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Higher Education for Multi-Taskers
Wednesday, October 5, at 2 p.m., U.S. Eastern time
Playing with iPods and surfing the Web are second nature to so-called Millennials. They are different from past students in other ways, too, says Richard T. Sweeney, university librarian at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. They have short attention spans and multitask constantly. They see themselves as consumers who "want to learn only what they have to learn" in "a style that is best for them" -- and that usually does not mean listening to a professor lecture. They prefer to use Weblogs and video games, and to collaborate with other students.
Critics, such as Naomi Baron, a linguistics professor at American University, say parents and teachers have helped produce those traits in today's students by pandering to them -- encouraging them to spend time with electronic media, for example, and emphasizing their right to express themselves over the skills they need to express themselves well. They need to learn how to think through problems on their own, she says, and that requires time for quiet contemplation.
How -- and how much -- should colleges change to adapt to this new generation? And how different are Millennials, really, from the students who preceded them?
» The Net Generation Goes to College (10/7/2005)
Richard T. Sweeney has been university librarian at the New Jersey Institute of Technology for 10 years. Before that, he directed the library at Polytechnic University, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and directed public libraries in Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio. He speaks frequently about the Millennial generation at conferences for groups such as the American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries. He also consults for libraries on how to accommodate the new generation.
Scott Carlson (Moderator):
Hello, and welcome to our discussion. Today we're going to talk about the Millennials with Richard Sweeney, a librarian at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Mr. Sweeney has spent years studying Millennials and their habits, and has some things to say about how education should change to accomodate the generation.
For more information, see our story here: http://chronicle.com/free/v52/i07/07a03401.htm
Let's get started...
Question from Karen Liston, Wayne State University, Detroit:
Determined to see the glass half full, I believe that retaining the best facets of traditional teaching/learning AND exploiting new approaches when they benefit students' learning, would be the most ideal overall approach. Which facets of traditional teaching and learning should 'generally' be retained? and do these necessarily exclude or replace the Millenial teaching methods that you raise (image-based/interactive, flexible schedule tools, and student-driven learning)? or can they be integrated, and if so, how?
Richard T. Sweeney:
There is no question, from my research, that Millennials want the academy to provide more learning alternatives, not just different ones. If Millennials have more options to learn, THEY will decide which options prevail, perhaps all of them. Millennials are not monolithic, they want services explicitly more customized to their personal preferences. Millennials want (consumer) student-driven version of the academy, where they get to decide, with some guidance if desired, which of the many offerings and learning options works best for them. They least prefer the one-size-fits-all provider version. (For instance, the online library catalog is mostly the one-size-fits-all version -- looks the same to everyone and does not permit users to see items they may have read before, or link items or add notes from past research.) There are certain to be many blended (integrated) learning options and traditional lectures will still exist, although probably fewer and better. For instance, NJIT has faculty now who teach writing in computer classrooms, where each student can write online and get immediate feedback, and the teacher can display some writing by one of the students to all of the others on a classroom screen. Thus students can learn from each other as well as the teacher. This is interactive, experiential, and collaborative, probably well suited to Millennials (although not graphical).
Question from Rob Mason, Olney Central College:
I would like to know what is meant by the term "multitaskers." This description has been used to categorize students since my grad school days in the 1990's. My experience in the classroom demonstrates that students have become accustomed to a great deal of sensory input from multiple sources. They are able to appear to do several things at once. However, closer inspection indicates that they are not able to clearly focus on more than one thing at a time. That, in my view, does not make them expert multitaskers.
Richard T. Sweeney:
Mutitasking is not a new term and refers to the ability to do more than one thing at a time. Interestingly the term was originally used to mean concurrently performing several jobs on a computer. Everyone multitasks to some degree. I don't know of any conclusive studies comparing Millennials to other generations on multitasking. Millennials seem to shift mental functions, the major requirement for multitasking, easier, faster, more efficiently, and more comfortably than older generations. I have observed such multitasking myself when working with Millennials. The vast majority of Millennials at my focus groups believe they are better at multitasking than older generations. Millennial visual, interactive and experiential experiences, such as with video and online games, tells us they would prefer such sensory experiences.
