Bridging the Generation Gap in Technical
EducationGary Whittle, St. Catharine College
Who is in you class?
Veterans- Born before 1945 - 75 million Baby Boomers – Born 1946 to1964 – 80 million Gen Xers – Born 1965 to 1980 – 46 million Gen Yers– Born after 1980 – 76 million
Veterans (ages 62+)
World War II Korean War Cold War Nuclear Bomb The New Deal Social security Income taxes B/W TV
The Silent Generation Value duty, discipline, thrift,
sacrifice, authority Life is about work, not
fulfillment Conformity is good.
Individualism is iffy. Strict gender roles. Follow rules. Respect
authority
Boomers (ages 45-64)
Space Race Civil Rights Vietnam Kennedy & King
Assassinations Woodstock Women’s rights Color TV
Treated as “special,” advantaged children
Focus on individuality, creativity, personal fulfillment
Want to “make a difference” Optimistic and team-oriented Socially and intellectually
involved Proud of working long hours
to get ahead
Generation X (ages 27-44)
Fall of Berlin Wall AIDS Chernobyl Desert Storm 3 Mile Island Watergate Tiananmen Square MTV
Trust authority only if accompanied by competence
Focused on developing skills to enhance marketability
Self-reliant and independent Less optimistic, more
pragmatic and self-reliant Confident in their
technology-based skills Want a life, as well as a job
Generation Y (ages 26 and under) 9-11 Attack War in Iraq Columbine Global Warming Cell phones Internet Xbox and iPod
Socially accepted delayed adolescence
Still reliant on parents Access and process
information faster Extensive users of technology
at home and at work Optimistic, sociable and
achievement-oriented Believe their
experiences/opinions are the ones that matter
.
So… What Difference Does it Make? Who are our students? How do they learn? How do we teach? How is college-level instruction changing? What about technology? What about the “old ways”?
Personal and Lifestyle Characteristics Veterans Boomers Gen X Gen Y
Core Values
AuthorityConformityDisciplineHierarchy
OptimismInvolvement
WorkTeam play
SkepticismFun
InformalityLoners
RealismConfidence
Extreme FunSocial
Family TraditionalNuclear Disintegrating Latch-key kids Merged families
EducationA Dream A birthright
A way to get there A tool
CommunicationRotary Phones
Party LinesWritten notes
Phones"Call me anytime"
Cell phones"Call me only
at work"
InternetFacebook
Money Pay CashSave
Buy now, Pay later
Cautious Conservative
save Earn to spend
Classroom Characteristics Veterans Boomers Gen X Gen Y
Work Ethic Hard workersRespect authority
Obey rules
WorkaholicsDesire quality
Question authority
Elf-reliantDistrust
authority
Multi-taskingGoal oriented
TenaciousWhat’s Next?
Performance is:An obligation An adventure A challenge
A means to an end
Interactive Style
Individual Team EntrepreneurParticipative
Feedback No news is good news
Leave me alone ‘til I
finish !!
Sorry to Interrupt, but
how am I doing?
Whenever I want it, at the
touch of a button
Message to Motivate Your experience is
respectedYou are valued
and needed
Do it your way—forget the
rules
You will work with other
bright, creative people
How Do They Learn?Veterans:
New is not necessarily better Slow to change ideas Prefer structure, schedules and procedures Must have time to tie new ideas to old mental
framework for full assimilation Can be technologically challenged Want a clear statement of goals, procedures,
expectations and product parameters
How Do They Learn?Boomers:
Want their efforts to matter Are frustrated with busy work Want to see the big picture and how things fit Like team projects Motivated by responsibility to the group Don’t care about in-line feedback Value the product, not the process
How Do They Learn?Generation X:
Task oriented – want to learn new skills Change oriented – want version 5.0.1 Want to work quickly If it isn’t fun, there better be a good reason for
doing it Prefer informal communication Do not like team activities Want lots of feedback
How Do They Learn?Generation Y:
Always looking for the “new” High end technology Consumer oriented Need help orienting to college level expectations Skill development focused Productivity, not attendance = rewards Short attention span Critical thinking skills undeveloped
OK…. So How Do I Teach?
Traditional ClassroomHybrid ClassesOnline
OK…. So How Do I Teach?
The class lecture “may be the worst pedagogy, relatively ineffective for most aspects of most subjects and for most students.”
Porter, 1999, p. 16
Teaching With Technology Be sure you know how to use it before you
introduce it Let the students teach/mentor each other Don’t expect universal acceptance Don’t fall for bells and whistles Keep the human element foremost Use multiple levels to meet the needs of all
Teaching With Technology
SAM Web 2.0 Xbox Live Google Earth Facebook/MySpace
The Sims Wii Myst Second Life
Take advantage of their strengths . . Veterans– good mentors, follow rules, value the
institution Baby boomers – hard workers, results oriented,
team players, intellectually involved, proud of their “product”
Gen Xers – Self-reliant, fast working, techno-savvy
Millennials – Open, optimistic, social, techno experts
Learn together, Network together, Grow together
Questions???
Comments….
Thank You
A special thank you toMary Alice BurkhartCoordinator, Noncredit and Customized ProgramsAustin Peay State UniversityCenter for Extended and Distance Education
For her contribution and research.