Who are the Millennials?
Teaching the Net Generation
Coming of age with the Internet and other technology has shaped a
new kind of student and learner, one with expectations beyond the
traditional classroom setting. In this session, characteristics of
Millennial students, born 1982-2002, will be reviewed. Harper
student demographics will also be shared. Faculty are encouraged
to use this session as a place for discussing their own observations
as we work together toward reaching, teaching and inspiring this new
generation of students.
www.harpercollege.edu/~kfournie/seminars.htm
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. X 250
Kim Fournier
Image source: www.mybrightzone.org
1
Who are the Millennials?
Teaching the Net Generation
Kim Fournier, Librarian, Associate Professor
C.A.S. Library and Information Science, 2008
Final Project: Information Literacy and the Net Generation:
A Community College Perspective
Librarians are confronted with new challenges as the Net
Generation, (Millennials, Gen Y, etc.) overestimate their
information seeking skills and underestimate their need for
assistance. Information literacy is the mission of academic
librarians
“Despite coming of age with the Internet and other technology, many college
students lack the information and communication technology literacy skills
necessary to navigate, evaluate, and use the overabundance of information
available today.” [Katz, Irvin. Information Technology and Libraries 26.3 (2007) p.3]
Movie Trailer: Millennials Strike Back!
2
October is
National Information Literacy Month

President Obama declares October National
Information Literacy Month on 10/1/2009.

“National Information Literacy Awareness Month highlights the need for
all Americans to be adept in the skills necessary to effectively navigate
the Information Age.”

“In addition to the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic, it is
equally important that our students are given the tools required to take
advantage of the information available to them. The ability to seek,
find, and decipher information can be applied to countless life
decisions, whether financial, medical, educational, or technical.”

“An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning
of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and
community institutions across the country to help Americans find and
evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms.”
3
Defining Information Literacy
“A recent study found that ‘more
than 75% of students at 2-year
colleges and more than 50% of
students at 4-year colleges do not
score at the proficient level of
literacy”.
(American Institutes for Research, 2006. New study of the literacy
of college students finds some are graduating with only basic skills.)
Image source: http://www.otterbein.edu/
The Association of College and Research Libraries defines
information literacy as:
“The set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze,
and use information.”
4
The American Library Association
and Information Literacy
Information Literacy Competency
Standards for Higher Education
offer an explanation of what information
literate students should be able to do:
 Determine the extent of information
needed
 Access the needed information
effectively and efficiently
Image source: www.physics.utoronto.ca
 Evaluate information and its sources critically
 Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
 Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
 Understand the economic, legal and social issues surrounding the use
of information, and access and use information ethically and legally.
5
ACRL Information Literacy Standards
Image source: http://www.library.fau.edu/depts/ref/instsrv/instsrv.htm
6
Outcomes Assessment and Assessment Tools
Because U.S. accrediting organizations differ in
their educational requirements, librarians
should investigate whether or not information
literacy is recognized by the accrediting
organizations associated with their colleges
and universities.
“…[T]he Middle States Commission on Higher
Education (2003) looks for evidence that
information literacy skills are integrated within
an institutions curriculum… In contrast, the
Higher Learning Commission of the North
Central Association does not have specific
information literacy requirements” (Radcliff, et
al 8).
“More institutions of higher education are
coming to understand what information
literacy is and the value that it adds to the
curriculum” (Stern 113).
7
Library research instruction FY09
8
Information Literacy Standards and Initiatives
The IAI General Education Core Curriculum
Course Criteria read:
“The foundation skills of communication (reading,
writing, speaking, and listening), critical thinking and
analysis/synthesis, quantification, computer use, and
the use of resources (e.g., the library) should be
embedded in every general education course”
(State of Illinois 6).
9
Introducing the Net Generation
Research suggests that every generation has different attributes;
these traits can be proven/disproved and are often debated.
As each new generation shows itself in school, college and
eventually the workforce, researchers make numerous
calculations, and generalizations, regarding the cohort’s
limitations and advantages. Generational images are stereotypes.
Image source: http://www.travolution.co.uk/
In an interesting piece from EDUCAUSE Quarterly (2007), George Lorenzo et al.
point out that more adult students are attending college and not all students fit the
Net Generation profile. There can be quite a mix of students in the community
college classroom, with a range of information literacy skills.
“Today’s students are not just the traditional-age Net Generation, nor have
they all had the benefit of state-of-the-art, ubiquitous technology… As more
students enroll in higher education, faculty and librarians interact with
students with a broader ranger of backgrounds and expectations” (Lorenzo
et al. 8)
10
Introducing the Net Generation
In a recent Chronicle article, “The Millennial
Muddle: How stereotyping students became a
thriving industry and a bundle of contradictions”
Eric Hoover writes:
Image source: http://www.travolution.co.uk/
“Figuring out young people has always been a chore, but today it's also an
industry. Colleges and corporations pay experts big bucks to help them
understand the fresh-faced hordes that pack the nation's dorms and office
buildings.”
“As in any business, there's variety as well as competition. One speaker will
describe youngsters as the brightest bunch of do-gooders in modern history.
Another will call them self-involved knuckleheads. Depending on the
prediction, this generation either will save the planet, one soup kitchen at a
time, or crash-land on a lonely moon where nobody ever reads.”
11
Introducing the Net Generation
"The Cooperative Institutional Research Program at
the University of California at Los Angeles has
conducted an annual survey of college freshmen since
1966. The survey, which provides a longitudinal view of
trends, suggests that many changes among students
happen gradually, not abruptly.”
Image source: http://www.travolution.couk/
“The survey complicates the Millennials theory in numerous ways. According
a recent report by the program, "American Freshmen: Forty Year Trends,
"today's students are not significantly busier, more confident, or more
positive than they were in recent decades. Though more say they want to
contribute to society, more also cite ‘being well off financially’ as a goal.
They are only slightly less likely to say they want to go to college to get a
job, make money, or go to graduate school. They are not any more or
less cooperative or competitive, nor do they seem more interested in
developing a meaningful philosophy of life.“ (Hoover, Millennial Muddle)
12
Introducing the Net Generation