Question from Dean Browell, Ferrum College:
Has higher education, in not retaining Gen X'ers well in administration or faculty, crippled its ability to understand these new students? Could a serious investigation of instructional technologies used in videogames yield important clues as to the nature of learning for the new generations?
Richard T. Sweeney:
Gaming in all its aspects have lots of similarities with learning: for example, learning in levels, learning experientially, learning interactively, learning collaboratively, and so on. There are many who have written about gaming and its learning potential (see Got Game by Beck and Wade, 2004 and also Marc Prensky's works).
The older the faculty and staff, the less likely they are to fully appreciate the characteristics of how millennials like to learn. So, a lack of GenX faculty and staff might hurt the ability to respond to Millennials. However, the key is listening and responding to them, regardless of generation.
Question from Rob Bertram, Bradley University:
In the recent Chronicle article, Mr. Sweeney tells the following story.
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He tells a story, relayed from a professor he knows but declines to name, to illustrate the gap between the old mind-set and the new: The professor was teaching in a computer lab and saw one of his students sending e-mail messages to someone during the lecture. The professor told him to pay attention.
"I'm listening," the student said.
"Well, I would like you to turn and look at me," the professor said.
"Why?" said the student. "I have an A in your course, and I can repeat back what you said."
That is a "cultural shift," Mr. Sweeney says. "To the professor it was rudeness. To the student, it was, Why shouldn't I do it in a way that works for me?"
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By tolerating such behavior or writing it off to generational differences aren’t we committing a form of social grade inflation? What if I was having a conversation with my (fill in the name of any profession) and, while I was talking, the person got out their cell phone and began text messaging someone? Should I accept it or be impressed by their ability to multitask? As those being charged with preparing the next generation of professionals, aren’t we shirking our responsibility by not pointing out that such behaviors are offensive?
Richard T. Sweeney:
This new generation needs a new etiquette that is civil, but which responds to their need to learn quickly, and in a way that suits their learning style and needs. How many times at conferences have the older generation been delivering lectures with audience members coming and going? This etiquette is accepted as the norm at most conferences. So I think that a new etiquette that is accepted by the faculty and accepted by the students is warranted.
Question from Marc Meola, The College of New Jersey:
As a Generation Xer, I must fulfill my generational stereotype and be skeptical. How do you distinguish between traits specific to Millennials and those of any living breathing 21st century human? For example, the articles states that Millennials “are smart but impatient. They expect results immediately. They carry an arsenal of electronic devices -- the more portable the better.” Sounds like a lot of people I know, not just millennials.
The lesson you draw from the student who doesn’t look at the professor who is talking is disturbing. This is just plain incivility, not a generational shift. The student is treating the professor as if he is another gadget or device, a means to get a grade, instead of as a human being. In this case, if our culture is promoting such behavior, we need to change the culture, not adapt to it. Another problem with multitasking is the loss of focus. How do you propose we roll with changing times and technology yet also promote sustained attention and deep thought?
Richard T. Sweeney:
Unless there are longitudinal studies which were conducted of all the generations at the same age, we can not be certain exactly which characteristics and to what degree Millennials are different. However, it is certain that they have some traits which are obviously different. They have faster and more access to information, for example, than previous generations. There have been some longitudinal studies and they bear scrutiny.
The student's reaction, multitasking and learning faster was clearly different than the professor's reaction of rudeness.
There is no question that some activities require a person's full attention and there are other activities which can be easily accomplished with divided attention. The latter is a larger group with the Millennials.
Question from Laurie Cubbison, Radford University:
The one aspect of this generation not addressed by this article is their close relationship with their parents. Could you comment on the extent to which parental involvement influences Millennial students' approaches to their education?
