The Millennial Muddle: How to Teach & Reach the Millennial Generation

1. The Millennial Muddle: How to Teach & Reach the Millennial Generation Terrence Cahill, EdD, FACHE Seton Hall University Echo Boom Generation Y Millennials Net Generation

2. Educational Goals At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to: • Understand the unique characteristics of the millennial student and how those attributes impact learning. • Understand the expectations that millennial students and their parents have of the educational system. • Discuss the learning styles, attitudes, motivations, and approach to learning that millennials most adhere to. • Discuss the impact technology has had on the millennial adult learner in terms of their communication, critical thinking and analysis/skill. • Identify and describe communication and teaching methodologies that enhance the millennial learning experience and lead to positive educational outcomes.

3. Generational Theory Each generation… • Consists of approximately a 20-year span • Has a unique set of values • Reacts to the generation before them • Looks at their generation as the standard of comparison • Looks at the generation that follows them skeptically “these kids today…” • “Cuspers” may have a blended set of characteristics Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

4. A Brief Sociological Lesson On Generations Image from Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (Howe & Strauss, 2000). Millennials and Generation MT: Trying to Understand Today’s College StudentRicardo Montelongo, Ph.D., Director, Academic EnhancementTexas A&M University at Galveston, 10-24-09

5. Four Generations in the Workplace Generation Year of Birth Age Traditionalists 1925 – 1942 69 – 86 Baby Boomers 1943 – 1960 51 – 68 Generation X 1961 – 1981 30 – 50 Millennials Since 1982 29 and younger

6. Traditionalists: 75 Million • Born before WWII • Grew up during (or memories of) Great Depression • Many Matures have already retired • Account for approximately 5% of the workforce today - senior & volunteer positions • Discomfort with change & focus on stability and rules – due to upheaval of war & depression

7. Traditionalist’s Personality • “Chain of command” - military experiences → top down approach in management most efficient. • Loyal” – God-fearing, hard-working, patriotic, immense faith in institutions from church to the government • Dedication, Sacrifice, Hard Work • Law and Order, Respect for authority • Delayed reward, Duty before pleasure

8. Boomers: 80 Million • Grew up during a time of prosperity (1950s), turned into a time of social upheaval (1960s and 1970s) • Account for 45% of the workforce • Often described as “self-absorbed” • Applied their parents’ hard work ethic more to the benefit of the individual, as opposed to “company” • Began to experience transition in stability of family

9. Boomers’ Biography • People:MLK Jr., Richard Nixon, John Kennedy, Beaver Cleaver, Rosa Parks, Gloria Steinem. • Places: Watergate Hotel, Kent State, Woodstock, sit-ins, suburbs, boardrooms. • Things: Bell-bottoms, mood rings, Rolex watches, LSD, junk bonds, TV. • Events: Vietnam War , Watergate, OPEC oil embargo , the women’s and human rights movements.

10. Baby Boomers’ Personality • Optimistic: Booming postwar economy, availability of jobs, boom in production of consumer goods. • Competitive: 80 million competing for everything: sports, schools, jobs. • ME generation: Focus on themselves, identify deeply with who they are & what they can achieve. • Change: Saw flaws in ways world being managed & tired of being told what to do; believed they could affect change.

11. Generation X; 46 Million • Emergence of Generation X into workforce coincided with identification of generational differences as important in workplace. • Fewer number than boomers. • 35% of workforce • 1st generation to enter workforce after first wave of corporate downsizing. • Their parents lived to work; they work to live, • Work/life balance is hallmark of this generation.

12. Generation Xers’ Biography • People: Brat pack, Bill Clinton, Ayatollah Khomeini, Bill Gates, Beavis and Butthead, Clarence Thomas, Madonna. • Places: Soviet Union, Somalia, Starbucks, International Space Station, Internet, Chernobyl. • Things: Cable TV, cell phones, microwaves, video games, faxes, Palm-Pilots, personal computers, VCRs. • Events: AIDS, MADD, violence, high divorce rates, single parents, missing children on milk cartons, latchkey programs.

13. Generation Xers’ Personality • Focused: Show me the money • Skepticism: High divorce rates, unstable economy, high crime rates, more faith in themselves as individuals/ less faith in institutions. • Self- sufficient: Resourceful, independent, count on their peers & themselves to get things done.

14. Who are the Millennials? Image from Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (Howe & Strauss, 2000). Millennials and Generation MT: Trying to Understand Today’s College StudentRicardo Montelongo, Ph.D., Director, Academic EnhancementTexas A&M University at Galveston, 10-24-09

15. Millennials: 86 Million • Rich consumers – like to spend money • Majority female • Technologically adept • Ethnically diverse • Diversity more of a “fact” and not an “issue” • Born @ 1980-1982 • Began entering college in 2000 • Grew up with Clinton • Columbine massacre during K-12 years • 9/11 historic moment • Virginia Tech massacre significant impact on college campuses Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (Howe & Strauss, 2000)

