millennials and pedagogy: why approaches to education need to change
TRANSCRIPT
Millennials and Pedagogy:
Why Approaches to Education Need to Change
Associate professor at Lithuania Education University (formerly Vilnius Pedagogical University) www.leu.lt
Teaching in Vilnius since 2011 PhD from the University of Kansas (USA) in
Second Language Acquisition (applied linguistics) from the School of Education
Has taught since 1983 at the tertiary level in China, Russia, Nigeria, Holland, and Afghanistan.
Teri McCarthy, PhD
The term Millennials was first used by Neil Howe and William Strauss (2000/2009). The authors define Millennials as those born from 1980 to 2000.
These authors focused only on this generation in the USA (later global-wide research verifies startling similarities).
Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation
Born in the early 1980s – onward. Increased use/familiarity with communications,
media, digital technologies. In most parts of the world their upbringing is
marked by an increase in a neoliberal** approach to politics/economics/worldview.
Their overall beliefs about the world are impacted by their sense of a skewed egalitarianism and entitlement.
**A political movement beginning in the 1960s that blends traditional liberal concerns for social justice with an emphasis on economic growth.
The Millennial Generation
Classlessness and social equality are vitally important.
Raised with a new democracy. Gender equality, racial equality, sexual-orientation
equality, religious equality—all have to be honored.
They believe that all boundaries and hierarchical distinctions are to be done away with.
Millennials have no doubt that they are on equal footing with the entire human race.
Millennials Cont’d
Trait #1Special. From home-precious-baby movies
of the mid-1980s to the media glare surrounding today’s young people, older generations have indoctrinated in Millennials the sense that Millennials are, collectively, vital to the nation, to the world, and to their parents’ sense of purpose.
The Seven Core Traits of the USA - Millennial Generation
Sheltered. From the surge in child-safety laws ranging from mandatory car seats to bicycle helmets, as well as hotel-style security in today’s American university dorm rooms, Millennials have been the focus of the most sweeping youth-protection movement in American history.
Trait #2
Confident. With high levels of collective optimism and a focus on positive solutions for big problems, this generation is striking an upbeat new tone about their own—and the world’s—future.
Trait #3
Team oriented. From youth soccer and social networking to collaborative learning and community service, Millennials are developing strong team instincts, tight peer bonds, and a rising sense of civic engagement.
Trait #4
Conventional. Taking pride in their improving behavior and comfortable with their parents’ values, Millennials provide a modern twist to the traditional belief that social rules and standards can make life easier—it’s okay to follow the rules.
Trait #5
Pressured. Pushed to be #1 and to take full advantage of the opportunities offered them, Millennials feel a “trophy kid” pressure to excel, both in the classroom and in the workplace.
Trait #6
Achieving. As accountability and higher school standards have risen to the top of America’s political agenda, Millennials have become a generation focused on achievement; they are the highest-educated young adults in U.S. history if measured by the number who attend university or institutions of higher education.
Trait #7
Confident Connected Self-expressive Upbeat Open to change Open-minded
The Pew Foundation’s 2010 Research:
They are less religious They are very upbeat and optimistic Connected to social media 1 in 5 has posted a self video on YouTube 4 in 10 have tattoos (but not where anyone can
see them) 1 in 4 has a piercing other than their earlobes 6 in 10 were raised by both parents 50% of those polled say that at least one of their
parents is their best friend
Pew Research found…
30,000 surveyed 15,000 interviewed Across 24 countries Published November 15, 2012
Viacom’s Unprecedented Look At Millennials
Worldwide
Over 3/4s of those polled describe themselves as very happy.
Millennials’ levels of happiness outweigh stress levels by 2 to 1.
Unemployment outweighs world hunger as the top global issue that young people want to see solved.
Half believe that job security will only continue to get worse (49%).
Viacom’s Findings:
73% say that access to the Internet changes the way they view the world.
“Technology does not define me! It enables me!”