Richard T. Sweeney:
Millennials are very close to their parents, more so than Gen Xers. There are some who believe that since many more Millennials were children of divorce, they tended to compensate with closer attachment to their families and friends. Millennials have often commented that they were "under pressure" from their parents to go to the top schools, to participate in many activities and to excel. They certainly feel the need to please their parents and have a deep love for them. Perhaps this "pressure and the need to please" has pushed them further in their academic pursuits compared to previous generations. Many more Millennials are going to college and graduate schools than previous generations.
Comment from Judith Siess, Information Bridges International:
I am somewhat appalled that some librarians seem to think that we must teach the millenials how to do things OUR way rather than adjust our methods to THEIR ways of working. As a career special librarian I have learned that making it easy, fun, and comfortable for the users is what it's all about. We are here to help THEM; they should not be asked to do things to make OUR lives easier. (Leave that to other departments--HR, IT, etc.)
Question from P. J. Tramdack, Slippery Rock University:
What do you mean by "student-driven" and how would you create a curriculum that is "student-driven"?
Richard T. Sweeney:
"Student-driven" means to me, offering a large number of alternative learning methods and opportunites from which students can select. For example, time on task, the credit hour system, is ripe for change. There is no reward for learning faster (and better) in a time-on-task system.
Question from Brian Reed, Dartmouth College:
My concern is that the focus on this generation as a mobilized monolithic tech saavy, affluent, and largely paternalized group neglects a large portion of this "generation" who do not have such privelges. So, when we talk about broad pedagogly and student service adaptations to meet generational need I am concerned that we are failing to see and meet the needs of the students who do not grow up with computers, ipods, wealth, strict paternalism, or even parents. In the aftermath of Katrina it is obvious that this country has some shame and neglect regarding our poor, and I would hate to see higher learning, in my mind one of the last bastions of true democracy, fall into this trap. Lastly, in regards to this "change" to meet the "demands" of millenials, how do we do that and still maintain the services that are aimed at the unprepared, under financed, and under respresented?
Richard T. Sweeney:
No generation is monolithic. Millennials generally feel less compelled to conform to each other or to everyone else. I have seen signs that Millennials are more socially conscious than their immediate predecessors. The Internet has been the great equalizer for those who have not had access or who have been immobile. Libraries have been just one option for those disengaged to gain access. In India, there are many collectives built just to provide Internet access for those too poor to own equipment and connectivity. Universities have not yet been very effective at lowering the tuition barriers and becoming more productive, from the point of view of student learning. Technology can be the great equalizer, increasing service options and productivity, if universities were so motivated. Incidentally, one of the main problems during Katrina as with the NYC fire department on 9-11 was that the authorities did not employ effective, redundant mobile communication channels so emergency help was delayed.
Question from Bernie Sloan, Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois:
Richard Sweeney suggests redesigning college curricula to meet the demands of the Millennial generation. That seems to presume that all college students were born in 1980 (the beginning of the Millenial generation) or in subsequent years. What about older students? How might this curricular redesign affect them?
Richard T. Sweeney:
Millennials want more options, more personalization and customization, not one-size, cookie-cutter learning approaches. They want practical, efficient learning processes and they want to learn better, have more fun, and do so faster. More educational options benefit everyone, Gen Xers, Boomers, or even the Silent Generation as well as Millennials. Lectures will still be needed, for instance, but not as much. Each can pick his or her own most-suited personal learning option. The current problem with higher education is that many faculty don't know how each individual student personally learned today. There is too little immediate feedback. Until they have an exam or a paper, they receive very little personal attention. Older students will benefit from such new options but not quite as well as these "Digital Natives".
Question from Michael Sturtevant, U. of Arkansas:
What do you think is the single most effective thing that professors can do in the classroom in order to reach the Millenial students?