16. Millennial Characteristics • SPECIAL – Boomer dominant family unit • SHELTERED – structured schedules; “safe” environments • CONFIDENT –special treatment b/c they deserve it; constant reminders that they’re “special” • TEAM-ORIENTED – collaboration; learning environments • ACHIEVMENT ORIENTED – must be the best • PRESSURED – high stress situations • CONVENTIONAL – personal philosophy:status quo; accept rules; may fight at beginning, but usually will accept “the rules” Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (Howe & Strauss, 2000) Millennials and Generation MT: Trying to Understand Today’s College StudentRicardo Montelongo, Ph.D., Director, Academic EnhancementTexas A&M University at Galveston, 10-24-09

17. Characteristics of the Net Generation • Neil Howe and William Strauss are leaders in the field of generational research. • Howe and Strauss have both a sympathetic and optimistic view of the Net Generation, “smart, ambitious, incredibly busy” (Howe and Strauss, Millennials Go). • “By the time the last Millennials come of age, they could become the best-educated youths in American history.” • The best behaved young adults in living memory. • Tendency toward copying, consensus, and conformity that educators will want to challenge…” (Howe and Strauss, Millennials Go 30). Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09 Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (Howe & Strauss, 2000)

18. Introducing the Net Generation • Close to their parents • Focused on grades & performance • Intensely focused on the college admissions process • Pack resumes with extracurricular & summer activities • Eager to volunteer for community service • Insistent on secure, regulated environments • Respectful of norms & institutions • Conventionally minded, verging on conformist-thinking • Digital, social, multitask masters Image source: www.thetartan.org“Helicopter Parents are Hovering Beyond College.” 11/19/07 Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

19. The Net Generation: Communication • Online all day seeking communication & virtual contact. • Express themselves online frequently & effortlessly; online contact is not differentiated from face-to-face contact • Accustomed to information arriving in instant video, audio & text extractions • Process information coming from both the electronic and physical world simultaneously • Grow up reading hypertext;  print sources are less familiar, and more of a hassle • Text message shorthand, • Phonetically spelling words: because/BCOZ, enemy/NME, enough said/NUFF • Spelling words with numbers: “182” for “I hate you” Image source: http://www.digital-literacy.eu “The Millennial Student” by Jeremy Brueck Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

20. Multi-taskers • From an early age they live programmed lives • Capable of learning several jobs simultaneously; but, question the quality of performance them • Multitasking students run the risk of learning more slowly than those who concentrate on a single activity Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09 McAlister, Andrea "Teaching the Millennial Generation." American Music Teacher 58.7 (2009): 13-15.

21. Major Influencing Factors • Their parents • The self-esteem movement • The customer service movement • Gaming and technology • Casual communication Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

22. Millennial Parents picture courtesy of www.community/webshots.com Millennials and Generation MT: Trying to Understand Today’s College StudentRicardo Montelongo, Ph.D., Director, Academic EnhancementTexas A&M University at Galveston, 10-24-09

23. Baby Boomers as Parents • Boomers rebelled against parenting practices of their parents • More friendly with their children • Open lines of communication; family conference • Allowed children to have input into family decisions, educational options & discipline issues • Wanted them to question authority Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

24. As a result, Millennials… • Have become “masters of negotiation” • Will negotiate with anyone- Older generations may see this as “arguing” • Expect feedback and need praise • Mistake silence for disapproval Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

25. The Impact of Gaming • Gaming has its impact • Involves a complex set of decision- making skills • Teaches them to take multiple pieces of data and make decisions quickly • Learning more closely resembles Nintendo, a trial and error approach to solving problems Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

26. Boomers & Xersnavigated their way through….. Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

27. Millennials navigated their way through….. Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

28. Technology In Education • Expect to incorporate technology into their learning and clinical experiences/ practicum • Communication via e-mail, access to online resources & Internet activities • “the expectation of convenience carries over to academia [and ] many students expect instant gratification from their professors in terms of getting their papers back graded and getting instant responses to their emails, voicemails, etc…” (McGlynn) Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

29. Technology they use daily Please tell me if you use any of the following technologies or services on a daily or frequent basis? % saying “yes” Microsoft Insurance Industry Survey Research Results

30. Educating the Net Generation • Tendency to cheat, plagiarize, or take “necessary shortcuts” partly because they are programmed to succeed by their parents • See sites like: http://www.non-plagiarized-termpapers.com/ • Traditional notions of cheating viewed as modern notion of information ‘morphing’ • Educators proactively use plagiarism detection tools like Turnitin.com or Google search phrases from papers Image source: www. members.fortunecity.com Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09 Howe and Strauss, Millennials Go

31. The Health of the Net Generation • Serious health ailments such as sleep deficit disorders, obesity and prescription drug abuse are common • Sleep disorders and obesity are said to stem from over-scheduling, irregular meals and little time for exercise • Helicopter parents encourage success but don’t seem to encourage rest Image source: http://www.fusionsleep.com/ Howe and Strauss in Millennials Go to College Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

32. The Health of the Net Generation • Turn to artificial alertness - prescription drugs -Ritalin, Adderall and Provigil for academic and athletic performance enhancement • One out of every ten students in grades 7 to 12 are turning to “smart drug” use (Howe and Strauss) • Pressure to achieve academic & athletic feats Image source: http://www.pharmacyautomationsupplies.com/ Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

