How Today’s Students Are Different Than Those Who Went Before - (This Is Not Your Father’s Classroom)

1. How Today’s Students Are Different Than Those Who Went Before - (This Is Not Your Father’s Classroom) Terri M. Manning, Ed.D. Central Piedmont Community College

2. Veterans - How They Learn • New is not necessarily better • Not innovative with new ideas • Like structure, schedules and procedures • Brain processes new ideas into old mental framework • Some refuse to work with technology (too overwhelming a learning curve, others jump in) • Want clear expectations and guidelines • Must memorize the basics

3. School Experiences for Veterans • Hard work • Respected their elders • Children were to be seen and not heard • Felt an obligation to make the grade • Performance based on individual ability • Little feedback unless negative • More intrinsic reward for good performance • Learned from history (other’s experiences) • Small class size, one curriculum for all • No special ed (students no where in sight) • Virtually never tested with standardized tests – less comparison to others

4. College Experiences • Lucky to be there – few able to attend until the GI Bill then campuses and centers opened all over the place – more competition • Traditional teaching/learning environment • Associate new learning with previous learning • Sequencing of knowledge and skills • Education is a process – must memorize the basics • Seek to become content experts • Faculty = “sage on a stage” • Experience of mentors is relevant • Take time to really understand material • Taught by processing through formulas – have to understand why things work – not that they “just do”

5. Values of Faculty/Staff in this Age Group • Loyal to employer (company man) and expect the same in return • Believe they should be rewarded for tenure • Work ethic = efficiency and hard work • Stable, thorough and detail oriented • Don’t buck the system but work within it • Uncomfortable with conflict and disagreements • Not change oriented

6. Did you ever use one of these???

7. How Boomers Learn • Want things to fit into the “big picture” • Want recognition for how well they have done • Team oriented, work well in groups • Like to explore and analyze, look at different views • Follow instructions well • Good with content

8. Boomer’s Educational Experiences • Overwhelmed the school system, large class sizes • Ability grouped (red birds and blue birds) • Question authority but respect position • See life as an adventure (and school) • Emphasis on team work (cohort education) • Need silence to concentrate • Were told “you are lucky to be here, others are standing in line to get in.” • Want to feel valued • No special ed students in school but honors courses in a few subjects • Rarely tested and not for school performance (PSAT, SAT)

9. College Experiences • Attending more common – boom in 60’s and 70’s • College campuses a reflection of turbulent times – faculty often rebels – Kent State Massacre, etc. • Emphasis on self-exploration, mind expansion, lots of philosophizing in classes - content over-explained and over-analyzed – deep thinkers (not necessarily critical thinkers) • Aspire to intellectualism • Some career emphasis but still heavy general education and classics-based • Left home and never looked back • Emphasis on memorization and skill built upon skill • Taught by process and to be content experts • No technology – print by mimeograph machines

10. Boomer Faculty/Staff Values • Majority of faculty and significant number of students (age 45-66ish) • Always share personal experience – “what has happened to me is relevant to you” • Value stability and respect • Like to see their successes • Tend to “workaholism” and have difficulty balancing their lives, working 40 hours is “slack.” • Are competitive • See themselves as the standard of comparison • Appreciate technology because of how easy it makes their work – still fear they might “break it” and may have a “back-up plan”

11. Finish the lyricPlop, plop, fizz, fizz…….

12. Remember these……

13. Your experiences tell your age… • What brewery did Lavern and Shirley work for?

14. Boomers at Work • Ethic = long hours show commitment • Team oriented and relationship builders (don’t like conflict – can’t we all just get along) • Not budget minded • Sensitive to feedback

15. How Gen Xers Learn • Task oriented – like to learn new skills • Speed is important • Self-paced learning, independent learning • Want to have fun while they learn • Informal learning environments are best • Hate group work • Want feedback from teacher