Richard T. Sweeney:
It depends upon the discipline, age, knowledge, etc. However, Millenials don't read the directions, they prefer to learn experientially. Case studies, leanring games, interactive projects, etc.are more liely to keep their attention and interest.
Comment from Jamin Carson, East Carolina University:
College professors should combine both traditional direct instruction with the more progressive student-centered instruction. But not in an egalitarian way. That is, the teacher should logically arrange her curriculum and instruction so that she is in control of the curriculum and instruction the majority of the time. Only when the curriculum and instruction suggest it is appropriate and necessary should students take control.
Additionally, the primary form of learning and representation should be reading and writing. No other mode -- whether it be oral, visual, or tactile -- allows the student the ability to express himself or herself or understand on a conceptual level. These other "modes" are all too perceptual and therefore lacking for a college-level education. Other modes of representation and acquiring knowledge besides reading and writing can be included but only on a limited basis.
Teachers should control the content more than the student also because only they know the subject well enough to break it down into a conceptual hierarchy. Learning theories that suggest teachers should merely expose students to content and accept their "constructions" as valid are problematic. For anyone who has taught, it should be clear why. The students are often wrong. Teacher input is absolutely necessary.
My view will be opposed by advocates of "cognitive pluralism" and the theory of "multiple intelligences." Such theories assume that all students have a different type of "intelligence" that the teacher should teach too -- verbal, mathematical, musical, spatial, physical, etc. In reality, however, the student does not have a different intelligence; he or she is merely behind. Students that appear to have a non-verbal or non-mathematical "intelligence" -- which is not possible anyway since human intelligence is tacitly verbal and mathematical -- choose more perceptual representations like video and the like because they have not acheived the level of conceptual understaning that they should be on at the college level. Therefore, they resort to a more percetual level of understanding, which is understandable considering that humans must first experience the concrete before abstracting a concept from it.
However, in the long run, such an understanding if never nurtured into higher level conceptual understanding is inferior for someone living in an advanced civilization. What in effect is occuring in this situation we're discussing today is that students who are behind are mislabled "different learners." This flawed misconception is the reason primary and secondary schools are not adequately educating students. The philosophy underlying the misconception now seems to be seeping into the college ranks -- as a thinly veiled attempt at explaining away poor academic performance.
Question from Raymond Linville, Radford University:
Many discussions seem to focus upon students’ technology preferences without consideration of how they may or may not meld with future employment. If the disparities between entering students’ technology skills and higher education needs are as great as many asset, then are they more or less like what graduating students will actually encounter in the work place? The question is really what does higher education do to help or to hinder students in meeting the challenges of future, technology-based employment? A good answer might be found by asking employers as well as educators.
Richard T. Sweeney:
I think that you are correct that the workforce will be the test of Millennial skills. At 25, some of the oldest Millennials have already reached the workforce and are having an effect. Millennials have only just now begun to be hired in the academy, so it will be interesting to see how they change us. Millennials will not only have to adapt to their employers, they will also begin to change the employers. There isn't much research yet on their effect in the workforce except that they generally want supervisor decisions made upon merit, not seniority. If I were to guess, employers will want Millennials to be employed in organizations quickly designing and offering more alternative, personalized, customizable, remotely accessible services and products that are less costly to use and more fun to use. This is not a description I would currently give to the academy today!
Question from Lorene Lavora, Princeton:
There has been renewed interest lately in gender differences based upon the lower number of women in engineering programs. We've also heard much about the gender gap regarding video gaming and general technology "style." What are the implications for Millenial learners?
Richard T. Sweeney:
This is fertile ground for a PhD. I think that we must reverse the trends that keep women from such science and engineering programs as well as make the U.S. more competitive.
