Teaching the Millennials

We've been researching the Millennials for some work we're doing related to designing engaging, interactive products for eLearning.  As familiar as this subject is to many of us involved in the design and delivery of educational content, it's still powerful to review the truly unique nature of this generation of learners.  Here's a few summary points and then pointers to more resources that we found especially helpful.

Demographics and Culture

The 'Millennials' constitute the demographic cohort following Generation X and were born between roughly 1980 and 2000.  Also known as Generation Next, the Net Generation, the Boomerang Generation, Generation M, and the Digital Natives, they are 50 million strong. 

They are the most diverse generation in U.S. history: 61 % White, 19% Hispanic, 14 % Black, 5% Asian. They are confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change.  The want a workplace that is “fun, flexible and challenging”.  

They are voracious users of new technologies, spending 7.5 hours a day absorbing and creating media – as much time as they spend in school.  88% regularly use phones to text and 75% have a profile on a social networking site.  The Internet rivals television as their main news source.  Their top answers for ‘What did you do in the last 24 hours?’: 'Watched a video online', 'Posted a message to online profile', and 'Played a videogame'.

They are on track to emerge as most educated generation ever.  26% are currently in college and 50% of those in school want to continue on to a graduate or professional degree.   65% of those not in school say they plan to go back.

How They Learn: Multi-Tasking

The are trained via their culture to multi-task. 

• They grew up with concurrent use of media.
• Do not lock them into lengthy, sequential learning exercises

Multi-tasking affects pace and attention

• they are able to filter and shift attention easily
• They like interactivity and a rapid pace
• They have a fast response time and demand fast turnaround time
• They may need to be encouraged to stop and reflect

How They Learn: Visualization and Experimentation

Visualization

• They are intuitive visual communicators
• They are adept at visual spatial skills (possibly because of computer games)

Experimentation

• This is not a ‘read the manual’ or ‘measure twice, cut once’ culture
• Videogame approach: dive in, assess on the fly, adjust, iterate
• Allow them room to experiment – they learn better by discovery than by being told what to do
• Yet they do like structure as opposed to ambiguity

How They Learn: Collaboration

Peer-to-peer connections

• Their peers deliver relevance
• Social technology fuels sharing
• They prefer to work in teams

Decision-by-consensus

• 54% prefer to make decisions by consensus, and that number shoots up to 70% when they are amongst their peers

Shared responsibility

• 82% of Millennials believe it is important to have a staff that can do each other’s jobs

How They Learn: Personalization

Personalized and tailored

• They grew up with Amazon.com and a ‘remix’ culture – they are used to being able to tailor their environments
• Provide learning that is:
• • individualized (paced to learning needs)
  • differentiated (tailored to preferences)
  • personalized (tailored to specific interests)
• Don’t be too prescriptive – let them be creative

Validation

• They value ideas over experience
• Provide them individualized, tailored feedback

How They Learn: Expectations

Technology Expectations

• They consider technology to be any electronically based application or piece of equipment that meets a need for access to information or communication
• Customization is central -- technology is something that adapts to their needs, not something that requires them to change

Learning Expectations

• They place a high premium on a professor's experience and expertise
• A high premium is also placed on a professor's ability to customize the class and convey learning objectives using technology
• They desire a mix of lecture and interactivity

MORE RESOURCES

• Dede, Chris. Planning for NeoMillennial Learning Styles. (2010)
• Kamenetz, Anya. A Is for App: How Smartphones, Handheld Computers Sparked an Educational Revolution. (2010)
• Kumar, Sesh. Blackboards to Blackberries: Mobile Learning Buzzes Across Schools and Universities.  (2010)
• Marantz Henig, Robin. What Is It About 20-Somethings? (2010)
• Mr. Youth; Intrepid. Millennial Inc.: What Your Company Will Look Like When Millennials Call the Shots. [9.5 MB PDF]  (2010)
• Mr. Youth; RepNation Media.  Consumer 2.0: Five Rules to Engaging a New Breed of Customer. (2010) 
• Oblinger, Diana G. and James L. Oblinger, Eds. Educating the Net Generation.  (2005)
• Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education. Transforming American Education: Learning Powered By Technology. [1.5 MB PDF]  (2010)
• PBS Newshour. Generation Next: Speak Up, Be Heard. (2007) 
• Pew Research Center. Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next – Confident, Connected, Open to Change. (2010)