The Digital Learner: Myth or Reality

Slide 1: THE DIGITAL LEARNER AT BCIT: THE MYTH AND THE REALITY Adnan Qayyum, Mark Bullen, Tannis Morgan, Karen Belfer

Slide 2: Background to Research  Collaboration between Concordia PhD candidate & BCIT Learning & Teaching Centre  Guiding research questions (Concordia)  How do students interact with peers for course-related purposes, outside of class?  How do ICTs affect this dynamic?  Guiding research questions (BCIT)  How are BCIT learners using ICTs?  Are there differences in social and educational use?  Do BCIT learners fit the “millennial learner” profile?

Slide 3: Digital Learner Characteristics  Digitally literate  Connected  Immediate  Experiential  Social / Interactive  Teams  Structure  Visual & Kinesthetic  Socially-conscious

Slide 4: Digital Learner Assumptions Assumption Evidence? Use digital technologies extensively Yes Exposure creates sophisticated users No Use changes learning approaches, even No the brain Need to change the way we teach Maybe, but for different reasons

Slide 5: The Literature Authors Comments Oblinger & Oblinger (2005). Uneven Educating the Net Generation Howe & Strauss (2000). 200 school teachers, 660 students Millenials Rising -Fairfax county Prensky(2001). Digital Natives, Informed speculation Digital Immigrants, Part 1 & 2 Seely Brown (2000). Growing Up Anecdotal observations of 15 yr Digital olds working in Xerox Lab Turkle (1995). Life on The 1995 Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet Frand (2000). The information- Informed speculation age Mindset

Slide 6: Seen this before?

Slide 7: Student Interview Questions 1. Through what channels do you communicate with classmates? 2. Name four topics you communicate about? 3. Where are you when you communicate with classmates? 4. Describe what channels you use to communicate with your instructor? 5. Does the instructor require or encourage you to communicate with classmates? 6. When you have a problem or issue in your courses what do you do? 7. What communication options would help you learn in your courses?

Slide 8: Interview Sessions Group Number of interview sessions of Total number of students size this group size interviewed 1 9 9 2 11 22 3 4 12 4 2 8 5 1 5 6 1 6 7 1 7 Total 29 69 •also 15 instructors were interviewed (14 sessions)

Slide 9: Findings  Channels of communication  Talking  in person  via cellphones  Writing  via chat (e.g. MSN, Yahoo)  email  Facebook, MySpace  cellphone text messages  WebCT

Slide 10: Findings  Topics of Communication  Main topics  discussing school projects and assignments  discussing general school issues  seeking and sharing information about course administrative issues  organizing for school work  Other course-related topics  Studying in groups  Seeking help about course content  Working on assigned group projects  Reviewing each others work  Sharing resources

Slide 11: Findings  Location of communication  Blend of social and work space  E.g. cafeterias, Great Hall. lounge spaces  Designated work spaces  E.g. labs, library, learning commons  Social spaces  E.g. restaurant, pub  Off campus  E.g. home

Slide 12: BCIT Methodology  Interview transcripts and interview notes  Use descriptions of millennials to analyze interview transcripts  Generate themes  Distilling themes

Slide 13: BCIT Findings  Guiding question  What do BCIT students and faculty need from technology?  Do BCIT students fit the “millenial” profile?  What should an e-learning strategy look like at BCIT?

Slide 14: Findings  Not a deep knowledge of technology but have a good understanding of what it can and cannot do for them

Slide 15: Student Use  Limited toolkit (Facebook, email, MSN, cell phones)  Driven by familiarity, self-organizing capabilities, type of communication it provides (distance/proximity), practicality  Infrastructure, program specific technologies and software

Slide 16: Findings  If basic needs not being met, technology not a focus of their concerns  Light  Lab hours  Windows  Internet access in lab  Library hours

Slide 17: Findings  Previous Tek strategy focussed on communication tools, but this is not what is needed by most programs  Students spend 7-8 hours x 5 days/week on campus  5+ courses at a time  Communication is not the problem  Tools for delivering and presenting content in better ways is what is needed

Slide 18: Major Themes  Program schedule  Cohort  Trust of peers  Relationship with instructors  Course content/ knowledge domain  Course design  Institutional supports

Slide 19: Central phenomenon  Outside of class, students seek access to practical solutions for their course-related issues and ICTs are often not the most practical solution

Slide 20: Discussion  Seeking practical solutions were the driving factors for peer interactions outside of class  ICTs were not a major reason for peer interaction for course-related purposes, outside of class  Student use of ICTs for interaction outside of class is not related to their age (i.e. net generation digital learners are a myth)  Students used standard ICT tools more than institutionally provided ICT tools for peer interaction outside of class

Slide 21: Implications for BCIT  Technology investment How should BCIT allocate resources?  Teaching strategies Do we need to change the way we teach?

Slide 22: How Common is This?  Further research -survey  Research questions  How do students communicate with peers outside of class for course- related purposes?  What is the role of ICTs in these interactions?  What factors influence students’ desire to interact with peers outside of class for course-related purposes?