Question from Kyle Winward, Missouri State University:
Two questions and two comments: To begin with (a kind of chicken-or-egg question), are the supposed new learning styles actually new or they adaptations to elementary, secondary, and post-secondary faculty instructional methods? Also, how much learning from multiple simultaneous sources is retained? The educational and psychological studies I am familiar with emphasize interference as a hindrance, not a help, to learning. As for my comment, I don't believe that the human brain has changed so much in the past twenty five years to make a blanket statement that today's students can't also learn via traditional methods. Combination is the key, not replacement by one method over the other.
Richard T. Sweeney:
If I went out right now to the students next door that are learning together, I would characterize what looks like controlled chaos. They actually are engaged, yet they walk around to see each other's screens; talk on the phone to remote students in their project or study group, respond to email, do a database search and all seemingly at the same time. I agree combination makes more sense but ultimately, the Millennials students should be able to select learning options that best suits their personal need.
Question from Elena, small private college:
To what degree is it appropriate to expose students to the behind-the-scenes costs, work, and trade-offs of providing them with technologies or systems designed to be flexible, interactive, and student-needs-driven? (I'm not looking for their gratitude -- I believe students need to have a concept of how complex systems work, so that they socially, financially, and programmatically support them in the future.)
Richard T. Sweeney:
Millennials are not necessarily interested in understanding what goes on "behind-the scenes" (or "under the hood" as I think of it), although some clearly are. They expect the professionals to constantly look for better, more student-driven, less costly, personalized service options, i.e. continuous improvement. Clearly anyone will benefit more if they have some understanding of what goes on behind-the-scenes but that supposes that they have the time to learn it. As a librarian, I have lots of experience with faculty who don't know nor want to know what goes on behind-the scenes in the library.
Question from Liz, Heartland Community College:
Given the argument that students can and therefore should be allowed to multitask while learning, has anyone studied how well students do any one of those tasks? On a related note, would you want to go to a surgeon who multitasked (e.g., text-messaged, checked the Internet) during med-school classes?
Richard T. Sweeney:
My daughter is a four-year medical student heading to a surgery residency. Surgery is a team operation. I only hope that she is able to focus on both the patient's vital signs, conditions, and changes while she operates and communicates with everyone else. Surgery is the ultimate in critical multitasking.
Question from Paul Weinhold, Covenant Christian Academy (a classical, Christian high school):
How would pedagogical changes in higher education impact the curriculums of college preparatory high schools, particularly in Advanced Placement programs?
Richard T. Sweeney:
I am probably not the best person to answer this question. However, I hope that college preparatory programs are designed for these experiential, interactive, collaborative students. In addition, I assume that college programs will build upon those in high schools and college prep programs (full integration, review, analysis, etc.).
Question from Michael Martin, Walden University:
Practically all the existing learning theories were developed prior to the mid '80s. Considering the increased "social" communication factor and the usage of technology, do existing learning theories address the Millennials' style of learning?
Richard T. Sweeney:
I am not a cognitive psychologist, nor an expert in a variety of pedagogies but such theories as constructivist learning do relate to the experiential learning styles of Millennials. I think that the essence of learning is the mentor understanding how a particular student is learning right now and whether there is a better methodology or opportunity. Tutoring is the ultimate leanring relationship.
Question from Gypsy Abbott:
What differences related to learning needs and use of technologies have been observed realted to gender differences?
Richard T. Sweeney:
There were very few differences between women and men in our focus groups. I was shocked to find out about a study that women game online about as much as men, but those with much less violence (Solitaire, hearts, etc.). I would like to hear of other studies.
Question from Thomas A. Slobko, Occidental College:
It seems to me that the evidence used when discussing this issue is almost all anecdotal. Has anyone done an research that attempts to actually measure the difference in learning styles over time? Obviously, this would be difficult or impossible for students who have graduated, but even studies across the classes presently enrolled would be interesting. I recall a study many years ago of the effect of Macs vs PCs on writing and that is the kind of work that I have in mind.
