Understanding Millennial Learners

 

Key Points:

  • No precise birth dates but roughly span birthdates from 1980's through early 2000's
  • Have always used computers and other digital devices, a.k.a. "Digital Natives" or "NetGeneration" 
    • Have always had instant access to facts
    • Being prohibited from using devices has a strong negative association with parental punishment
      • Example: "If you don't do your chores, I will take your cell phone away."
    • Are habitual digital multitaskers
      • More effective at digitally multitasking than older generations
      • May experience distress at not having data access
      • May resent being told what they should and should not be accessing on their devices
  • Strong sense of self, also known as "Generation Me"
    • Publicly share their personal and professional lives via social media
    • Tend to give very direct, unedited feedback
      • Have dimished sense of potential retribution from speaking in a way that is considered disrespectful by older generations
    • May have gotten awards or recognition just for attending or participating in events, as opposed to having to win them
    • Many were intensely attended to by their parents
      • GPS tracking of phones allowed parents to know their location at all times
  • Experienced more disappointment in role models and sports heros due to public knowledge of poor behavior
  • This generation most actively supports equality for all, compared with other generations.
    • Are quick to respond publicly to perceived inequalities of any kind to anyone
  • General learning preferences include:
    • Having a structured environment that tells them what to be doing or studying
      • Prefer learning resources prioritized for them
      • Prefer specific time schedules
    • Having access to learning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
    • Having learning be fun, "gamification"
    • Being engaged through social networking
      • Incorporate team-based learning
    • Giving short, specific answers
    • Having aesthetically pleasing content delivery

 

Objectives:

  • Employ strategies to engage Millennial learners
  • Alter personal reactions to the behavior of Millennial learners based on knowledge of their generational characteristics

 

Recommended Resources: 

Brief Review

Watch

♥Millennials -- why are they the worst? TEDx Talks. 12 minutes.
http://youtu.be/ygBfwgnijlk

Millennial Learners. Dr. Bobb Darnell. CoreStand. 4 minutes.
http://vimeo.com/33429521

Generational Differences: Teaching the Millennials. PCMdoctor's channel. 9 minutes.
https://youtu.be/IgaTl10VUus

Millennials 101 with Paul Taylor. Big Think. 7 minutes.
https://youtu.be/k0mw7Vp0tYI

Read

Novotney A. Engaging the millennial learner. American Psychological Association.
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/03/undergraduates.aspx

♥Roberts DH, Newman LR, Schwartzstein RM. Twelve tips for facilitating Millennials' learning. Med Teach. 2012;34(4):274-8. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2011.613498. Epub 2012 Jan 30. PubMed PMID: 22288944.
http://www.xyoaa.org/sites/all/modules/ckeditor/ckfinder/ckfinder/userfiles/files/education_materials/Millennials'%20Learning%20Tips.pdf

Berk RA. Teaching strategies for the Net Generation: Transformative dialogues. Teaching & Learning Journal 2009; 3:1-24.
http://www.pptdoctor.net/files/articles/2009_strategies.pdf

Sandars J, Morrison C. What is the Net Generation? The challenge for future medical education. Med Teach. 2007 Mar;29(2-3):85-8. PubMed PMID: 17701615.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17701615

Chretien KC, Farnan JM, Greysen SR, Kind T. To friend or not to friend? Social networking and faculty perceptions of online professionalism. Acad Med. 2011 Dec;86(12):1545-50. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3182356128. PubMed PMID: 22030752.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22030752

Twenge JM. Generational changes and their impact in the classroom: teaching Generation Me. Med Educ. 2009 May;43(5):398-405. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2009.03310.x. PubMed PMID: 19422486.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2009.03310.x/abstract;jsessionid=9382F21A4D60E44CB5F3EECB934C9E97.f02t04

Bart M. The Five R’s of Engaging Millennial Students.
http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/the-five-rs-of-engaging-millennial-students/

Do

Principles of Medical Education: Maximizing Your Teaching Skills. Harvard Medical School. CME course given twice per year. $Fee required
www.cme.hms.harvard.edu/courses/foundations

How Millennial are You? Pew Research Center Quiz. 
http://pewresearch.org/millennials/quiz/intro.php

 

In-Depth Review

Watch

♥Millennials: Who They Are & Why We Hate Them. TEDx Talks. 21 minutes.
http://youtu.be/P-enHH-r_FM

Making Learning Meaningful for your Millennial Students through RWLDs. University of Northern Iowa. 1 hour and 6 minutes.
http://youtu.be/GiExPcmnTXs

Read

♥Price C. Why Don't My Students Think I'm Groovy?: The New "R"s for Engaging Millennial Learners.
http://www.drtomlifvendahl.com/Millennial%20Characturistics.pdf

DiLullo C, McGee P, Kriebel RM. Demystifying the Millennial student: a reassessment in measures of character and engagement in professional education. Anat Sci Educ. 2011 Jul-Aug;4(4):214-26. doi: 10.1002/ase.240. Epub 2011 Jul 6. Review. PubMed PMID: 21735557.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21735557

Garner JB. A Brief Guide for Teaching Millennial Learners. Triangle Publishing 2007. $7.78
http://www.amazon.com/Brief-Guide-Teaching-Millennial-Learners/dp/1931283265/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427839069&sr=1-2&keywords=Millennial+Learners

Do

E-learning and Digital Cultures. Coursera, The University of Edinburgh.
https://www.coursera.org/course/edc