Fast Facts:
1. Born between 1982-2000 (Encompasses all traditional undergraduates)
2. More racially and ethnically diverse than past generations of college
students
3. Many have never known life without computers or the internet in
education
4. Some are more technologically savvy than the professors that teach them
5. They are egocentric and are labeled the “Entitlement Generation”
6. Strong parental relationships, but many have one parent and know less
about the “Nuclear Family”
7. In their life time AIDS has always existed
8. Barbie has always had a job during their childhood
9. Attending a “Coming out” party is celebrated more than southern
debutantes
10. Yugoslavia has never existed in their geography texts
“They rarely read newspapers – or, for that matter, books. They are impatient and goal
oriented. They hate busywork, learn by doing, and are used to instant feedback.
They want it now. They think it is cool to be smart. They want flexibility – in the
classroom and in their lives. “ – Richard T. Sweeney
Millennial Terms
Blogs (web logs): online journals that are sometimes accessible to the public
SPAM: unsolicited bulk e-mail messages
Facebook.com/Myspace.com: online social networks
Text Messaging: short messages sent between mobile phones
Instant Messaging (IM): form of real-time communication between two or more
people based on typed text via computer
Podcasts: media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the
Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal
computers
Virtual Classrooms: traditional classroom that integrates technology through the
creation of online classrooms or simulations
Listserv: electronic mailing list that institutions use to send mass e-mails. A listserv
identifies members of a specific group for mass communication
Institutional SPAM: The millennial generation requires fast, efficient, and direct
communication. Millennials are dependent on e-mail as a form of communication
and institutions must do their best to reach them at their level.
BLOGS: Millennials use many outlets as forms of communication online. Higher
education professionals need to be aware of how students are using BLOGS, and
how they can use them to promote student communication.
Online Social Networks: Facebook.com and Myspace.com are synonymous with
campus culture today. Socializing is increasingly being done online, which impacts
campus culture and community due to a shift in the communication style of
students.
Technology and Identity Theft: Potential for identity theft impacts the entire campus,
from faculty to students. As a result of increased access to personal information,
institutions must take preventative measures to ensure the safety of confidential
data.
Classroom and Campus Wide Technology: Opportunities to develop current
practices encourage a university atmosphere that promotes the growth of
programs and accessibility for students and faculty. Students have changed
dramatically, and practices must be evaluated and addressed to ensure current
student needs are met.
The millennial generation is connected to the internet constantly, and it is
important for the campus community to be extended via technology.
Emergency Alerts: Oklahoma State utilizes institutional spam to inform
students and faculty about pressing concerns for the campus community.
Recent examples include a meningitis warning, inclement weather
preparations, and peanut butter recalls.
This fall, an e-mail requesting assistance after an apartment fire left 27
students homeless was sent and immediate needs were met, including
housing, books and computers.
Institutional spam would have been
beneficial during the tragic plane crash
involving members of the Oklahoma State
men’s basketball team in 2001.
Emergency alerts via the internet are a
productive system that allows information
to rapidly reach vast numbers of people.
Weekly headlines: Campus organizations, faculty, staff and students submit
event information which is then distributed via institutional spam system
Message from the President: These are emailed weekly to students, staff,
and faculty as needed for public relations
Public Information Office: This
office coordinates all mass e-mails
to the campus community. It acts
as a filter for appropriateness of
messages in distribution. The
office also approves e-mail listservs
that identify specific groups of
students. All listservs must
be requested by faculty or staff who
typically serve as a moderator.
Class assignments: Blogging communities can be utilized by faculty to create
an online collaborative learning environment. Students can publish written works
online and other peers can review and comment on these projects. Also, faculty
can use these comment options to provide feedback for students work that is in
progress.
Study abroad students: Students are able to remain in contact with peers and
their institution. By posting online journals and assignments via the web,
continuous educational needs are met that improve the study abroad
experience for those involved. Blogging about travel and education improves
the recruiting efforts of study abroad programs, providing an excellent
opportunity for millennial students.
Recruiting for the institution: “A week in the life of a successful OSU
Student” would be a useful BLOG to post on the www.okstate.edu website to
incorporate with an already effective marketing plan. By providing tips and
information specific to OSU, students who are connected to the virtual campus
community are able to learn in an innovative way by reading peer experiences.
Online communities are opportunities for social networking where individuals
create profiles providing personal information to enormous global networks of
friends and strangers.
Networking: Students can identify friends, classmates, and roommates
allowing them to form a small community before stepping foot on campus
Marketing/Advertising: Events and announcements are created in online
communities, reducing cost to individuals and organizations, as well as
meeting students at their desired form of communication
Virtual Clubs/Subcultures: Formal student organizations can create
separate groups within these networks. This provides another form of
distribution of information to club members. More informal organizations can
also be created, grouping students with common interests and allowing them
to discuss and share information.
Migration to Campus-Wide-Identification (CWID) Numbers: With identity
theft at an all-time high, institutions of higher education are no longer able to
track students through the use of social security numbers. As a result, CWID
numbers are being used to identify students with no risk of virtual identity
theft. This was placed into the “IT spotlight” at OSU, after a laptop with
hundreds of social security numbers was stolen after a career fair.