Richard T. Sweeney:
There are lots of studies of various characteristics. the Pew foundation (Internet use) has done some, the National Endowment for the Arts (reading literature), and others. We certainly need a lot more study. The reason I do the focus groups is to get an idea of the issues, to confirm others' research, and to see if there are patterns -- but they are not studies. You are right we need a lot more studies. Let's also ask them which ways they like to learn in a writing course.
Question from Linda Rea, Northwestern Michigan College:
Will giving the students as many choices as you suggest set them up for a setback in the "real" world of business/work? I realize that the business world may be ahead of educational institutions with the newer technology, however, I think that students will have a difficult time fitting into the work world where their choices may be limited.
Richard T. Sweeney:
The real world of "business and work" already offers them these choices. Read Tom Friedman's The World is Flat.
Companies have already changed how they create products and services. E-bay competes with your local town garage sales. Which do Millennials use? Millennials have choices. Employers are looking for employees who have wider skill sets and who want to creatively offer new options for getting services. As employees, they will need to be able to change quickly as user needs do.
Question from Carol Siri Johnson, New Jersey Institute of Technology:
I teach technical communication at NJIT and, over the past 3 semesters, we have done an online portfolio assessment that has revealed that students who learn in traditional classrooms score higher than students who learn in PC labs. Have you come across any data on this topic?
Richard T. Sweeney:
I have not personally come across such data but I am impressed with the portfolio work. However, I am certain that not every student learns better in the traditional classroom. What online or other options are available for those who prefer another way to learn? The idea is to give the Millennials lots of options (customization and personalization).
Question from Martie Adler, American Student Assistance:
I have to play the devil's advocate here for a moment. In terms of the Millennial generation multitasking more quickly than the "older" generations, or moving more quickly back and forth between tasks, I believe we are looking at much more than "habitual" or learned behavior. The way our brain functions as we age is a huge factor.
Richard T. Sweeney:
Yes, of course, age is a factor. The question is whether Millennials are better multitaskers than older generations were at the SAME age. I think that they are.
Question from Sebastien Marion, New York Institute of Technology:
What reference or student engagement model would you suggest adapting: a traditional reference desk, one in which Millennials are sought out and engaged physically within the library, as well as on their own terms, or one in which librarians pull back and offer in-depth reference interviews?
Richard T. Sweeney:
The trick with Millenials is not to have only one model. At NJIT, we have a traditional reference desk and a 24x7 virtual reference desk. We instruct in classrooms and are constantly trying to get feedback. How do we modfiy our librarian services if we do not know how they are using us remotely? The real value of the reference librarian is improving student learning and learning speed, and helping researchers do better and faster research.
Richard T. Sweeney:
My recent article on Millennials spells out in some detail the full characteristics of Millennials and ideas that I have for reinventing libraries based upon my research. Richard T. Sweeney, “Reinventing Library Buildings and Services for the Millennial Generation”. Library Administration and Management Fall, 2005 Volume 19, number 4 p 165-175
The reason that I started doing live Millennial focus groups in front of librarian audiences was because my presentations were received with quite a bit of skepticism. I wanted the audience to hear Millennial unvarnished answers first hand. It’s one thing to hear someone speak about Millennials but it’s another whole experience to ask Millennials, you have never met answer specific questions.
Question from Jill Coe, SWTJC in Uvalde, TX:
Instructors need to understand this type of learner. What journals, books, etc. do you suggest?
Richard T. Sweeney:
I have a bibliography in my Fall 2005 LAMA article cited above and I am updating that with a few more recent items. I will do so in the next two weeks and place it on my www.njit.edu web site.
Question from Thomas Williams, PhD Volusia County Schools:
How "short" is short? For instance, if a class meets twice a week for 90-minutes, should that particular class meet twice a week for 60-minutes? The more I interact with this so-called Millennial generation I keep wondering what do they really want?
