,000 in court fees. In all, it's estimated that the misleading message cost Blockbuster over $1M. Since the backlash, Blockbuster has changed its policy and communicates more clearly about its fees (www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7327309).

Net Gen insistence on honesty applies to educational institutions as well. Potential students can look up information about schools on social network sites. What can be worrisome to institution is that they have little to no control over what is on these sites. It's not only about the school itself, but the professors in the school. If you go through the site www.ratemyprofessors.com/, you should be able to find your old institution and maybe even a former professor. Take a look to see what people are saying. If you are a professor, you definitely should go to this site and see what has been said about you. There are options for a professor's rebuttal and some even have damaging comments flagged or removed.

Characteristic 4: Any Time—Anywhere. The Net Gen is used to getting a response immediately. If they are having a sleepless night and decide to work on an assignment, they want to be able to access that assignment immediately. Similarly, if there is a problem with a service in their homes, they want to be able to call a person at any point and receive immediate service. Another example is how software is now purchased compared to the early to mid-2000s. You can purchase your software directly online from vendors such as Microsoft or Adobe. After the purchase, you are given the option of having the product mailed to you or just downloading it to save a bit and also have the software immediately. If a company selling software only ships the software on a medium like CD-ROM or DVD, the company is actually in danger of losing business audience. Waiting for a disc to arrive does not fit the any time—anywhere mantra of the Net Gen.

Characteristic 5: Collaboration. Again, not all Net Gens like to work together, although most do enjoy collaborating. Collaboration doesn't always involve technology. Now schools and libraries, for example, often offer areas that better facilitate group work. Technology has provided new ways of allowing people to get together and has removed geography as a barrier. Collaboration can be a good and enjoyable experience and raise the competence level of the participants. Later in this article is a list of some simple collaboration activities and their results.

Characteristic 6: Play. In the early to mid-1990s, it was common for IT departments to remove the default games that came with an operating system. They didn't want employees playing games during work periods. Today, some IT departments block some of the social network sites. They feel there is no need to visit social network sites during work hours. However, blocking access to social network sites can actually be detrimental to the company, as many companies now use social media networks to communicate with potential customers in ways that can't be matched by traditional media.

The average Net Gen needs to play and socialize. His or her brain is hyper-wired and likes to switch between tasks very quickly. The visit to a social network site is now the equivalent of a previous generation meeting around the water cooler. Playing the occasional game is a good way to use a different part of the brain and allows for creative thinking. Play is now part of the Net Gen life and they feel it is important that they not be cut off from that life while at work.

Characteristic 7: Need for Speed. In the mid-1990s, the standard for loading a web page was six seconds and no more than twelve seconds. The most popular search engine then would normally load within that range. A majority of people accessing the Internet at home had a dial-up modem with 56,000 kilobits per second (56Kbps). People became impatient and wouldn't wait for the page to load if it took longer than twelve seconds, but today's Net Gen surfer craves even more speed. Waiting six to twelve seconds is unheard of. If a page doesn't come up right away, users may click on the link again, then double-click, and eventually leave. They also expect the computer to deliver the content with “professional execution,” running fast and smoothly.

OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT EDUCATION SYSTEM

The current education system is gradually evolving, but not as quickly as the Net Gen (and now the Gen Z) cohorts have changed. Let's consider the characteristics that describe the Net Gen:

• Like to customize
• Expect information to be pushed to them
• Want integrity from companies
• Want to connect any time—anywhere
• Like collaboration activities
• Like to play—it's part of their lives
• Require speed

The current education system has difficulty accommodating these expectations. The term “sage on the stage” often reflects more of what happens in our institutions. For the most part, the education system is entrenched in an Industrial Age style of education. The teacher broadcasts the information at specific times, and the students receive the information. There is no opportunity for students to customize. If students are sick or miss a class or an appointment, there is very little recourse for them to view the missing lesson. Also, in a broadcast style of teaching, it is difficult to receive instant feedback. Shy students are often reluctant to raise their hands if they don't understand something. So these students are being left behind.

One-third of the high school students don't graduate (Barton, 2005). College and university professors complain that some of their students' reading, writing, and problem-solving abilities are rather low. The students entering colleges and universities are the ones who were successful in completing high school. What does that say about the one-third of the student population who didn't graduate high school?