Don Tapscott first coined the term “Net
Generation” in his 1998 book. He categorizes
the Net Gen as persons born 1977-1997

Tapscott cites the Net Gen as being
independent, while Howe and Strauss cite
them as team players/borderline conformists,
with helicopter parents coaching every step of
the way. Tapscott on: What makes the “Net Generation”
think so differently?

Generational research can be class bound and
evade the diverse socioeconomic, racial and
ethic profiles of people in America’s schools
and workforce. In the community college we
see that the digital divide still exists.

Generational forecasts should be read with
a healthy amount of skepticism, as “one
size” or one profile does not fit all.
13
Fascination Generation
Writers and critics are fascinated with this generation for a
number of reasons. The first is demographics and size:

The Net Generation is the most ethnically diverse generation to date.
“…[O]ne in three is not Caucasian, one in five has an immigrant
parent, one in ten has at least one parent who is not a U.S. citizen,
and ninety percent of children under the age of twelve have friends
of different ethnicities than their own” (Manuel, Teaching 197).

“One in four currently lives in a single-parent household [and] three
out of four have working mothers” (Manuel, Teaching 208).

The Net Generation is 1/3 larger than the Baby Boomers and over
three times the size of Generation X (Manuel, Teaching 195).

There are over 90 million Millennials in the U.S.; that’s nearly 30% of
the U.S. population (Howe and Strauss, Millennials Go 35).
14
Fascination Generation

The Net Generation has been raised in what Howe and Strauss term,
“the era of the wanted child” (Millennials Go, 27). The 1980’s rise in
fertility treatments was vastly different from the 1970’s rise in
contraceptive technology, abortion clinics and sterilization
procedures.

“Baby on Board” signs, child restraints, helmets and home products—
from youth cell phones to vehicle surveillance GPS, this “wanted
generation” has been protected more than any generation.

