As necessary, important, and vital to their daily lives. This bent carries over to the classroom apparently so what they experience outside the classroom is hard to totally abandon in the classroom. I have heard of instructors that gather up ALL of the cell phones in boxes before the class starts!
However, sadly many colleges are way behind in incorporating almost any technologies beyond PowerPoints and wireless communications!
Gen Y students cannot function wellfor long periods of time without some form of digital technology. Focusing on a printed text requires undivided attention. I have on occasion asked students to turn off their gadgets to focus on a text. They were OK with that for about an hour or so. But at break they were right back on their phones.
William,
while we do want to help our students prepare for their careers (i.e. no cells) you are right that we are often woefully behind in our true integration of technology.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree I do not like the cell phones in the claroom. They can have the whole text book information within the cell phone as well as they can text the answeres to eachother during the test.
I am addicted to technology too and I am not part of Gen Y. I must have access to my smart phone. If I leave it at home I feel as I am not connected. I am Gen X and had access to technology during my high school year at home and school.
Ted,
Great observation and I agree. Embrace the new technology. While attending class, I catch myself looking at my wall on Facebook and making comments. I have used FB to assist in answering homework questions. I am sure my students are doing the same. This is when I observe to their critical thinking and see how they apply the information they have aquired.
Nichelle,
this really can be an encouraging reminder. I teach a course on leadership & communication. One of my students made a "word cloud" representing her philosophy of leadership & posted it on FB. This was encouraging to me as it shows she's getting it & also gave me an idea for an assignment for the next time I teach this course.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
They are addicted to it!! What I have observed with students and my own children is that they can't seem to function with out. As such, I try to emphasize that interpersonal skills are just AS important if not more so!
I don't see how the cell phone can be used in the classroom to anyones advantage.
I have also noticed cheating with the use of technology. I used to allow phones because they have calculators contained within. Many would pretend to use as calculators but actually looked up answers. Only a calculator on tests from now on. I have also notice some Gen Ys can not write a proper sentence let alone an essay. They have tendency to misspell and use text abbreviations. The ones that are buried in technology also seem to have problems relating to people in person.
They view it as a given. Something that is a part of every day life, that keeps them connected to everything. Functioning without it is very difficult.
I believe that the Gen Y student views the technology as critical to daily life. As a digital immigrant I have embraced the technology of phones, computers, and have used tools...yes I said tools such as Linkedin, facebook and even Twitter for info, but a major difference is the tool aspect. These are aids to an end not the end itself. Seems like digital natives fit the profile of all of the science fiction movies of my early days where they said that the computers and machines would take us over and then I stopped to realize that when students who I have asked about the use of their phones in class say they can not be without them...my comment is the machines have won. I realize the value of these items in communication and information yet for all of the info available they often miss the bigger picture. They far too often would rather jump to play a game or share pictures rather than real constructive research. I have marveled on more than one occasion viewing a group of this generation sitting at a table and texting to each other while in plain sight and certainly close enough to get all of their thoughts out to each other. Many times the messages are void of real info, but rather idle banter. Hey, what's up...Don't know what's up wit you. Nothing...ok, cool nothing here either. (Wait a minute...I just got a picture or a text or a tweet or something...hey I just want to finish this game first...Seems that constant stimulation of some sort is the order of the day. The phone primarily is an extension and yet part of thier regular body functions. So we add the use of technology in our diagnosis, yet the way they normally use the information does not always compliment the use of the computers or research when we are trying to diagnose a problem on a vehilce. They believe that a quick search engine approach is the way to find the answer, when sometimes the required learning is better attained by a slower search. I often compare the use of the menu to getting money from an ATM. You don't just place your card in the machine and say money...you need to process what money, what account, deposit, withdrawl, how much....Is almost as if the answer should be there before the question is even thought up. For all the benefit of the info and speed available I belive it is cheating the thinking process by creating a greater dependancy on the media at hand. An example of this is I even find myself wanting the search to go faster, how dare the internet speed be so slow...wow, remember Dial up...talk about slow. I would be happier if they could incorporate the power in a thinking partnership, with purpose, not just the fun and fast aspect. Of course what else would a Digital Immigrant say...Haha
Many of my students seem to view technology as an extension of their "self". It's always been there for them, and it has become a normal part of their everyday experience. Technology is not just a tool...it's involved in their social lives, jobs, entertainment, education, etc. It's really invaluable to their lives.
Joseph,
excellent point & I think there's the danger of missing out on the joy & thrill of the hands-on "tear down." I mean this in light of whatever we're working on, whether it be an engine or a math problem. There is a danger of circumventing the process to get to the conclusion & we need to help our students learn to think through the problem.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Technology is to Gen Y students what water is to fish. It is essential to their every day existence, it surrounds them at all times, and they are so used to it that they might not even notice it. Take a fish out of water, and it will die. Take a Gen Y out of his/her tech, and he/she will shut down.
For Gen Y, technology is a part of their lives, personally and professionally. They adapt to changes in technology as quickly as they occur. They embrace new trends and modify trends to suit themselves.
There is good and bad with the use of technology in the classroom.
They an use it for research while doing group work, that keeps them interested, but it also can distract them, by them checking email, facebook, sms....
Sandra,
and I've realized this is no different than the average work environment. By using technology in the classroom we can help our students to be more prepared to be wise users of the technology in their work place.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think that the use of technology is good and much can be learned from its use.
The problem of misuse and cheating is always there. When cheating is suspected in the class, I use multiple variations of the same test to combat it. Since math is a heavy part of most of our course structure, changing a number or two can result in the cheater getting the wrong answers.
I keep a database of test questions and can cut and paste a test and answer key in a few minutes.
It has been interesting the excuses that come up when a student challenges the test results, you do the math and show him wrong. He knows he cheated and he knows you know. Too much of it goes against his professionalism grade.
Gen Y students view technology as a necessity. In culinary classes, they take pictures of the white board with the instructors notes, pictures of the product they made and pictures of the Chef instructors demo items. It can be a great learning tool. They also ofetn have their FaceBook pages updated before class is over. There is a fine line between a benefit during class and a distraction.
They also use it as a great means of escape. I have gone through this entire course and I get it that they are a generation that needs to be connected. But, they don't even choose to listen to the presentation of a project. Their attitude is "I already know this." They don't even take the five minutes of time to listen and hear if this is something new that they might not know and that will probably be of benefit to them.
I think that they are being enabled. We are encouraging their use of "technology" in a manner that is rude, thoughtless, and certainly not conductive to the overall learning process.
I can multi-task, but not to the point where I am listening to music, texting a friend, and "maybe" listening to the instructor who is trying to impart some potentially valuable information.
I am a user of technology; I recognize the value and tremendous benefits we have gotten from the on-going advancement of technology. However, I feel that there is a time when as an instructor who has shown the knowledge, skill, and the desire to give the guidance and help that these students need, you should be given a few moments of the student's undivided attention.
Ned Littlehales
