Net Gen Students:Learning, Technology and

Libraries

Net Gen Students:Learning, Technology and

LibrariesJoan K. Lippincott, Coalition for Networked Information

JISC/CNI Conference July 7, 2006

Joan K. Lippincott, Coalition for Networked InformationJISC/CNI Conference July 7, 2006

Net Gen StudentsNet Gen Students

Born 1982-1991 Grew up with computers and other media at home and in school from earliest agesNever were tethered to communication in a place

Born 1982-1991 Grew up with computers and other media at home and in school from earliest agesNever were tethered to communication in a place

Other Names…Other Names…

MillennialsDigital NativesGen YGen NextDotNets (Pew Internet & American Life)

MillennialsDigital NativesGen YGen NextDotNets (Pew Internet & American Life)

Characteristics of Net Gen StudentsCharacteristics of Net Gen Students

Always connected, multi-taskingOriented to working in groupsExperiential learnersVisualProducers as well as consumers

Always connected, multi-taskingOriented to working in groupsExperiential learnersVisualProducers as well as consumers

Pew Internet & American LifePew Internet & American Life

Students are disproportionately likely to be (Internet) content creatorsContent Creation Online, 2004

Students are disproportionately likely to be (Internet) content creatorsContent Creation Online, 2004

How They Engage with LearningHow They Engage with Learning

James Hilton, writing about his son’s Leonardo da Vinci project:

As we worked together (on a Powerpoint), the thing that surprised me was how deeply he connected with the project. He asked enthusiastically: “How can I find another picture? How can I say somethingmore here?”…He connected with Leo in ways that had not happenedbefore and in ways that too rarely happen in the college classes I teach.I am simply not finding ways to take advantage of “rip, mix, and burn,”Nor are we in higher education embracing the potential for unbundlingthe ways we thing about scholarship - not just for student assignmentsbut for all kinds of scholarship.”EDUCAUSE Review March/April 2006

Producers of Information for the Global CommunityProducers of Information for the Global Community

“Blogging is an opportunity to exchange our points of view with the rest of the world, not just people in our immediate environment.”

5th grade Quebec student quoted by Downes, EDUCAUSE Review

2004

Net Gen and Traditional LearningNet Gen and Traditional Learning

Multi-mediaFigure it outWork in groupsMulti-task

Multi-mediaFigure it outWork in groupsMulti-task

Text-basedLearn from expertsIndividually basedLogical, linear

Text-basedLearn from expertsIndividually basedLogical, linear

Net Gen Students Traditional Learning & Libraries

It’s About More than Style…It’s About More than Style…

It’s about learning

New RelationshipsNew Relationships

Academic/SocialVirtual/PhysicalLearners/Teachers/Librarians

Academic/SocialVirtual/PhysicalLearners/Teachers/Librarians

Blending In-person and VirtualBlending In-person and Virtual

"Social networking sites like The Facebook are quickly blurring the line between online and real-world interactions. While most adults still separate their virtual existence from their real-world lives, college kids are increasingly living in both worlds at once.”

Erika Lewis, Carleton College studentfrom her Podcast script for a class "We Media:The Personal Media Revolution”http://www.people.carleton.edu/~lewiser/PodcastScript.htm

New Ways of Thinking about Teachers and LearnersNew Ways of Thinking about Teachers and Learners

“We strive to stay ahead of the technology curve in ways that often exhaust older generations. This drive to keep pace with current trends is not fueled by society’s ability to educate and teach thesetechnologies. Instead, we are a generation of learners by exploration.”Carrie Windham, student, Educating the Net Gen

Implications for Resources and ServicesImplications for Resources and Services

Preparing students to become information producersService stylesNew spaces

Preparing students to become information producersService stylesNew spaces

Preparing students to become information producers

Preparing students to become information producers

New modes of scholarly communicationNew research tools

New modes of scholarly communicationNew research tools

U. Virginia Valley of the ShadowU. Virginia Valley of the Shadow

Cold War Timeline atSanta Clara UniversityCold War Timeline atSanta Clara University

Article in Vectorshttp://vectors.iml.annenberg.edu/

Article in Vectorshttp://vectors.iml.annenberg.edu/

USC Student ProjectUSC Student Project

NCSA Evolution Highway Genome ProjectNCSA Evolution Highway Genome Project

Data for VisualizationData for Visualization

GMU History ToolsGMU History Tools

iSpecies.org (R.Page, U. Glasgow)iSpecies.org (R.Page, U. Glasgow)