Howe and Strauss cite key points escalating parental protection in
Net Gen history. The first Tylenol scare in 1982 led to panic over trick
or treating (Millennials Go 27). Tightened school security also
resulted from school tragedies in the 1980’s.

This generation grew up amid a sweeping national youth safety
movement. A great deal of U.S. child wellbeing legislation since
1982.
15
Introducing the Net Generation
Howe and Strauss describe Millennial students as:













Close to their parents (Era of the wanted child)
Focused on grades and performance
Intensely focused on the college admissions
process
Packing their resumes with extracurricular and
summer activities
Eager to volunteer for community service
Talented in digital-mobile technologies
Capable of multitasking and interested in
interactive learning
More interested in math and science, relative to the
humanities (objective vs. subjective feedback/tests)
Insistent on secure, regulated environments
Respectful of norms and institutions
Conventionally minded, verging on conformistthinking
Ethnically diverse, but less interested than their
elders in questions of racial identity
Majority female, but less interested than their
elders in questions of gender identity.” (Howe and
Strauss, Millennials Go 32)
Image source: www.thetartan.org
“Helicopter Parents are Hovering Beyond College.” 11/19/07
16
Introducing the Net Generation

Students today are digital, social and multitask masters.
They pay “continuous partial attention.”

They are online all day seeking communication and virtual
contact.

Expressing themselves online is done so frequently and
effortlessly, that it is not differentiated from face-to-face
contact.

They are accustomed to information arriving in instant
video, audio and text extractions.

They are used to processing an assortment of information
coming from both the electronic and physical world
simultaneously.

“They have been raised in an environment of low academic
standards but a strong emphasis on self-esteem.” (Fogarty, 370)
17
Introducing the Net Generation
The Net Generation has grown up reading
hypertext. To the Net Gen, print sources are
less familiar, and more of a hassle, while the
Web is considered convenient and reliable.
Image source: http://www.digital-literacy.eu
“The Millennial
Student”
by Jeremy Brueck
Words have changed. Text message
shorthand, phonetically spelling words, (e.g.
because/BCOZ, enemy/NME, enough
said/NUFF) and spelling words with
numbers (e.g. “182” or “I hate you” and “02”
meaning “my two cents worth”) is acceptable
language.
Few read or write for pleasure; and written
correspondence as Boomers and Gen Xers
know it, barely exists. Mailing something
with a stamp for the Net Generation, is
exceptionally dated.
18
On Multitasking
“The Millennial multitasker may have the ability to text, talk, do
homework and listen to music, but that does not mean they are
efficiently retaining information needed. Several studies gauging the
effectiveness of multitasking and learning have shown that learning
does suffer when one is attempting to process several layers of
unrelated information at once.
…although the multitasking [does not] necessarily harm short-term
memory, it [does] cause the information to be more difficult to retrieve
at a later time.”
McAlister, Andrea "Teaching the Millennial Generation." American Music
Teacher 58.7 (2009): 13-15.
19
On Multitasking
“Advancements in the field of neuroscience have given more insight
into the reasons long-term memory suffers while multitasking. For a
memory to be created, neural pathways must be formed through
repetition. If the task is not reinforced within a certain time period, the
pathway will disappear, and the task will need to be relearned.”
“What does this teach us about our students? First, it shows that our
multitasking students run the risk of learning more slowly than those
who concentrate on a single activity.”
McAlister, Andrea "Teaching the Millennial Generation." American Music
Teacher 58.7 (2009): 13-15.
20
On Gadgets & Reading
“Mr. Bauerlein, a Chronicle writer and an English professor at Emory University,
in Atlanta, is the author of The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age
Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.”
He writes, “Today's students, though blessed with limitless high-tech wonders,
have squandered these tools, using computers mostly for their amusement—
chatting, networking, and posting online updates about themselves.”
“Mr. Bauerlein, 50, directed the survey reported in ‘Reading at Risk: A Survey
of Literary Reading in America,’ published by the National Endowment for
the Arts in 2004.”
“The survey found a sharp decline in reading among all age groups between
1982 and 2002, and the largest drop was among people between 18 and 24. In
The Dumbest Generation, he cited numerous other studies that affirmed that
today's students were reading less and absorbing fewer facts than their
predecessors had.”
Hoover, Eric "The Millennial Muddle." Chronicle of Higher Education 56.8 (2009): A1-A34.
21
The Google Generation

