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Talkin' 'Bout My Generation: Teaching Technology Across the Ages
- 1. Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation: Teaching Technology Across the Ages Sarah Cheverton James Madison University VRA 2010 Session: Instruction 101 Delicious Tag: VRA_2010_Instruction101
- 5. Values and Work Styles From: “Summary of Generational Differences,” an unpublished document from the JMU Training Department Veterans Silent Generation Boomers Me Generation Gen X Lost Generation Gen Y/N Millenials/Nexters Dedication Sacrifice Hard work Conformity Law and order Respect Authority Patience Delayed reward Duty before pleasure Follow rule Honor Optimism Team orientation Personal gratification Health/Wellness Personal growth Youth Work Involvement Diversity Thinking globally Balance Technoliteracy Fun Self reliance (Latch Key Kids) Pragmatism Optimism Civic duty Confidence Achievement Sociability Morality Street smarts Diversity Immediacy
- 7. Technology Styles Boomers Me Generation Gen X Lost Generation Gen Y/N Millenials/Nexters
- 9. From “Digital Divide and Generation Y” by Diki Andeas, ASA Community Online Discussion and Brainstorming, March 17, 2008
- 10. Shrinking of the Digital Divide From: The Shrinking Generational Digital Divide, By Sami Hassanyeh, AARP 08/25/2009
- 12. Technology Meets Boomers’ Needs
- 20. No matter how hard you try, you cannot change the generations. (Houlihan)
- 23. Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation: Teaching Technology Across the Ages Sarah Cheverton James Madison University VRA 2010 Session: Instruction 101 Delicious Tag: VRA_2010_Instruction101
Editor's Notes
- Tell stories: Pam and Chavar Trish Story
- Veterans (also called Traditionals) Millennials (also called Generation Y, Nexters) Who do we have in this room?
- So here are some descriptors of each generation. You may recognize yourself in here.
- And what about learning styles? • Learning styles are upwardly compatible by one generation. If you build a course targeted at Generation Y learners, Generation X learners will look at the course and say, "I'm progressive enough to accept this," even if it's not targeted specifically at them. If you have a learner population comprising 50 percent Generation Y learners and 50 percent Baby Boomers, however, and you design the program to appeal to Generation Y learners, Boomers will resist the course. It's simply too big a jump for them to make. In that situation, it's best to design two different programs—one for each group. • Learning styles are not downwardly compatible. If you have a group of learners consisting of both Generation X and Generation Y, always design for Generation Y. If you design for Generation X, Generation Y will view the course as antiquated and won’t accept it.
- It’s interesting. In doing research on this topic, I found that the difference NOW is not so much in whether or not they use technology as much as it is WHEN they use it and what they use it for. Before we compare, let’s look at some stats:
- Generation Y/N: What I call the “Always On” generation. You know what I’m talking about. Can’t go 5 minutes w/out checking for text messages. Text while they walk, drive, eat, carry on conversations with you, WORK (like when they’re cashiering at the grocery store), etc. And what do us boomers think about that? OUTLANDISH!!!! It’s a travesty! And I’m sure you’ve been hearing the news documentaries about kids who would rather go without air than their phone.
- But things are changing…… Shrinking of the Digital Divide among generations 72 percent of 50 to 64 year-olds use the Internet, closely following 85 percent of 30 to 49 year-olds, and 92 percent of 18 to 29 year-olds.
- WHY are they changing? Boomers see how technology can fill various needs: banking, purchasing, socializing, learning, creating, planning travel. Good example: the Wii. Started out as kids game. But what happened? Nintendo was smart… started creating “games” for older people: Wii Fit. And we’re not talking “old” like me. We’re talking elderly. Why? According to Allen Wagner, “The Wii’s appealing control mechanics are a particularly nice match for those living in retirement homes. It can help the older crowd to get some more activity and it can also get them interested in video games.” (from “Nintendo is Wii’nning Over Older People” By Allen Wagner — May 22, 2007; http://dailyuw.com/blog/2007/05/22/nintendo-is-wiinning-over-older-people/ ) I think we’re in a much better, more receptive, place than we were even 3 years ago. I don’t think it’s as much “they won’t use technology because they thinks it’s stupid” anymore; I think it’s “I’ll use it if it makes sense to use it.”
- So, in summary, how do they compare?
- OK, so what? What does any of this tell us about how to introduce technology across the ages? Well, as you can imagine, these differences create conflict! Some examples: From Across the Great Divide, Ferme ( http://w5.melissadata.com/enews/marketingadvisor/articles/0906b/1.htm ) If you’re hearing statements like this at work…“This younger generation has no work ethic!” “I don’t get why people want to IM and text when they can just walk over and talk!” “What’s the big deal? Texting is quicker and more productive! Why can’t my boss see that?” “Who cares about proper grammar? It’s about efficiency!”…these are symptoms of generation gaps that are causing increasing angst in the workplace! Kapp Notes: “ they just know that the "kids have no work ethic" or that "he expects me to stop my life to work on this project.” The following is an excerpt from a story on NPR called….. From: The Clash Of Ages: How Technology Divides Workers : NPR Heard on All Things Considered by Josh Brockman, Reporter (2009) My note: It starts out with Michael Walsh is a top executive with LexisNexis. Mr. MICHAEL WALSH (CEO, LexisNexis): You can have Gen Y-ers who are busy looking at their BlackBerrys. They've got their laptops flipped open, they're engaging in social networking right during the course of a meeting, and you have a boomer rolling their eyes, not understanding it……Two-thirds of boomers that were surveyed indicated that they felt that use of devices, technology — such as email, social networking, the Internet, et cetera — contributed to a decline in office etiquette. From Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees by Greg Hammill on FDU Magazine Online, Winter/Spring 2005 http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm An example, based on these traits, would be to think about how words are received differently. When a Boomer says to another Boomer, “We need to get the report done,” it is generally interpreted by the Boomer as an order, it must be done and done now. However, when a Boomer says to an Xer, “This needs to be done,” the Xer hears an observation, not a command, and may or may not do it immediately. From: Listening and Learning Across the Generations: Strategic Communications Planning for Better Collaboration, By Nancy Settle-Murphy of Guided Insights ( http://www.guidedinsights.com/newsletter_detail.asp?PageID=7395 ) Most work teams consist of people representing at least two or more generations. Yet, when deciding how best to communicate across teams, we often employ a "one-size-fits-all" approach which may not work well for anyone, let alone everyone. And because so many managers are from the Boomer generation, these channels typically mean "conventional" communication styles such as face-to-face meetings, phone conferences, email, and the like. A Boomer manager may insist that all people work from a central office during typical working hours. However, many Gen 'Y'ers are most productive at 10 PM, working from the comfort of home. Some Gen 'X'ers, on the other hand, may need an afternoon off for family obligations, coming back online later that evening. Instituting a rigid policy about work hours or locations may leave some team members feeling alienated, excluded and ultimately, not very productive.