Millennials are displaying a growing sense of national pride and interest in maintaining local traditions and at the same time they have an increasingly open and tolerant view of others and the world around them.
86% describe themselves as tolerant. 84% believe that “my age group has the
potential to change the world for the better.”
“…change the world for the better!”
93% globally believe it is their responsibility to treat all people with respect regardless of race, gender, religion, political viewpoint or sexual orientation.
Tolerant
“The attention of their parents, the political system…the educational system, and the marketplace has given Millennials a sense of importance and empowerment” (Howe & Strauss, 2009, p. 8).
Millennials
Don’t think this isn’t happening in your “neck of the woods!”
Talk to teachers in primary and secondary schools in your areas: kids are ruling the home, the classroom, and the marketplace.
Parent/Teacher relationships are changing as parents see their child as exceptional.
Principals, university rectors and university presidents are now seeing students as consumers.
Viacom’s Research Demonstrates a World-Wide
Trend
I wanted to see if my students in Lithuania were
similar to Millennials around the globe…so I did my own
survey.
44 – 18 to 22 year olds56 – 23 to 25 year olds18 – 26 to 30 year olds17 – over 30 years of age
I conducted a web-based survey with 137 respondents:
Lithuanian Millennials
18-22 Year Olds
A good sense of humor – 82% Knew subject matter very well – 84% Warm and friendly – 75%
Top Three:
Very high expectations – 7% Very strict – 9% Lots of teaching experience – 32%
Bottom Three:
Come gather 'round peopleWherever you roamAnd admit that the watersAround you have grownAnd accept it that soonYou'll be drenched to the boneIf your time to youIs worth savin'Then you better start swimmin'Or you'll sink like a stoneFor the times they are a-changin'.
In the words of Bob Dylan: The Times They Are A-Changin’
I know from my own experience, that a teacher trained in the 20th century will need to adapt to her
students who are learners in the 21st century.
Irrigating Deserts
Rethinking Didactics for University
Instruction
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts” (The Abolition of Man, 1940/1996, p. 27).
C.S. Lewis
How do we “irrigate deserts” following C. S. Lewis’s admonition in The Abolition of Man? This paper details why it is imperative for professors to understand Millennial students’ unique ways of knowing and the heightened need for both instructional and personal changes.
How do professors, trained in the 20th century, impact
students?
The role of the educator is to see the areas in the students’ learning experiences where nothing is growing, where there is no life, no knowledge and to teach in such a way as to affect change—just as water brings change to a desert.
With proper nurturing and cultivating of ideas, relationships, and of learning, students can become “irrigated deserts” blooming with concepts, critical thinking skills, and knowledge.
The professor/student relationship
#1 Pedagogical Shift
Research on today’s university students finds that the postmodern student who has been shaped by
deconstructionism learns primarily, almost exclusively, through the
professor/student relationship. The converse is also true. If the learner strongly dislikes a professor, feels
invisible, or doesn’t feel valued by the professor, research shows that the student will not actively engage in
the learning process.
Carol Lundberg and Laurie Schreiner (2004) surveyed 4,500 students and found
“Relationships with faculty were stronger predictors of learning than any other predictor including student background and characteristics—race, ethnicity, origin or color…” (p. 549).
Research and Literature Review
Jack Whitehead, lecturer in education at the University of Bath, sits on both the U.S and the British boards of the Educational Research Association. Whitehead writes, “…often overlooked, yet is emerging as a key element in the development of learning power, is the theme of relationships” (2002, p. 1).
Whitehead continues, “It seems that the quality of relationships between learners and their teachers is central to the development of a climate where learners can change and grow and develop in their capacity to learn…Positive interpersonal relationships are those where both parties are able to offer the other respect, to listen carefully and to respond appropriately…” (p. 2).