New service stylesNew service styles

Social networkingPersonalizationEducation - new emphasesNew forms of service delivery

Social networkingPersonalizationEducation - new emphasesNew forms of service delivery

Facilitating new communitiesFacilitating new communities

“Since we know that students are spending more time insocial networking environments like MySpace and Facebook,building complex communities and sharing musings andopinions on everything…lets form a partnership with one ofthose companies to build a networking space focusing onthe information needs of students. Such a site could enabledialogue and collaboration among its users, discussion ofreadings, and creation of multimedia class projects.”Kate Wittenberg, CHE, June 16, 2006

UIUC Undergrad Library FacebookUIUC Undergrad Library Facebook

Brooklyn College Library MySpaceBrooklyn College Library MySpace

PennTags Social Bookmarking PennTags Social Bookmarking

Who is teaching your students about:Who is teaching your students about:

Statistical analysis softwareGIS softwareMulti-media softwareVisualizationUse of digital librariesUse of large scientific data setsInformation standards and preservationPolicy issues related to information and technology

Statistical analysis softwareGIS softwareMulti-media softwareVisualizationUse of digital librariesUse of large scientific data setsInformation standards and preservationPolicy issues related to information and technology

Educating Students about InformationEducating Students about Information

New Service StylesNew Service Styles

New ways of accessing informationStudent-oriented servicesBlending virtual and physical services

New ways of accessing informationStudent-oriented servicesBlending virtual and physical services

Visual representations of informationVisual representations of information

U. Minnesota Undergrad PageU. Minnesota Undergrad Page

UPenn Business FAQUPenn Business FAQ

bioLIBlog and Biology Night at the Library at U. Tennessee

bioLIBlog and Biology Night at the Library at U. Tennessee

New spacesNew spaces

Information commonsMulti-media studiosGroup areasInformal spaces and cafes

Information commonsMulti-media studiosGroup areasInformal spaces and cafes

Libraries that fit student lifestylesLibraries that fit student lifestyles

Thinking of your information needs and lifestyle, which fits perfectly with your lifestyle?

64% Search engines30% Online library24% Library

From OCLC College Students’ Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources

Thinking of your information needs and lifestyle, which fits perfectly with your lifestyle?

64% Search engines30% Online library24% Library

From OCLC College Students’ Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources

Learning Grid: U. WarwickLearning Grid: U. Warwick

Dartmouth LibraryDartmouth Library

Vassar Media CloistersVassar Media Cloisters

Georgia TechPractice Presentation RoomGeorgia TechPractice Presentation Room

Glasgow Caledonian UniversityGlasgow Caledonian University

U. Georgia Student Learning CenterU. Georgia Student Learning Center

Indiana U. Information CommonsIndiana U. Information Commons

Accomplishing changeAccomplishing change

Hiring/training new types of staff“Reverse mentoring”Working in teams with studentsExperimenting, pilotingAdopting, adaptingDoing research, assessmentLetting go…

Hiring/training new types of staff“Reverse mentoring”Working in teams with studentsExperimenting, pilotingAdopting, adaptingDoing research, assessmentLetting go…

Understanding Today’s StudentsUnderstanding Today’s Students“For as I read through article after article on the topic of academic librarianship, the prominent message is that today’s college students are lazy, procrastinating, plagiarizing patrons of the glut of information that has come to be known as the Internet.”

Christen Thompson, portal, 2003

Or….Should We Shift GearsOr….Should We Shift Gears

The Net Gen Are Our FutureThe Net Gen Are Our Future

Assist students with making the transition from the recreational use of technology to academic use of technologyProvide environments, physical and virtual, which engage studentsPromote creativity in students’ discipline-related work

Assist students with making the transition from the recreational use of technology to academic use of technologyProvide environments, physical and virtual, which engage studentsPromote creativity in students’ discipline-related work

Further Information…Further Information…

Contact Joan Lippincott: joan@cni.org“Net Generation Students and Libraries,” Educating the Net Gen, an EDUCAUSE e-Book, 2005. www.educause.edu/eli http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666&ID=pub7101

Contact Joan Lippincott: joan@cni.org“Net Generation Students and Libraries,” Educating the Net Gen, an EDUCAUSE e-Book, 2005. www.educause.edu/eli http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666&ID=pub7101