16. Educational Experiences • Learned to rely on self (don’t like group work) • Distrust authority • Seek challenging environment (career education emphasis) • Want feedback on progress • Want to do things their way – like no rules and freedom on assignments • Had special ed classrooms in school but separated • Had honors programs • Funding cut to education • Testing “mania” began with them • First daycare centers arose with them • Many latch-key kids

17. College Experiences • Numbers dropped from 60’s and 70’s • More emphasis on career education • Technology began to emerge (Eric Silver Platter, FAX machines, PCs [Apple and Tandy], calculators) • More extracurricular activities • Some self-paced learning • Costs increased, more financial aid • More structure and group activity • Experiential exercises emerged • Began “learning on my own” due to technology

18. What was the name of Dudley Do-Right’s trusted horse?   

19. Gen Xers as Faculty/Staff • Significant number of faculty and significant number of students (age 28-44ish) • Cynical and pessimistic • Want work-life balance • Think globally and seek independence • Like technology and want an informal work environment • Don’t want the boomers’ work ethic • Communication is important and talk to adults as friends/peers (not impressed with authority) • Believe reward should be based on productivity not hours worked • Want control of self, time and future • Loyalty to people not a company • Impatient with poorer people skills

20. Remember these…..

21. Was this your first video game?

22. Was this your first calculator and cell phone?

23. Millennial School Experiences • Many private schools, charter schools, magnet schools – all to meet the needs of the individual child –many, many choices • School uniforms, child safety, high performance standards, character education, cooperative learning and community service • Goal oriented – outcome based education (what’s in it for me) • School is a means to an end – one must endure until the next level • Interactive, participatory and engaging – are consulted by adults • Everything 24/7 and available electronically

24. Millennial School Experiences • No “grunt work” - must do “meaningful work”, participate in decisions • International flavor, celebrate diversity, different is okay • Motivated by working with bright, motivated and moral people • Student makes judgments about truth and believability of what is taught • Classroom mainstreamed – multiple levels based on ability and interest • Constantly tested and compared to peers (learned to take tests so now of little use for college admissions) • Feel pressure for high achievement

25. How Millennials Learn • Try it their way – always looking for better, faster way of doing things • Prefer graphics before text, reading of excerpts • Like small and fast processing technology – best when networked • Want instant gratification and frequent rewards (spot)

26. How Millennials Learn • Focus on skill development – not memorization of what they perceive they don’t need to know • Productivity is key – not attendance – so make class worthwhile or they won’t come • Have different critical thinking skills based on their high tech world not thought processing (need help here) • Rely on teacher to facilitate learning • Group think and interaction

27. What product was Max Headroom the spokesperson for? 

28. Millennial College Experiences • Multiple options – state, private, proprietary schools, community colleges, dual and concurrently enrolled, middle college, etc. (Where does one start and another begin?) make the choice by “what’s best for me.” • Fast paced learning • Group activities (learning communities, peer tutoring, service learning, supplemental instruction) • More assumed responsibility from colleges for the social issues of students (before, faculty weren’t concerned) • Don’t want or need silence to concentrate – freaks out the librarians

29. Millennial College Experiences • All possible content is on the internet – need process and skills-based • Get out as fast as you can • Stay home as long as you can – are protected and mentored • Get “do-overs” often • Lots of technology, no tolerance for delays • Are not hardy, drop out and quit easily • Dislike ambiguity – “just tell us what we need to know”

30. This is what they grew up with?

31. Millennials - Not Very Hardy • Our parents told us “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” and “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” • Their philosophy “when the going gets tough, it means you should try another route” and “if at first you don’t succeed, maybe you shouldn’t be here.” • They have trouble staying in classes with rigid teachers who offer them no flexibility or encouragement.

32. Millennials - Not Very Hardy • Seems like the tougher you are, the quicker they quit • Have no preconceived ideas about expectations • See a lack of consistency among faculty • Have to tell them more than the generation before them and we resent it

33. 5 minute table activity #1 • Have you noticed any differences in how the various generations learn? • Discuss what changes you have had to make to keep students engaged?

