Article 5 - Unit 5

Oblinger, Diana G. (2003). Boomers and Gen-Xers Millenials: Understanding the New Students. EDUCAUSE Review, July/August.

Summary:
Oblinger’s article deals with the differences in expectations between students/people who grew up in an age where computers were either absent or were considered new technology (such as the Boomers and Gen-Xers), and the Millenials, who are compromised of the new, younger generation that has grown up with computers as part of their lives. These differences go much deeper than experience and comfort using technology, as Oblinger explains, with a major difference being the expectations new students have with education. This is explored more deeply in the article, and covers concepts such as how students view technology (namely the internet and computers) being tied to education. Oblinger also talks about how our current educators have needed to adapt to these new expectations of education to best teach the younger generation. These new practices that are being put into place at all levels of education are new, though becoming more regular, for many older people in education, and have become very effective when teaching new students.

Response:
I found Oblinger’s article fairly interesting. It is no doubt true that students of my generation are incredibly tied to technology, though that is the only generalization of the Millenials that the author mentions that I truly agree with. Some of the examples of how educational institutions are incorporating technology to help meet the expectations of the new generation were impressive (beep-a-tutor really impressed me, and I believe the room for growth of such an idea is massive). The way that technology, older institutions (such as universities), and the younger generation are melding is very interesting, and the outcomes so far are favorable.