Learning in the New Digital Landscape: Lessons from Multiple Perspectives

1. Learning in the New Digital Landscape: Lessons from Multiple Perspectives National Educational Computing ConferenceSan Diego, July 5–7, 2006

2. Presenters Huei-Lien Chen Kansas State University echen@ksu.edu Ping Chen, Ph.D. Missouri State University ping_pc3@yahoo.com Pearl Chen, Ph.D. California State University, Los Angeles hchen6@calstatela.edu

3. Digital Kids

4. Growing up digital Today’s kids are media/web/tech savvy. They have been labeled as the “digital generation,” the “net generation,” or the “instant messenger generation.” The widening gap between the new generation of learners and the traditional form of education has become a common concern among educators, parents and scholars. Important questions have emerged concerning societal, social, and cognitive issues surrounding learning in the new and ever-changing digital landscape.

5. Internet Use Five metaphors of using the Internet for school related tasks (Levin & Arafeh, 2002): • The Internet as virtual textbook and reference library • The Internet as virtual tutor and study shortcut • The Internet as virtual study group • The Internet as virtual guidance counselor • The Internet as virtual locker, backpack, and notebook.

6. http://www.memoweb.org/conference/2006WinterHandouts/galles.pdfhttp://www.memoweb.org/conference/2006WinterHandouts/galles.pdf

7. Research Questions • How is the new generation of learners different from your generation? Can you give an example? • How do you feel about their growing up in the new digital word? How has this experience changed the way they learn? • Are schools meeting the needs of today’s digital kids/teens? If not, what can we (as teachers or parents) do about it? • How has your observation/view of today’s learners affected the way you teach? • Can you think of any strategies that may help to bridge the gap between today’s tech-savvy students and their school learning experience? • Any other comments?

8. Participants • Nineteen pre-service and in-service teachers • Two Instructional designers/technology specialists • An educational librarian • A virtual high school teacher • Two Ph.D. students majoring in Educational Technology • A university faculty • A computer programmer

9. Summary of Findings New Learning Habits - The findings of this study are consistent with the observations made by Healy (1990) indicating that today’s learners may have actually evolved different habits of mind than those of previous generations. “I think they learn by multitasking (reading the computer screen, listening to music, playing games, texting their friends) and their attention span is shorter.”

10. Summary of Findings Social/Peer Learning - Toady’s learners do not feel that they are isolated; instead, they use many means to stay in constant touch with their peers. “My 16-year-old (senior in high school) uses the Internet for social reasons, primarily. She spend a lot of time instant messaging friends and listening to her music through such web sites as iTunes.”

11. Summary of Findings Changing Perspectives - Participants in this study largely recognized students’ high ability in using a wide array of information technologies. • Students eagerly wade into these swampy waters, and they are fearless. • Today’s learners are able to express their creativity and artistic talents through technology. • They can learn new technology very fast by exploring their own without any instruction. It is really amazing. • I feel that for children or young people, learning how to use new technology is much easier than adults because the are willing to try new stuff.”

12. Summary of Findings Persistent Attitudes and Beliefs - There are persistent attitudes and beliefs toward some of the problems (e.g. distraction, dependence, creditability) associated with learning (and growing up) in the new digital landscape. • Learning is not a multi-tasking environment that may seem to think it is, the mind can take on only so much interference from surrounding sources to concentrate on what it is actually needed to be learned. • Critical thinking skills still need to be taught and learned, regardless of the medium used to get information.

13. Summary of Findings Persistent Attitudes and Beliefs - There are persistent attitudes and beliefs toward some of the problems (e.g. distraction, dependence, creditability) associated with learning (and growing up) in the new digital landscape. • Learning is not a multi-tasking environment that may seem to think it is, the mind can take on only so much interference from surrounding sources to concentrate on what it is actually needed to be learned. • Critical thinking skills still need to be taught and learned, regardless of the medium used to get information.

14. Summary of Findings Strategies that may help to bridge the gap between today’s media-savvy students and their school learning experience. These strategies include: • More is not always better. • …limit the use of digital entertainment, (the area of most of their tech-savvy), so as to encourage use of the abstract part of the brain. • It would be best if the technology is used as tool to promote thinking, then we can see evidence of authentic learning. • It is always being that teachers try to wear students’ shoes. It is not harmful for students to wear teachers’ shoes sometimes. Once they try teachers’ shoes, they will understand how hard it is to design and teach a course, it may be also possible that students can give more creative and constructive suggestions or feedbacks.

15. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that there is a changing perspective among teachers and other participants with regard to the new generation of digital learners. However, it is important for educators to realize that “Internet-savvy students are coming to school with different expectations, different skills, and access to different resources” (Levin & Arafeh, 2002, p. 25). As suggested by one participant, an overall strategy is to “…open our mind to the new challenges, always keep the door open between generations for conversation, and help digital kids keep their social skills and natural life.”

16. References • Brown, J.S. (2000, April). Growing up Digital. USDLA Journal, 16(2). Retrieved July 5, 2006 from http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/FEB02_Issue/article01.html • Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year-olds. Retrieved July 5, 2006 from http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia030905pkg.cfm • Generation to Generation, Retrieved July 5, 2006 from http://www.memoweb.org/conference/2006WinterHandouts/galles.pdf • Healy, J. M. (1990). Endangered minds: Why our children don’t think. New York: Simon and Schuster. • Levin, D. & Arafeh, S. (2002). The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap Between Internet-Savvy Students and their Schools. Retrieved July 5, 2006 from http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/67/report_display.asp