LESSON 5 Preferences of the Technology Generation

In the field of education, it is important that critical differences in perceptions between old and young which create a generation gap need to be discussed. In my previous blog, I have been emphasizing about the generation gap between old and the new generation. Now, I will focus generally on how the two cohorts differentiate from one another.

I will start with their pattern of gathering information. The older generation’s way of researching is into going to libraries, using the card catalogue and signing up to borrow books for home reading for as the newer ones that are exposed to digital technology and have been rendered to cable television and video images. Most especially the use of internet, wherein you can see all the information you are researching for by just a click. See the difference? It was like comparing a book from a computer. Text versus visuals, it is.

Old generation rely on books

New generation rely on internet and visual technology

The next comparison between the two is on how they focus on the information gathered and its ways. For example, in the older generation wherein technology is not widespread, they tend to focus their attention in school or in a certain area only, education. Where as in the newer generation where there is smartphones, laptops, iPads and other digital gadgets. They tend to be less aware or focused on their studies because their attention is oblique with other things such as social media and such. We can say that the older generation obtained information in a undeviating, logical and sequential manner. They focused their learning in linear way. While newer generation because exposed to gadgets and likes follows a personal random access to hyperlinked digital information, less superior to elders in focus and reflection. Thus, they appear to be more easily bored and distracted during class lectures.

These two generations interact with the society in two different ways. The independent learners – the older generation and the social learners – the new generation. Now, the traditional education system gives priority to independent learning, prior to participative work. And not to forget that in older times, traditional learning or traditional system of education is the king system in every educational institutions which make the older ones more onto being self-governing learners. In the newer generation, they are already accustomed with digital tools that adopt to both personal and participative work. Mobile calls, Emails, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and wikis are some of the immediate ways to communicate within or outside the educational institutions.

            

Another with learning to do versus learning to pass the test rationale of the learners in each generation. Each types of learner incorporated with different teachers have different ways to helps the learners. Old teachers teach students in order to help them pass tests and complete the course requirement. On the other hand, the new teachers teach learners simply to acquire skills, knowledge and habits as openings of prospects afford them to learn.

            

The traditional reward system in education consists in grades, honors certificates and medals, diplomas, including future jobs are said to be unclear rewards for performance. Whereas on the digital learners, which have more immediate gratification through immediate scores from games enjoyable conversations from webcam calls, excitement from emails, and inviting comments from  Facebook accounts. Delayed rewards and instant gratification are the two different reward systems on the two generations.

            

Lastly, teachers feel oblige to deliver content-based course in which the learning is measurable by standard test, in the old generation. New generation learners prefer to have fun learning which is relevant and promptly useful to them.

This difference between the two corresponds to the generation gap’s part in the educational system; although it is not needed in the system it is still inevitable in the scheme. We set back wants and priorities in school differently such ways that pictures a clear image of how the two generations vary from each other.

            

In sum, teachers need to connect with digital learners, and not to think of them as entering their past thirty years old traditional world. While there are apparent setbacks or limitations to digital learning, there are opportunities to tap through:

• New learners’ digital fluency with visual learning with the use of audiovisuals, media and multimedia;
• Using hyperlinked multimedia for projects that enhance work focus and reflection
• Problem solving activities to suit the new generation’s style and preference for fun and relevant learning

In my opinion, we should not be stuck on the traditional ways that the older generation’s learning was uphold but I am also not saying that we should eradicate those ways but rather nurture them with ways that the new generation is more uphold onto. It is not bad for a change in the system as long as this will have positive effects on our learners. This is what I emphasized on my previous blogs.  For us to be more competent in facing the future which is more digitized than ever, we should be exposed to what is the current trend and adapt to changes in our environment as well as in our society. But we should not forget the old ways of learning or the traditional ways of learning for they were the foundation of how the new ways of learning came up to.

As future teachers, our knowledge of the differences between the two generations of learning will be applied whenever we will conduct PTAs and meeting wherein or students are there together with their parents. To avoid bias, we should know the differences between their ways of learning, the way they obtain information and etc., this for us to respect everybody and to have a diplomatic and warm assembly with them all.