Profiling the GenNexters Profiling the GenNexters - Looking Beyond 2007- Looking Beyond 2007

Lesley BlickerDirector of IMS Learning and Next Generation TechnologyMinnesota State Colleges and Universitieslesley.blicker@csu.mnscu.edu

A Profile of the GenNextersA Profile of the GenNexters

1. The generation born between 1982 and 2000

2. Also known as the Millenials, Echo boomers,the Net Generation, and the Digital Natives

3. Very comfortable with technological learning tools including online learning and courseware, presentation software, Web page design, spreadsheet software

4. Are education-oriented

Source: “Identifying the Generation Gap in Higher Education: Where do Differences Really Lie?” Paula Garcia and Jingjing Qin. Innovate Journal of Online Education, April/May 2007. http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=379

A Profile of the GenNexters- cont’dA Profile of the GenNexters- cont’d

5. Are more assertive information seekers

6. Have no tolerance for delays

7. The Internet is better than TV

8. Doing is more important than knowing

9. Multi-tasking is a way of life

10. Typing is preferred to handwriting

11. Staying connected is essential

Source: “Teaching and Learning with the Net Generation,” Barnes, Marateo, and Ferris. Innovate Journal of Online Education, April/May 2007. Also “Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millenials: Understanding the New Students,” D. Oblinger, Educause July/August 2003.

Email is what our parents do

Are Their Attention Spans Are Their Attention Spans Really Short?Really Short?

• Yes…for the old ways of learning

• But NOT for games or for anything else that interests them

• They crave interactivity—an immediate response to their each and every action

• Traditional education provides very little of this compared to the rest of their world

Adapted from Marc Prensky, 2001.

Forest Park High School Digital Video Media Segment – The Forest Park High School Digital Video Media Segment – The

Millenials at SchoolMillenials at School

Digital NativesDigital Natives

Source: Marc Prensky, 2001.

“Every time I go to school I have to power down,” complains a high-school student.

Media ExposureMedia Exposure

• Spent 10,000 hours on video games

• Read 200,000 emails• Watched 20,000 hours

TV• Spent 10,000 hours

on the cell phone• Spent under 5,000

hours reading

By age 21, the average person will have:

– Marc Prensky, 2003

00

50005000

1000010000

1500015000

2000020000

2500025000

E-mailsE-mails

Video Video

GamesGames

ReadingReading

TelevisionTelevision

Cell Cell PhonePhone

Which Technologies Which Technologies are our Current are our Current

Learners Using?Learners Using?

Portable Devices, IMs, and Portable Devices, IMs, and Game ControllersGame Controllers

Learning Technologies:Learning Technologies:Course Management SystemsCourse Management Systems

Add-On Learning ToolsAdd-On Learning Tools

Social TechnologiesSocial Technologies

Digital connectedness is prized above all

else.

Immersive Learning Environments (ILEs):Immersive Learning Environments (ILEs):3D Virtual Worlds (Games/Sims)3D Virtual Worlds (Games/Sims)

Why ILEs? Why Simulations?Why ILEs? Why Simulations?

Known BenefitsKnown Benefits

• Involve practice and immediate feedback• No memorization of facts, just mobilization of

information to solve problems• Lectures can be placed “point-in-time”• Learning is paced, less complex objectives at

beginning, incremetal rewards, increasing complexity as proceeds

• 1st person learning experience; learners manipulate their world and gather information along the way

Personal Learning LandscapePersonal Learning Landscape

Source: “The Future CMS,” by Scott Leslie. Edutools, November, 2006. http://www.edtechpost.ca/gems/TheFutureCMS3.htm

Nascent Technology

2-4 years

Next Gen Technology

5-10 years

Social learning architectures – immersive 3D metaverses (Second Life, Croquet Consortium, and MySpace users convert to 3B)

Open Source as an enterprise system; Open Courseware (i.e., Moodle)

New applications for wireless technology

More digital device software

Real-time swapping of video and audio

Cell phone technologies (IM)

Technologies allowing users to build, tinker, learn, and share

Remixes and mashups for educational purposes

Morphs/expansion of “Notice me” self-publishing tools, public displays of identity (e.g., MySpace)

Extensions of digital social networks

Electronic textbooks, unbundled chapters

Digital libraries

3D portals, full service online institutions

Current Technology

1+ years*

Plagiarism or citation management software

Video-over-IP, such as Video Furnace

Podcasting/Vodcasting (YouTube

Wikis and blogs (MySpace) Gaming and simulations Content authoring tools,

such as lodeStar, Raptivity Web conferencing tools

(e.g., WebEx, Elluminate) Autodesk (CAD 3D for mfg) Learning

Objects/Repositories

* Length of time to maturity/mainstream adoption/saturation

1. Fusion of mobile, IM and Web

2. 3D engine product ubiquity (Second Life, Croquet, Active Worlds). Groundswell of ILEs and virtual campuses occurring

3. Open standards approach to tool interoperability and integration (future IMSs could have 100s of add-ons)

Other FutureOther Future LearningLearning Technology Trends Technology Trends

7. Content-sharing beyond the bounds of one organization

8. Cont’d blurring between content creator and consumer

9. Rapid expansion of Web 2.0 tools

Future Future LearningLearning Technology Trends Technology Trends

1. Integration of learning technologies into strategic plans and institutional priorities, similar to current integration of facility planning, admin processes, library and student services

2. Getting a handle on what to focus on

3. Investing in technologically competent faculty

4. Figuring out how/whether/when to support entrepreneurial efforts

Strategic Technological ChallengesStrategic Technological Challenges

For copies or more information on the GenNexters and Next Generation Learning Technologies, please contact:

Lesley BlickerDirector of IMS Learning and Next Generation TechnologyMinnesota State Colleges and Universitieslesley.blicker@csu.mnscu.eduWork: 651-201-1413Cell: 651-269-0107