Educational Technologies to Enhance Reflection and Engagement for Net Generation Learners Assoc Prof Mark McMahon Edith Cowan University The ..Net Gen.. . Generation Y / Millennials . Born in or after 1982 . Characterised by: . IT mindset . Intolerance for delay . Social and informational connectedness . Group rather than individual work . Multitasking Case Study 2005 Study into the integration of laptops within an undergraduate degree in digital media . Three main patterns: . Connectedness • 75% noted an increase in use of web resources • Ease of access valued • Multiple uses of technology . Multitasking • Lots of things on the go • No strong social use • Variety of locations . Immediacy • Timesaving device • Intolorance for network problems etc Cutting Through the Hype But Wait… While some students have embraced the technologies and tools of the 'Net Generation', this is by no means the universal student experience… The widespread revision of curricula to accommodate the so-called Digital Natives does not seem warranted and, moreover, it would be difficult to start adapting materials to the language of Digital Natives when they so obviously speak with a variety of tongues. Gregor Kennedy Kennedy, G. E., Judd, T. S., Churchward, A., Gray, K. & Krause, K.-L. (2008). First year students' experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives? Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(1), 108-122. http:// www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/ kennedy.html Words of Warning The major question addressed in this review is whether generational difference is a variable important enough to be considered during the design of instruction or the use of different educational technologies. At this time, the weight of the evidence is negative. Generational differences are evident in the workplace, but they are not salient enough to warrant the specification of different instructional designs or the use of different learning technologies. That said, there are some intriguing areas for further research, especially with respect to the design and use of interactive games and simulations. Thomas C Reeves Reeves, T. Do generational differences matter in instructional design. Retrieved August 20, 2008, From http://it.coe.uga.edu/ itforum/Paper104/ ReevesITForumJan08.pdf Good Design is Good Design Need for Self Regulation . Learning Skills = Life Skills for now and for ever . Learners need the generic skills necessary to meet new problems and solve them without constant monitoring by the teacher . Learner as protagonist . Planning . Monitoring . Evaluating their thinking processes Promoting Metacognition Meta-Level Object-Level Flow of Information ControlMonitoringnelson & narens (1994) Technologies to Promote Reflection and Engagement . Annotation for Reading Comprehension (Mark- UP) . Project Management for Teamwork (JAMTART) . Blogs for Reflective Practice . Games as Optimal Learning Experience (Fumes, Nute) Mark-UP . Provides a suite of tools to assist learners in engaging with reading concepts . Summary . Annotation . Forum Discussion . Post Url + Review & Rate . Design Problems . Portfolio MarkUP JAMTART . Surveys with Feedback . Rule driven feedback system designed to assist learners in identifying strengths, weaknesses, roles and responsibilities . Tracking . Students take roles in groups and track their performance over the life of the project by monitoring estimated vs actual performance . Reporting . Students evaluate their performance by reviewing summative reports at the end of the semester Model Self-Evaluation Questionnaire Meta Detail Micro Detail - shows Graphs & Gantt progress Summarised reports Team OperationalPlan 1. Plan Team Contract Reflection Monitoring(Weekly) 2. Monitor 3. Evaluate Blogging as a Learning Activity .Promoting reflective thinking .Nurturing collaboration and relationship building .Increasing perceived accountability and therefore quality of student work .Encouraging peer support for one another .Increasing opportunities for students to receive feedback .Extending learning outside classroom walls .Allowing and encouraging interactions with experts and others outside of the classroom. McBride and Luehmann (2008) Reflection in Blogs . Monitoring their understandings by demonstrating . Comparing their ideas with others.. . Reflecting on their evolution . Editing their work as they go Philip Toledano Philip Toledano Keller’s theory of motivation . Attention . Relevance . Confidence . Satisfaction Keller - Attention . Gained and maintained throughout the product . Product should be stimulating . 3 main mechanisms . Perceptual arousal . Inquiry arousal . Variability A Keller - Relevance . Need to meet the needs of the end users . Usefulness and credibility . Can relate to HOW something is taught (eg groupwork) as well as WHAT is taught (eg project management) R . 3 main mechanisms . Familiarity . Goal Orientation . Motive Matching Keller - Confidence . Users should feel an opportunity to succeed . Includes organisation and ease of use . Relates to locus of control . 3 main mechanisms . Expectancy for success . Challenge setting . Attribution molding C Keller -Satisfaction . A product needs to be satisfying and effective . 3 main mechanisms . Natural consequences . Positive consequences . Equity S Taxonomy of Intrinsic Motivations for Learning . Individual . Challenge • Goals, uncertain outcomes, perfomance feedback, self-esteem . Curiosity • Sensory, cognitive . Control • Contingency, choice, power . Fantasy • Emotional, cognitive, endogenity . Interpersonal Motivations too - Cooperation, competition & recognition Malone A continuum of engagement Intrinsically Motivating Immersive Conscious Unconscious Mundane Other worldly Cognitive/Concentration Suspension of Disbelief Affective/Enjoyment Narrative Gameplay Flow A Model of Immersion Conclusions . Net Generation can’t be defined by specific learning styles or even technology use . Need to focus on effective design that promotes self-regulation . Technologies can be used to enhance reflection, engage learners and optimise the experience AQ m.mcmahon@ecu.edu.au