Ability to pay institutional bursar bills on-line: Oklahoma State University
has now made it possible to pay all bills online. This means the creation of
secure software, that prevents internet theft. We must protect our students
and families from credit card identity theft.
Administrative concerns: All technology theft issues will fall on the
administration of a university. Our university has a Chief Information Officer
which oversees all IT security engineering and other concerns with
technology.
iPod usage: Students can be seen walking around campus wired into
headsets. University personnel should take advantage of this as a way to
communicate with students. Faculty need to be educated on how to use this
resource and thus be able to incorporate it into coursework.
Virtual Classroom: Through programs such as Blackboard, WebCT, and
Desire2Learn, faculty can create numerous opportunities for students outside
the classroom. They have the ability to create classroom discussion boards,
have students turn in work online, and download course documents.
Tech Savvy Classrooms: Today’s classrooms contain the ability to take
students anywhere in the world. Through tools such as webcams and virtual
simulations, students can gain practical knowledge and resources without
leaving their seat. Examples include virtual archaeological digs, tracking
weather systems, and virtual trading floors. This truly creates a global
classroom community. Also, Oklahoma State University has steered away form
the traditional course catalog. All student now receive this document on CD
format, and have the ability to “flip through” in a more efficient manner.
Action Items
According to Clara Lovett, former President of Northern Arizona
University, the challenge for higher education is to “refocus
energies and priorities in ways that fit the views and behaviors of
the Millennials, especially their refusal to conform to stereotypes
about ‘traditional’ college students.”
Imagine…
A university that is “supplying its community, and the world’s,
with ‘profcasts’ of classes and presentations delivered by its
talented instructors- not to give away intellectual property but to
plant seeds of interest and to demonstrate the lively and engaging
intellectual community created by its faculty in each course”
(Campbell, 2005).
Action Items
Duke University iPod Partnership
Oklahoma State University should partner with Apple Computers to
provide iPods to students when they enter the university. Duke
University has applied this practice and is seeing vast improvements in
several aspects of the student experience. Duke found that students had
generated more work by composing a report through podcasting, than
traditional methods. Also, they found a higher quality of work due to the
increase in peer reviews and collaboration through the iPod system. The
iPod includes a university calendar, fight songs, information regarding
campus life, residence halls and messages from administrators and
faculty.
iPods assist millennial students by reinforcing the learning experience
through emotionally and intellectually preparing them for class. By
listening to a podcast of the professors lecture, or to peer journals,
students learning and engagement increases.
Funding is made possible through partnership with Apple Computers and
attaching a $99 student fee to cover the cost of each individual iPod.
Action Items
Improve ways the President and Administrators
Address Students
Through podcasts and reaching Millennial students via technology,
Oklahoma State University is able to improve the student experience.
Podcasts from the President are a way to expand beyond the weekly
e-mails and alerts, and is another method of entering the virtual world of
the millennial. In addition to current practices, if faculty and
administrators are involved in the technological world the campus
community would be more accessible.
Vice Presidents and other administrators producing a monthly podcast
would encourage positive change in the atmosphere and improve
dissemination of information throughout the university.
Action Items
Facebook University
Freshman orientation needs to include a Facebook-U component to incoming
students at OSU. Teaching safety precautions and ‘cyber civility’ will encourage
current students to develop their own culture online that includes safe decision
making and holds students accountable for what information is posted to their
virtual campus.
Officers within the community need training in how to handle harassment and
cyber stalking associated with social networking websites.
While the majority of students are aware of privacy settings for their profile, most
do not change the settings and are unaware of the consequences of posting all
information.
Cyber civility is a pressing concern for campus communities. The virtual world
has brought about new ways of threatening or potentially harming another
individual, and it is important to address the appropriate measures to ensure
safety of users. Students who engage in social networking online must be aware
of legal implications of conducting any form of harassment over the internet.
Action Items
Professional Development and Technology Support for
faculty
Current University faculty need to be aware of the new generation of students on
campus and the technology they will encounter. Therefore, Oklahoma State
University should begin offering professional development opportunities for
faculty and staff regarding the new tech savvy wave of students in America.
By taking a proactive response Oklahoma State University is providing the
necessary resources regarding changes in technology and higher education.
Also, this is a way to increase student involvement and leadership on campus.
Undergraduate students could participate in professional development design
and even present to faculty members on campus.
This also relates to the community outreach mission of a land grant institution by
making these workshops available to area school teachers and the surrounding
community.
Summary
“We need to create a new context for learning. The space between—between the raw
technology and the new tools, between the way that things have traditionally been done
and the way that things can possibly be done, between the offline and the online—
causes the most tension but also offers the most opportunities.” -J.C. Herz
By providing a sense of the millennial generation, college and university faculty and
administration are able to facilitate a meaningful educational experience and provide
accurate services. Admissions processes have shifted to online accessibility, course
delivery and multimedia designs in the classroom allow for millennial students to utilize
practical approaches to specialized learning.
Oklahoma State University is able to be at the forefront of similar institutions by
understanding the millennial generation and adopting practices that recognize the need
for collaborative efforts to improve the university environment for all involved.
References
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learn. Should colleges cater to them? The Chronicle of Higher Education, 52(7).
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Affecting Education. Nova Southeastern University. December 2003.
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