In an article titled Digital Natives, Digital
Immigrants, Prensky boldly announces
“Our students have changed radically.
Today’s students are no longer the people
our educational system was designed to
teach.” (http://www.marcprensky.com/writing, July 2008).

Students’ expectations have changed for both
the face-to-face and online classroom. As more
faculty choose to teach online, they realize that
the analog classroom does not transfer well to
digital space.

Access to the Internet has opened the Net
Gen’s world to one with few communication
barriers.

This generation wants to interface, and wants to
build relationships in and outside the classroom.
Learning is a social experience.
Image source: University of Virginia magazine.
www.uvamagazine.org
22
How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
“To capitalize on this need, faculty should encourage
interaction both within and outside the classroom.
Group work should be emphasized alongside required
one-on-one meetings with professors. Students
should be given the opportunity to interact with faculty
and researchers outside the confines of the
curriculum and to develop meaningful relationships
with them” (Windham 5.7-5.8).
 Post the syllabus online
 Break up lectures with group work
 Incorporate simulations, visualizations, role playing, multimedia
elements and interactive games for student engagement
 Use video clips, podcasts and mini-demonstrations
 Encourage student collaboration in and outside class
 Mediate online discuss groups, blogs, forums, etc.
 Consider the student’s study space outside the classroom’s four walls
 Know your library – we have 24/7 chat, full-text databases, ebooks
digital videos and numerous online resources
 Use the Center for Innovative Instruction to experiment with and
incorporate new technologies
23
How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
A few ideas/alternatives to lecture:

Instead of coming in with lesson plans that begin “Here are the three causes of
[whatever], please take notes,” try “There are three main causes of [whatever it is].
You have 15 minutes to use your technology to find them, and then we’ll discuss
what you’ve found.” From Marc Prensky’s “The Role of Technology, in teaching and
the classroom” Published in Educational Technology, Nov-Dec 2008.

Use blogs for writing assignments and peer-critiques. Millennials are self publishing
on a daily basis and enjoy social networking sites. Points could be awarded for
genuine participation and peer assistance though these online support systems
outside of class. (Use Blackboard’s “safe assign” and “self-peer assessment” tools.)

Use Blackboard’s chat functionality to establish peer relationships and support
outside of the classroom. Try out Elluminate and other e-teaching tools, (see CII).

Clickers are another example of incorporating interactive technology with teaching.
Clickers can create an interactive learning experience.

Connect students with professionals online: photographers, writers and researchers
via email to receive critiques on their work (Pletka 80).
24
How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen

In Blackboard include a short biography, highlighting the faculty’s
educational experience, role at the college and teaching interests. This
content would satisfy the Net Gen’s desire that teachers not only be
approachable, but someone they could get to know.

“Active-learning can be difficult to do, especially in lecture classes with large
enrollments and in courses with highly technical content. Students often
comment that [active learning] activities not only make the course more
interesting, but that they also help students better understand the material
presented in lecture. ” (Colorado State Institute for learning & Teaching,
http://tilt.colostate.edu/twt/)

“…create a learner-centered classroom …shift from seeing the classroom as
teacher-driven and content-centered to student centered and process
driven.” (McGlynn, 21)
25
The Google Generation
CBS News Video
60 Minutes
The Age Of The Millenials
May 25, 2008 7:15 PM

Replace “bosses” and “manager” with “teacher.”

Replace “workplace” with “classroom.”
26
Characteristics of the Net Generation

Neil Howe and William Strauss are leaders in the field of
generational research and creators of LifeCourse
Associates, a generation consulting firm.

