Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
Transforming the Learning Environment
April 4-6, 2004
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J. Vitelio Contreras, PhD Track 3 - Supporting the Transformative Environment |
Abstract
Why are new generations of learners so different from the older generations that conform the majority of educators? There is an obvious generation gap between new generations of learners and teachers. This presentation will explore Marc Prensky's answers to this polemic issue and the solution he postulates.
Description
In the last three decades, the world has drastically shifted from an analog world to a digital world. The generations born during these years (Digital Natives), have developed new cognitive habits and thinking patterns that are very different from those of the former generations (Digital Immigrants). Therefore, they require different types of learning. Digital Immigrants have an ìaccentî that is hard for the Digital Natives to understand. They are perceived by Digital Natives as going too slowly, proceeding step by step, taking too much time to read the manuals, using an antiquated testing system, and more. Digital Natives were brought up with new technologies from Sesame Street to the Walkman, including video games and GameBoys, MTV, PC's, the Internet, CDs, MP3s, etc. Digital Immigrants are not fluent in the language Digital Natives speak, and this has an affect on the educational system. Most teachers are of the previous generation and, therefore, qualify as Digital Immigrants while most of the students of today are, in fact, Digital Natives. The Digital Immigrants approaches to teaching might be not only difficult for the Natives to understand, but they may also find them very boring, accustomed as they are to frequent images, fast paced information, and having fun with all kinds of games provided by the technology they have been exposed to throughout their lives.
Teachers are confronted daily with the fact that they have to teach topics that many learners donít want to learn but they have to, i.e. Grammar. How can learning be engaging under these circumstances? Marc Prensky seems to have an answer in his book, Digital Game-Based Learning. Combining content with video games and computer games to engage the "under 40 games generation" may not be the only solution, but no doubt that this e-learning approach responds to the Digital Nativesí belief that learning can be and should be fun.