eSchool News has an interesting article that discusses some of the topics covered in a new book written by psychology professor, Larry D, Rosen, called Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the Way They Learn. Rosen refers to the iGeneration as children born in the 1990s that have never lived without technology and because of that, they learn much differently than students even a few years older. These students are always connected to their mobile devices and they view technology as an expectation rather than a tool. The iGeneration students also prefer to be highly engaged and multitask. Rosen commented, “If we look at kids who spend their entire day online multitasking, in many ways teachers are still asking them to learn one task at a time and in an old-fashioned way.” Rosen suggests that K-12 schools design multidimensional lessons that are similar to the way students live and work outside of school.
These thoughts are in line with the data from Project Tomorrow’s Speak Up Survey which we discussed in a posting last week. While these studies focus on K-12, we need to remember that these students will be entering college within the coming years and they will bring their expectations for using technology in the classroom with them. College stores need to begin experimenting with digital textbooks and digital offerings because these students will be looking for these options at the store. Is your store preparing for the next generation of learners?