They have identified seven qualities common among the
generation of people born between the years 1982 and
2002: special, sheltered, confident, team-oriented,
conventional, pressured and achieving (Howe and Strauss,
Millennials Go vi).

Howe and Strauss have both a sympathetic and optimistic
view of the Net Generation, “smart, ambitious, incredibly
busy” (Howe and Strauss, Millennials Go 4).

“By the time the last Millennials come of age, they could
become the best-educated youths in American history, and
the best behaved young adults in living memory. But they
may also have a tendency toward copying, consensus, and
conformity that educators will want to challenge…” (Howe
and Strauss, Millennials Go 30).
27
Characteristics of the Net Generation

Bob Pletka mentions that this generation
increasingly perceives that school is of no
value. Analog teaching methods and the TTT
(talk, text, test) approach to lessons is driving
the statistic up.
“…in the last 20 years the numbers of students
who find schoolwork meaningless has risen
another 12%. Additionally, the number of
student dropouts has also risen from about
23% in 1969 to its current rate of 32%” (Pletka
16).”

Howe and Strauss mention that students are
academically driven, but that does not
necessarily indicate that students find school
work valuable and satisfying.
28
Characteristics of the Net Generation

Pletka goes on to say that the national
education policy, No Child Left Behind, is
exacerbating the problem. Under that policy,
teachers are more likely to teach to the
standardized test in lecture and note-taking
format.

It’s a Catch 22, as classroom discussion,
group work and computer assisted methods,
are superior teaching formats but not the most
effective for test preparation. While lectures
contribute to the students’ sense of
disengagement, they are also the best way to
prepare students for standardized tests.
“Because high stakes accountability measures
can significantly affect schools financially (in
the forms of incentives or punishments),
instructors often use inferior teaching
methods” (Pletka 17).
29
A Few Educational Statistics

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently published an editorial,
“America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree.”
The author, Marty Nemko a college counselor, cites some
shocking statistics. “Among high-school students who graduated
in the bottom 40 percent of their classes, and whose first
institutions were four-year colleges, two-thirds had not earned
diplomas eight and a half years later” (para. 2).

Net Gen has helicopter parents influencing their daily lives and
decisions throughout their college years. But “Only 23 percent of
the 1.3 million high-school graduates of 2007 who took the ACT
examination were ready for college-level work in the core subjects
of English, math, reading, and science” (Nemko para. 4).

43% of Community College students need remedial coursework.
(Online Debate, Google video, The Millennials: The Dumbest
Generation or the Next Great Generation?)
30
Characteristics of the Net Generation

Howe and Strauss do note that there is
a tendency with Millennials to cheat or
plagiarize partly because they are
programmed to succeed by their
parents.
See sites like: http://www.non-plagiarized-termpapers.com/

According to Howe and Strauss,
Millennials don’t see a difference
between “traditional notions of exam
cheating and modern notions of
information ‘morphing’” (Howe and
Strauss, Millennials Go 149).

Professors need to proactively use
plagiarism detection tools like
Turnitin.com, and Google search
phrases from papers as downloading,
rearranging, cutting and pasting are
tools that this generation brings to
academia.
Image source: www. members.fortunecity.com
31
Characteristics of the Net Generation
Image source: http://www.fusionsleep.com/

Howe and Strauss in Millennials Go
to College do mention serious
health ailments such as sleep deficit
disorders (146), obesity and
prescription drug abuse (157) as
common among the Net
Generation.

The sleep disorders and obesity are
said to stem from over-scheduling,
irregular meals and little time to
exercise. Sadly, the helicopter
parents that encourage success
don’t seem to encourage rest. A
healthy diet and regular exercise
are easy enough to achieve and
boost productivity.
32
Characteristics of the Net Generation

Unfortunately the Net Gen has turned
to artificial alertness in the form of
prescription drugs such as Ritalin,
Adderall and Provigil for academic
and athletic performance
enhancement.

Howe and Strauss say that one out of
every ten students in grades 7 to 12
are turning to “smart drug” use (157).