TEACHING THE NEW WAY

With one-third of the students entering high school dropping out or failing, a change is needed. Thankfully, we see some evidence of a shift in education for the better. For example, math and reading skills of fourth and eighth graders have improved from the previous generation. While twelfth grade reading and math skills have stayed the same, the better-taught students will be moving up through the system. Many bachelor of education programs are educating their students to facilitate learning in their classrooms that is better suited for the Net Gen. Most of these new faculty members will start teaching in some of the lower grades

In the remainder of this article, I will briefly review a few techniques to improve the education of the Net Generation.

Online Collaboration. Generally, Net Gen students like to work together. Collaboration can be facilitated in a traditional classroom as well as externally. Here is an example one professor used in his advanced photography class. Keeping in mind Bloom's Taxonomy, he wanted his students to apply skills in the top domain, evaluation, so he set up a document on Google Docs (http://docs.google.com) and inserted several images from the class. He then sent an invitation to all the students to sign in and edit the document. The students were to join a team of four by typing their names into the blank spaces for the team boxes. Then each team would evaluate the picture and make suggestions on how to improve it. After the exercise, the class was brought back together and asked what they learned.

The entire class loved the exercise both because they were using some new technology and because they were collaborating. They also found the suggestions helped them rethink what to do when shooting pictures. Students who missed class did the same exercise later from home and offered their thoughts on the pictures.

Distributive Cognition. Researchers at MIT coined the phrase “distributive cognition,” which basically means that the intelligence of the group is better than that of any individual in that group. It follows that allowing a group to share knowledge will make everyone in the group more intelligent.

Technology can provide the means of employing distributive cognition. For example, during a class, participants can be encouraged to use a service such as Twitter to write comments about the class. Within the tweets, users can insert hash tags that are unique to that session. For example, while speaking at the Innovation Days conference, I asked participants to tweet and insert the hash tag #can2010. Then I used TweetDeck to filter and display all the tweets that had #can2010. This technique can be used to ask participants for advice, opinions, or help without disrupting the flow of class. It also allows the facilitator to go over the tweets afterward and follow up with anyone who had questions. Information sharing helps raise the intelligence of the group as well as keeping participants engaged.

Test, Then Talk. Traditional classroom instruction is usually composed of lectures followed by a test to see whether learners have retained, or at least understood, the lesson. Basically, instructors talk and then test. Imagine how a person who is familiar with this content will feel. Bored! How much different it would be if this teaching strategy were flipped backward. What if students were tested on their knowledge and then told how they did. This would give students instant feedback on how they were doing. Students who were familiar with the content could move through it much more quickly. This would prevent them from being bored and possibly dropping out. Students who wanted more information would be able to replay the scenario and receive information or guidance as they needed it. To help facilitate this type of learning, it would be advantageous to have some interactive support built into a training package in the form of reference notes or short audio/video clips from a mentor.

One of the characteristics of the Net Gen is that they like to play. By the age of twenty, they may have logged 10,000 hours of game playing. A number of games incorporate a discovery method. People who play games are used to looking around and discovering things within their environment. The “test and tell” method would allow them to discover the content and make it more relevant. Each time you teach someone something, you have removed the element of discovery.

CONCLUSION

This article only touches on the many learning activities that are more suited for the Net Generation. It is paramount to recognize the characteristics of the Net Gen and factor them into our instructional practices. This influential cohort will be bringing their characteristics and expectations into schools and their places of work, determining the effectiveness of our approaches in significant ways.

REFERENCES

Barton, P. (2005b). One-third of a nation: Rising dropout rates and declining opportunities. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

The Nielsen Company. (2008). Americans watching more TV than ever; web and mobile video up too. www.blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/americans-watching-more-tv-than-ever/.

Tapscott, D. (2008). Grown up digital. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Twenge, J., Konrath, S., Foster, J., Campbell, W.K., & Bushman, B. (2008). Egos inflating over time: A cross-temporal meta-analysis of the narcissistic personality inventory, Journal of Personality, 879(94).

Viadero, D. (2002, January 23). Nature x nurture = Startling jump in IQs. Education Week, 21(19).