It can safely be said that most American college students have been raised on the institution known as "MTV." As faculty members, we need to recognize that our students are "MTV Learners," and think about what we do in our classrooms in light of how our learners have been transformed by this ubiquitous medium.
Let me make clear at the outset: There is no competition between MTV and our classrooms. MTV has already won. The combination of quick edits, contemporary music, and dazzling dance routines is far more visually entertaining than the typical multi-credentialed instructor. And let's be honest, Britney Spears does have more appeal than most quadratic equations. With thousands of dollars of high-tech digital engineering spent on every word uttered, or in this case, sung, how can the typical college professor compete?
We can't, and as a result, our students are "channel surfing" for something more interesting within minutes, or even seconds, of the beginning of a typical college class. Research proves this, and if you have any doubts, look closely at the glares and glossy eyes that represent minds gone looking elsewhere -- anywhere but our presentations and lectures. Hasn't the standard television remote control literally trained this behavior into all of us?
For years, like the "nature versus nurture" diatribe of psychologists, we educators have debated teacher-centered versus student-centered learning theories. With the prevalence of the MTV Learner, it's time to end our debate. Which model do these learners want? It appears that their answer is, both. After more than 21 years of college teaching, I've come to the conclusion that students want a combination of these strategies that I like to call the communication approach. In concrete terms, what does this mean for our classrooms? Here are some specific teaching techniques to answer that question.
Give students a choice. You, as the professor, are the undisputed expert in your course content and learning objectives. Before the course begins, you will have chosen the topics to be covered, the books, the grading system. There is no need to change the content of your course, just the way the content is communicated. Ask students which learning style that they prefer for your course. Give them the opportunity to choose between lecture, guest presentations, discussion, workshops, and the like -- or a combination of these. Whatever they choose, you, as the class leader and expert, then create the overall method of teaching that is consistent with both their interests and your learning objectives.
Relevance is key. MTV Learners are seeking warp-speed answers to their life issues. They want to know: "What does this information (your course) have to do with me (self-actualization)?" and "What does this information (your course) have to do with my career (my choice of vocation)?" As you develop your syllabus, remember to always keep your course content closely related to these key issues. If you don't, why be surprised if your student evaluations at the end of the term come back with comments about your class being boring or irrelevant?
And remember, we have nifty new technology we can use to get their attention too: By using things like electronic whiteboards -- the all-digital, Web-accessible, multimedia chalk board -- and PowerPoint, the computer graphics program, we can remain both the intellectual and the technological leaders of our classrooms.
Be democratic, not autocratic. Instead of management by fiat, try taking regular opinion polls and surveys of your students to determine the specific methods of teaching your course. For instance, at the end of chapters or sections, find out through these "opinion pulses" as I like to call them, how successful you were in communicating your learning objectives. And, if you are doing something that your MTV Learners like, then continue to use these types of methodologies as part of your upcoming learning objectives. On the other hand, if you found out that your students were turned off or became uninterested by other methods that you used to teach, then drop these techniques.
Disassociate learning from rewards and punishments. Since we are educators, and not police officers, avoid relying on rewards and punishments to motivate MTV Learners. The failure of this system is reinforced by this all-too-common saying around lecture halls: "I just memorized it for the test, and then forgot it all afterwards."
Try to eliminate the lecture-test, lecture-test, lecture-test format and substitute other learning models that accentuate the choices of the MTV Learner. Focus on the quality of your syllabus as a giant "master operating agreement" that presents the learning objectives of your course and related policies in a manner that is as clear and as easy to understand as possible. Without sounding too litigious on your syllabus, present the consequences of missed absences, overdue work, incomplete assignments, and the like.
Another essential element to include in your syllabus is your grievance policy about assignments, grades, etc. The MTV Learner is the most advanced member of the now tried-and-true "consumer movement." If these students don't like something, or actually anything, you can be sure they'll be looking for your version of a return/exchange policy, consumer hotline, etc. Make sure they understand up front how it works.
Create a positive, effective learning environment. In the 70s, this was known as increasing the "warm fuzzies" for your students. Actually, warm fuzzies are like rewards, so again, something new for the MTV Learner should be established. In this case, I've found that by using the syllabus correctly, an environment of learning can be created in which both you and your MTV Learners can enjoy enhanced safety and security.
For example, in my syllabus, I present a "No Criticism Rule." This is not in any way a ban on critical analysis. It's a boundary on personal attacks of any kind on any class members (both you and your students). This may sound like a simple repetition of earlier guidelines by secondary-school educators, but it still needs to be reinforced at the college level.
We need to understand and accept that the predominant learning mode of this new breed of student is not centered around you the teacher, or around them as students. Its about the relationship between both you and them.
