PTDEA 2016 - What Do We Really Know About Today's Students and How They Learn? (October 26, 2016)
Channel: Canadian eLearning Network
Date: 2017-04-16

Digital Natives, Learning Styles, Net Generation, Generation Me… What Do We Really Know About Today’s Students and How They Learn?

Millennials, net generation, digital natives, generation txt, me generation, whatever…  There are currently a variety of labels given to today’s students, all of which have ascribed specific characteristics to those students – some of which are even contradictory. Many of these characteristics focus on how media and exposure to digital technology has changed how today’s students think and learn.
 
This keynote will explore the literature on generational differences and the role that technology plays on today’s students. It will examine the various generational labels and the specific characteristics that each proposes for today’s students. It will then investigate the research that these labels are based upon, paying particular attention to the reliability and validity of that research.
 
Finally, the keynote will examine the literature that examines the nature of K-12 students engaged in distance, online and blended learning.  This examination will include what we know about this population of students in Canada and internationally, as well as promising practices emerging from the research on how best to support learners in distance, online and blended environments.

Presenter: Michael Barbour