Parents that are pushing their
children to achieve academic and
athletic feats should put that same
focus on teaching their children to
develop a healthy lifestyle, that
includes rest, a balanced diet and
regular exercise.
Image source: http://www.pharmacyautomationsupplies.com/
33
Characteristics of the Net Generation

Depending on whom you read, the Net Generation
has either a challenging or positive future. Jean
Twenge, notes that Net Geners have more
emotional problems and episodes of major
depression than previous generations.

“Depression now arrives at younger and
younger ages. The number of children on
mood-altering drugs tripled between 1987 and
1996” (Twenge 106).

Howe and Strauss would argue that there isn’t a
difference in emotional health with the Net Gen,
but a difference in parental involvement, and a
difference in proactively seeking and accepting
help.

Perhaps that’s true. For a generation that openly
talks about (and blogs about) their emotions and
personal lives seeking help is probably second
nature.
34
The Net Gen Student
Students today are consumers; not
only are they shopping for the most
value for their dollar, they tend to
project an entitlement for passing
grades simply by paying tuition.
Natasha Sajé discusses the impact of
consumerism on higher education in an
editorial titled “Teaching for Tips”
published in Liberal Education. “It’s
gotten to the point where students
actually write things like ‘I’m not
paying this kind of money to get a B’
on their course evaluations” (50).
Past generations didn’t express these
sentiments, but then again, education
has never cost so much.
35
The Net Gen Student

The Net Generation has had options,
opportunities and conveniences like no
other generation. What this translates
into today, is a generation that acts and
communicates without barriers. Bob
Pletka states:
“For this generation, the world is all
about choices—when, how, why, and
what they want to communicate—and
neither time nor place can stop them”
(26).
Image source: http://blog.mikezhang.com

Long-term, these characteristics may help
build a superior, more successful,
globalized world.

Short term, “the expectation of
convenience carries over to academia
[and ] many students expect instant
gratification from their professors in terms
of getting their papers back graded and
getting instant responses to their emails,
voicemails, etc.” (McGlynn, 21)
36
Community College Demographics and Staffing
[Community colleges] are open-admissions
institutions. They serve disproportionately high
numbers of poor students and students of color.
Many of their students are the ones who were
least well served by their previous public school
education and therefore most likely to have
academic challenges as well as fiscal ones.
Community college students are three to four
times more likely than students in four-year
colleges to reflect factors that put them at risk of
not completing their education (Boswell and
Wilson 11).

A 2006 analysis of 245 administrators identified student retention (87%) and underprepared students (84%), as major concerns for community colleges, (Crane xiii).

According to the Harper College: New Students Report (2004) more than 45% of new
students attending the full-time orientation in FY04 graduated in the bottom half of their
high school (4). In the fall of 2008, 50.94% graduated in the bottom half of their high
school.
(2008 Breakdown: 22.8% forth quartile, 28.16% third quartile, 19% second quartile, 8% first quartile – 22% not on file.)
37
Community College Demographics and Staffing

Compared to four-year institutions, community colleges see more students labeled
as academically at risk. The Harper College at risk population continues to grow
right along with enrollment figures, and staffing levels remain steady.

Only 39% of student contact hours are taught by full-time faculty. This issue has been
addressed in the College’s Strategic Long Range Plan. The College recognizes that
adjuncts may be less well integrated with the institution, and may not have as
much availability to counsel, guide and retain our at risk population.

According to the Harper College Health and Psychological Services Year End
Reports, 2002-2005, there has been a steady increase in the number of students
seeking psychological services. As these students reflect a more complex and
psychologically ill profile, they are in greater need of a variety of psychological
supports and interventions.
38
How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
Flexible course suggestions from the Powerpoint Millennial Generation
Traits and Teaching by Leslie “Bud” Gerber and Mike Wilson.
The authors of “How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching:
Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,’” which appears in the
inaugural issue of Currents in Teaching and Learning, a peer-reviewed online journal. [article PDF]
Provide options within a stable framework
 “Give them options and choices wherever possible – e.g., grade weights,
project topics, testing formats.”

