Instructional Technology
Conference 2005
Proposal #49
Title: Does Different Generations of Students Means Different Teaching Strategies?
Name: Dr. Karen Jarrett Thoms
Audience Level: All
Audience: faculty, instructional technology specialists
Length: 1 Hour
Abstract:
We’re seeing a wide range of students in our classes: the matures, the babyboomers, the GenXers, the Net Generation, Millennials. Does this range of students have an impact on teaching strategies? Comparing and contrasting characteristics of each ‘generation’ may provide some insight. Yes, we’ll generalize, but the goal is to reach all students in our classes, regardless of age or ‘generation’ in which they fall. Join the conversation on these ‘generations’ of students.
Description:
We’re seeing a wide range of students in our classes: the matures, the baby boomers, the GenXers, the Net Generation, Millennials. Does this range of students have an impact on teaching strategies? Some faculty say yes, others say no. Comparing and contrasting characteristics of each ‘generation’ may provide some insight into this question. It is the presenter’s experience that these different generations do in fact approach education differently.
What exactly to we see in these different ‘generations’ of students?
The “Generations” . . . (the children, parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents)
Matures — in their late-50s, 60s, and 70s
Baby Boomers — in their 40s, 50s
Gen-Xers — in their mid-20s and 30s
Millennials — in their teens and early-20s
Life experiences of these different generations . . .
“Depression” — WWII, Korean War, Cold War
“Baby Boomers” — space race (Buzz on the moon), civil rights (Selma), Vietnam (protests), Watergate, polio vaccine
“Generation X” — fall of Berlin Wall, emergence of AIDS, Web, Tiananmen Square, U.S. stock market crashed, Exxon Valdez spill, Challenger, first computer disk sold
“Matures” . . .
Born prior to 1946 (WW II)
Korean Conflict, New Deal, the Great Depression
Extended families
“Father Knows Best,” “Ozzie and Harriet,” “Leave it to Beaver”
Message: “Hard work, sacrifice for common good, respect for authority, and loyalty to the organization.”
“Baby Boomers” . . .
Born between 1946 and 1964
Rock and roll
The television era
Nuclear families (rather than extended) and neighbors
Sense of security: sex, drugs, civil rights
Fans of the Grateful Dead and Three’s Company
Now run most of the companies in the U.S.
Seem to have “returned to their roots”
“Generation Xers” . . .
Born between 1965 and 1980
Many born into prosperity and preeminence
Born into chaos of Vietnam, Watergate, corporate downsizing, AIDS, terrorism
Age of technological innovation
They have been betrayed: parents laid off, integrity of leaders ??, AIDS threatens their relationships, less purchasing power than their parents at same age
Many were latchkey kids
About 40% children of divorce
Taught them to be self-reliant and personally focused
Desire a more balanced life (home for their children, don’t want overtime)
Xers don’t live to work, they work to live.
“Millennials” . . .
Born between 1981 and 1999 (the oldest ones recently entered the workforce and higher education)
Most diverse generation in U.S. history
30% belongs to “minority” group
25% comes from single-parent family
The students in today’s classes may have very different characteristics and backgrounds from others in the class. Yet they all need to embrace the course content, master it, and leave our classroom enriched because of the time they have spent in the class. These learners have different characteristics, but the goal is the same: master the material.
Join the conversation on these ‘generations’ of students. By the time the participants leave this session, they will have a better understanding of the ‘generations’ of students in our classes, some characteristics of each of these different groups, and some strategies for ensuring a successful learning experience for each student.
Session Type: Lecture / Presentation
Contact information/affiliation:
Dr. Karen Jarrett Thoms
Professor of Information Media
Miller Center 204-I
St. Cloud State University
720 Fourth Avenue So.
St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498
(320) 308-2110
kthoms@stcloudstate.edu
Equipment: access to computer with floppy disk drive. PowerPoint presentation. Need a flipchart.