33. Students as Consumers • Students are consumers; they project a sense of entitlement for passing grades simply by paying tuition • They want to have input into their educational processes • They want to be involved in meaningful activities, not mundane work Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

34. Characteristics They Look for in Teachers • At least 50% said they expect teachers to be: • Enthusiasticabout teaching • Funto be around • Provideintellectualchallenges • Haveflexibleclass policies • Sensitiveto their needs/feelings • Help prepare them for their futurecareer Central Piedmont Community College’s Center for Applied Research: Workforce Development Board, 2004 Survey

35. So, How Do We Work With Them? NEVER assume that they know certain things like: • You don’t want to talk to their mother when they are having problems • It’s not appropriate to call you at home after 9pm • They can’t use IM language with patients or in presentations and papers. • It’s not okay to email or text you 10 times a day • When emailing you at 3am, you’re not sitting on the other end waiting to respond to them Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

36. What are Some of the Issues? • Professional dress • Professional conduct during clinical work • Timeliness • Texting • Questioning the role and authority of the preceptor • Communication • Commitment to learning • Going beyond the obvious assignment • Passion • Realistic Expectations • Work Ethic

37. How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen:Expectations & Conduct • Take the time to orient the student to your organization • Clearly state your expectations from day one – no, they will not catch on just by watching you or others • Explain & illustrate at the beginning that hard work by itself, in the absence of skill and ability, does not always guarantee high grades • Clearly define acceptable rules of behavior and link violations to consequences– e.g., cell-phone use, text messaging, and expectations of attentiveness and civility • Offer examples of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, etc… • They desperately need role models – Monkey see Monkey Do is real! • Share with them personal successes and failures Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

38. How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen:Independent Thought & Self-Awareness • Facilitate them towards independent thoughts • Facilitate them to question the literature • Facilitate them to develop self-awareness, self assessment, etc.. • How do you think you are perceived by…? • What do you think your areas of strengths are? • What do you think your areas of weaknesses are? • How do you think today went? • How did you feel when…? • What skill are you most proud of? • . Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

39. How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen:Assignments • Give clear, explicit directions and well structured assignments (i.e. rubrics) • Provide model examples of successful clinical behavior, presentations, assignments • Carefully discuss any assignment that requires students to go beyond the usual expectations • Define the concept of 2nd chances and redo’s in the context of the setting you are in Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

40. How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen:Assignments • Identify deadlines – where they are hard and where they are soft • Give them options and choices wherever possible –project topics, pace of learning, etc… • Consider letting some parameters of the clinical work be cooperatively designed by both you and the students –elements of the goals, rules, and assignments • Use a variety of assessment approaches • Give them a clear structure for team management-- don’t rely on them to manage team problems unless you’ve also given them a clear structure for doing so Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

41. How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen:Feedback • Give them ongoing rather than infrequent/intermittent feedback • They want to please you and will do just about anything for “positive feedback” • Grade-Grubbing Behavior - They want to know what exactly must be done to earn an “A” • Because of their high expectations of themselves, students may become demoralized by earning a B or C • Be attentive to address behaviors that are not appropriate Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

42. The Ultimate Question Who is in charge? Do they live in our world or do we live in theirs?

43. It May Take a Village to Raise a Child, but it Takes a Society to Raise a Generation

44. Resources • Colorado State UniversityTeaching with Technology Workshop Videos and PowerPointshttp://tilt.colostate.edu/twt/ • Promoting Student Interactivity in Online and Face-to-Face Courses • Extending Classroom Discussion with Forums, Blogs, and Email • Avoiding the PowerNap: Strategies for Active Learning with PowerPoint • Supporting Student Collaboration Online • The Potential of Plagiarism Detection Software • Increasing Student Participation and Engagement in Large Classes • Engaging the Online Learner by Rita-Marie Conrad. The book includes real, demonstrated, classroom examples. The Library and DoIt have copies. • Debate: The Millennials: The Dumbest Generation or the Next Great Generation (Google video) • The Harper College Fact Book and Environmental Scan • See Harper Portal, Divisions, Strategic Alliances, Office of Research, Reports Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09

45. Resources • Fogarty, Timothy J. "The Millennial Lie." Issues in Accounting Education 23.3 (Aug. 2008): 369-371. • Gerber, Leslie and Michael Wilson. “How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching: Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,” Currents in Teaching and Learning 1.1 (Fall 2008): 29-44. • McGlynn, Angela Provitera. "Millennials in College: How Do We Motivate Them?." Education Digest 73.6 (Feb. 2008): 19-22. • Skiba, Diane J., and Amy J. Barton.. “Adapting Your Teaching to Accommodate the Net Generation of Learners.” Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 11.2 (May 2006): 15-15. • Stewart, Kenneth. "Lessons from Teaching Millennials." College Teaching 57.2 (Spring 2009): 111-118. Who are the Millennials? Teaching the Net Generation Kim Fournier, Harper College, 10-7-09