“Consider letting some parameters of the class be cooperatively designed
by students and instructor – e.g., elements of the course syllabus, goals,
rules, and assignments.”
39
How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
Flexible course suggestions from the Powerpoint Millennial Generation Traits and Teaching by
Bud Gerber and Mike Wilson. The authors of “How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching:
Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,’” which appears in the inaugural issue of Currents in
Teaching and Learning, a peer-reviewed on-line journal.
Provide the option for team work
 “Create opportunities for small group work -- Millennials like team work,
but many prefer smaller teams of 2 or 3.”

“Give them a clear structure for team management, including a fair
mechanism for ejecting “slackers” from the team -- don’t rely on them to
manage team problems unless you’ve also given them a clear structure for
doing so.”

“Incorporate their preference for team-style activities by emphasizing
collaborative and “active learning” pedagogies – e.g. “jigsaws” -- over
traditional lectures.”
40
How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
Flexible course suggestions from the Powerpoint Millennial Generation Traits and Teaching by
Bud Gerber and Mike Wilson. The authors of “How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching:
Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,’” which appears in the inaugural issue of Currents in
Teaching and Learning, a peer-reviewed on-line journal.
Provide incremental rewards and frequent feedback
 “Mimic the structure of video games by offering students “incremental
rewards” and frequent feedback – e.g., note that video games are built
upon actions/consequences, and effort/reward.” [Watch the rewards in a
typical Super Mario Brothers game—most grew up on this in the 1990’s.
View the speed run of the same game…]

“Incorporate a grading system which provides them with multiple ways to
maintain and improve grade.”

“Give them ongoing rather than infrequent feedback – e.g., with a mixture
of quizzes, exercises, reports, papers, etc., rather than only a “2-test”
structure.”
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How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
Flexible course suggestions from the Powerpoint Millennial Generation Traits and Teaching by
Bud Gerber and Mike Wilson. The authors of “How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching:
Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,’” which appears in the inaugural issue of Currents in
Teaching and Learning, a peer-reviewed on-line journal.
Provide ways to reduce stress
 “Consider a pre-planned mid-semester reduction in class workload –
Millennials perceive themselves to be more over-worked than previous
generations.”

“Consider breaking up assignments into modules and sub-modules, thus
creating more manageable units.”

“Incorporate flexible deadlines – e.g., offering reduced grades for late
submissions rather than a “no late papers” policy.”

“Offer study guides which include some questions that will appear on
subsequent tests and exams.”
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How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
Flexible course suggestions from the Powerpoint Millennial Generation Traits and Teaching by
Bud Gerber and Mike Wilson. The authors of “How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching:
Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,’” which appears in the inaugural issue of Currents in
Teaching and Learning, a peer-reviewed on-line journal.
Give them “shelter”
 “Deliberately overestimate their need for clarity – e.g., highly detailed
syllabi, pre-exam instructions and review.”

“Provide “safety-net” options like extra-credit assignments and make-up
exams -- Millennials tend to be risk-averse.”

“Reduce the amount of content in General Education courses – thus
allowing more time for extensive processing and critical thinking work.”
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How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
Flexible course suggestions from the Powerpoint Millennial Generation Traits and Teaching by
Bud Gerber and Mike Wilson. The authors of “How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching:
Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,’” which appears in the inaugural issue of Currents in
Teaching and Learning, a peer-reviewed on-line journal.
Consider their work = success basis for confidence
 “Explain and illustrate at the beginning of the semester that hard work by
itself, in the absence of skill and ability, does not always guarantee high
grades.”

“Indicate what type of effort on their part is more likely to be rewarded –
e.g., authentic close reading vs. skimming and summaries.”