It appears that the shift from the student/faculty relationship impacting learning to the student/faculty relationship dictating learning is directly related to three major trends in modern culture and society: 1) A shift in the parent/child relationship, 2) Mass culture’s (and this isn’t only happening in the West) focus on students’ positive self-esteem, and 3) Society’s belief that equality means a level playing field for students and professors.
Shift Happens
“The attention of their parents, the political system…the educational system, and the marketplace has given Millennials a sense of importance and empowerment” (Howe & Strauss, 2009, p. 8).
The Why of It All
Students want to connect with their professors.
Students want equality. Students want mutuality. Students want respect in their relationships
with professors.
The Research Shows:
Research has indubitably shown that students today need strong and personal relationships with their professors in order to learn. Developing those relationships is hard and time-consuming. But it is possible.
Learn students’ names. Give them a number where they can text
you whatever they need to text you. Watch them do their thing. Value them as human beings. Speak to them outside the classroom. Hierarchy doesn’t work with this generation.
TechnologyStudents are tied to it; students live in it; students want it and we need to provide meaningful and useful ways to utilize technology for our students’ learning.
#2 Pedagogical Shift
Start a website for each of your classes. Give assignments for students to watch first-
class lecturers on YouTube. Be on Facebook – as a person and as a
professional; develop a FB page for your classes – make it a “virtual office”.
Let ‘em keep their phones. Texting vs. tooling
How?
Let your students go crazy with technology and create assignments.
And teach them how to use technology for research, for planning, for writing and to enhance their studies.
Stay current on the latest technology. PS - I should have used Prezi.com for this
slideshow!
Let them create…
Embrace multiple intelligences! Incorporate learning strategies that
embrace the diversity of your students’ gifts and talents.
Utilize cooperative learning – let them do group projects.
#3 Pedagogical Shift
Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Give them autonomy over their learning.
#4 Pedagogical Shift
Parents… In the USA we call these “helicopter” parents. Olavi Otepalu, a principal here in Tallinn at the
Tallinn European School (TES) says, “The essence of the school is inclusive. Teachers, students and parents are deeply involved in school life” (Roonemaa, 2014, p. 78).
TES has set up e-school, a unique online school system that can be easily monitored with a smartphone for parents to stay connected.
#5 Pedagogical Shift…Parental Involvement
As the student pool gets smaller and smaller universities must become more competitive for student enrollment.
Student evaluations were given for the first time at my university in 2013!
Departmental meetings consist of warnings: change or lose your job to another.
Universities are now seeing students as consumers.
#6 Pedagogical Shift…Student Approval Ratings
“Great teachers are not just great speakers or discussion leaders; they are, more fundamentally, special kinds of scholars and thinkers, leading intellectual lives that focus on learning—both theirs and their students'” (B7).
Ken Bain, director of New York University’s Center for Teaching
Excellence
Perhaps we as professors dealing with Millennials (21st Century Students) can help them understand what is truly good, what is truly true, and what is truly beautiful by building relationships that enable us to mentor them, model for them and conceivably mold some of them to see the world around them in a new light and perhaps in a new way.
After all, isn’t that the real definition of learning?
Lendol Calder writes,
“…good teachers do not cling to their prerogatives as professors, but humble themselves to see as students see, to
learn what students are learning... Under the current climate of
assumptions, professors are loath to do this. Such reluctance is why, for
learning to happen, scholarly teachers will have to be born. For good teachers to be born, it may be that professors
will have to die to their rights and traditions” (2004, p. 12).
Is there more time?Then let’s look @ those
respondents who are over 30 years old…
64% said a good sense of humor was important. 35% felt knowing the students’ names was
important. 82% said “interesting” was a significant trait for
a good teacher. 70% warm and friendly was important. 0% said high expectations mattered. 65% teachers need to be good communicators.
Characteristics of a Good Teacher
100% on Facebook 100% interact with technology twice an hour 100% teachers must have a good sense of humor 100% teachers that are good know students’
names 100% good teachers are prepare interesting
lessons 100% believed the most important values for
them personally were tolerance and honesty.
17 and Under