Richard T. Sweeney:
I don't think that there is a single answer. When I ask in the focus groups what was the last piece of music that they chose to listen to, they come up with many answers. They have no generational music, unlike the generations before them. They have lots of answers. They are as likely to say jazz as rap, etc. Conclusion: They are a very segmented market with varying needs and expect services to be personalized and customized. Some will want to learn in short bites and others in large blocks, and all of them will want to learn when they are ready.
Question from Meg Delgato, St. Petersburg College:
My question focuses on community colleges. How do these institutions and their faculty reconcile the concept of the Millennials when the audience of 2-year schools encompasses a wide age range of learners? And is it good practice to characterize sub-groups of students based simply upon the year of their birth? Is this more of a popularized idea rather than something based in sound educational research?
Richard T. Sweeney:
The year-of-their-birth is not the significant issue with Millennials. The question is whether students expect different learning options. Certainly some GenXers and Baby Boomers have similar expectations. What are the Millennial preferences? "Give us more choices." The issue gets raised with Millennials since they are the largest generation in 30 years and because they populate all of our schools and a large segment in the academy.
Scott Carlson (Moderator):
We're still going, folks.... Richard is taking some time with questions that have just come in. Stay tuned....
Question from Durwin Long, University of Minnesota:
Most of the discussion today has been focused on students' learning via the curriculum. I wonder if you know whether today's students are looking at co-curricular or extra-curricular experiences differently? And, if so, how can colleges and universities improve the quality of learning via these programs?
Richard T. Sweeney:
Great question. I believe that learning options should include non-classroom learning, such as libraries, computing labs and so on. I think it is wonderful that some co- or extra-curricular activites have been modified and are available for Millennials and everyone else today. For example, many use Yahoo games to play and learn chess. Not only do they play another human being but they get an opportunity to play more games faster, matched to their previous performance, and to ask questions of opponents. I am no authority on this, but I would like to ask about extra curricular activites at my next focus group. My biased sense is that the sheer number of extracurricular activies is increasing.
Question from Scott Turner, Senior Vice President, Planning & Strategy, Ashford University:
Millenials seem very focused on “results”: How can I learn this the most efficiently with a minimum of wasted time?
How focused are Millenials on the relevance and applicability of the course content to their lives and careers? I understand that this generation of college students is much more job- and career-focused than Boomer students were. Does this also mean that focusing on relevance and application of content is very important for these students?
Richard T. Sweeney:
Transferable skills to the workplace are critical to Millennials. It is their number-one need, they say, after the basics are satisfied. It is a key resoan why they choose their place of employment. Millennials expect to learn both the content, theory and the practice but they want to know that they are immediately employable. Relevancy and application are certainly important to them.
Question from Rosalinda, small community college:
You may be correct about how we should tailor our teaching methods to fit any type of learner, but my concern is how you are going to compensate teachers for translating their information in the various modes of instruction. As an instructor I hardly have the time to create learning activities for face-to-face classes much less come up with all the technological gadgets that my students may or may not have to money or technological capability to use.
Richard T. Sweeney:
The transition to multiple modes of learning (instruction, too) means a much higher degree of faculty collaboration, creative use of the technologies and administrative support of a learning model. It is very difficult, in some cases impossible, to accomplish these multiple offerings without new models. However, new learning options will be offered.
Scott Carlson (Moderator):
We're going to wrap things up, folks. I would like to thank Mr. Sweeney for being here and answering questions. And thank you for turning up for our discussion.
Richard T. Sweeney:
I hope that you will try to conduct your own local focus groups aimed at determining how Millennials work and behave. In this way, you can aim the questions to obtain specific evidence that meets your local needs, allowing you to design programs and service alternatives. At the end of the day, we have to listen and learn as much as possible about typical Millennial behaviors and preferences so that we can respond appropriately. There are very good competitive reasons to do so. Not only are Millennials, the bulk of students in the academy today, they are our future faculty, staff and administrators. Feel free to email me Sweeney@njit.edu I will try to respond and give you my two cents.