“Provide model examples of successful papers, exams, and other
assignments.”
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How to Teach & Reach the Net Gen
Flexible course suggestions from the Powerpoint Millennial Generation Traits and Teaching by
Bud Gerber and Mike Wilson. The authors of “How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching:
Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,’” which appears in the inaugural issue of Currents in
Teaching and Learning, a peer-reviewed on-line journal.
Consider their stance on social conventions
 “Clearly define acceptable rules of classroom behavior and link violations
of that code to grade reductions – e.g., cell-phone use, text messaging,
and expectations of attentiveness and civility.”

“Carefully discuss any assignment that requires students to go beyond
standard classroom and topic models – e.g., service-learning activities,
field trips, student research.”

“Rigorously guard against cheating – e.g, through assignment types that
resist easy Internet plagiarism.”
Video “Teaching the Millennial Student”
by Jeremy Brueck
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In Summary
Wilson & Gerber advocate that instructors:
1) strive for greater clarity in course structure, assignments, and
grading expectations;
2) provide significant opportunities for student initiative,
participation and choice;
3) incorporate stress-reduction mechanisms; and
4) engage students in a significant, course-long conversation on
the ethical dimensions of taking a college class.
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Parting thoughts
“Given the shelf life of the information we
teach, it is perhaps more important to teach
students the skills to be able to find
information (do research) and to be able to
discern and evaluate the validity of that
information.”
McGlynn, Angela Provitera. "Millennials in College: How Do We Motivate
Them?." Education Digest 73.6 (Feb. 2008): 19-22.
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Parting thoughts
“As teachers… we need to recognize that we can
teach with patience and understanding without
compromising either our academic standards or our
grading and assessment practices.
…it remains critical that we ask all students to meet
standards worthy of a university degree—even if that
means they must sometimes move outside their
comfort zones and we must move outside ours.”
Stewart, Kenneth "Lessons from Teaching Millennials." College
Teaching 57.2 (2009): 111-118.
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A few resources

Colorado State University
Teaching with Technology Workshop Videos and PowerPoints
http://tilt.colostate.edu/twt/






Promoting Student Interactivity in Online and Face-to-Face Courses
Extending Classroom Discussion with Forums, Blogs, and Email
Avoiding the PowerNap: Strategies for Active Learning with PowerPoint
Supporting Student Collaboration Online
The Potential of Plagiarism Detection Software
Increasing Student Participation and Engagement in Large Classes

Engaging the Online Learner by Rita-Marie Conrad. The book includes real,
demonstrated, classroom examples. The Library and DoIt have copies.

Debate: The Millennials: The Dumbest Generation or the Next Great Generation
(Google video)

The Harper College Fact Book and Environmental Scan
 See Harper Portal, Divisions, Strategic Alliances, Office of Research, Reports
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A few more resources

Fogarty, Timothy J. "The Millennial Lie." Issues in Accounting Education 23.3
(Aug. 2008): 369-371.

Gerber, Leslie and Michael Wilson. “How Generational Theory Can Improve
Teaching: Strategies for Working with the ‘Millennials,” Currents in Teaching and
Learning 1.1 (Fall 2008): 29-44.

McGlynn, Angela Provitera. "Millennials in College: How Do We Motivate Them?."
Education Digest 73.6 (Feb. 2008): 19-22.

Skiba, Diane J., and Amy J. Barton.. “Adapting Your Teaching to Accommodate
the Net Generation of Learners.” Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 11.2 (May
2006): 15-15.

Stewart, Kenneth. "Lessons from Teaching Millennials." College Teaching 57.2
(Spring 2009): 111-118.
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Wrap up / Next Steps
Googol is a mathematical term, the digit 1
followed by one hundred zeros.
The company name “Google” is a misspelling of
the word “googol” as described in the bestselling
book The Google Story by David Vise.
A googol is not an infinite number and Google is
not the answer to our infinite questions. But
together we have infinite opportunities for
reaching, teaching and motivating the Millennial
Generation.
Thank you!
Questions? Comments?
Image source:
http://www.csus.edu/pubaf/journal/spring2003/image
s/StudentBodycircle.jpg
iGeneration
Email: kfournie@harpercollege.edu
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