34. Cognitive Psychologists and Learning Styles • Cognitive psychologists such as Kolb, Honey and Mumford, Jung, etc. who have done the major work on learning styles recognize four basic styles: • Concrete Experience (feeling) • Active Experimentation (doing) • Abstract Conceptualization (thinking) • Reflective Observation (watching) • Those probably don’t change dramatically with generations. What may change are the perceptual modalities such as preferences for print, aural, interactive, visual, kinesthetic, and olfactory

35. What We Do Know • Faculty tend to teach in the same style by which they prefer to learn. • We also tend to teach by the methods we were taught – “if it was good enough for me, it is good enough for them.” • Students prefer faculty who teach according to their learning style. • The key is to learn to address all styles of learning.

36. In the 1985 movie “Back to the Future” what make of car was used as the time machine?

37. 5 minute table discussion #2 • What are the biggest issues you deal with in regard to cheating and plagiarism? • What are the differences between cheating today and the cheating you observed 10-15 years ago?

38. Issues for Discussion • Cheating – vague meaning for students • Much easier now, we had to work to cheat. • Electronic toys. • Online sites (paper mills, etc.). • Too much focus on the end point (grade in class) than learning. Have to help refocus them. Cell phone wrist watch

39. Issues for Discussion • Plagiarism • What is it • Don’t assume they understand it • Be careful with sites like “turn it in.com” • Create materials for them with samples • Discuss ownership of creative works • Get the library involved • An issue for all ages

40. What was the name of the detective agency in the 1980’s ABC hit Moonlighting? 

41. 5 minute table discussion #3 • Do you have parents calling you wanting to talk to you about their son/daughter? • Do parents show up for teacher conferences or to help their son/ daughter enroll? • What should the college do to “head off” parents?

42. Issues for Discussion - Dealing With Parents • The last group of millennials will begin college in 2020. • We need to begin to be proactive now. • Orientation for parents • Materials for parents • Communication with parents via newsletter or emails • Help them learn how to help their student • Help them understand what it takes for a student to become independent and help themselves

43. Dealing With Parents • FERPA only limits us from talking to parents about student progress, attendance, grades, etc. but nothing else. • We feel we shouldn’t have to deal with parents – because our history indicates our average student age has been about 30. • Not so today – most rapidly growing group is under 25 and will continue to be so for a while (in 07-08, 50% were under 30) • Parents need to know about FERPA

44. What Do Universities Do With Parents • Parents organization – great help with fundraising • Parent orientation • Parents’ weekend (or other events) • Mail to parents to purchase care packages during finals week, etc. • Parents pay for services for their children • Could be a great group of volunteers for us • But it takes staff to coordinate them

45. 5 minute table discussion #4 • How many emails do you receive a day? • Can you keep up with them? • What policies should your department or the college have about communication? • What would help you communicate effectively with students?

46. Issues for Discussion • Communication policies • How soon can they expect a response from you • When are you available for email • What will you accept emails about • Email is official communication between the student and the teacher – should look like official communication • Other casual communication devices • Connectivity and communication are two of their strengths and areas they abuse • You are your own worst enemy

47. Issues for Discussion • Cell phone policies • Faculty are divided down the middle on this • Don’t make such a big deal out of it • Be fair but don’t let them disrupt class • Connectivity is very important to them • They will not turn them off but will silence them

48. According to the label where does Carnation Milk come from? 

49. 5 minute table discussion #5 • Do we have to change our way of teaching for them or do they have to adjust to our way of teaching?

50. Quote…. • “Once being a professor meant (among other things) possessing, by dint of years immersed in library mineshafts, refinements on knowledge that were effectively inaccessible to the unlearned person. Now, most of that esoterica is available instantly on Wikipedia.” • Louis Menand, Harvard Professor, 2010, The Marketplace of Ideas: Reform and Resistance in the American University.