A recent report by EDUCAUSE (Educating the Net Generation 2005) points to a fundamental shift in the learning style of students born since 1982 and the challenges that come with educating a generation that has come to rely on the internet for information. The editors of the report look to the defining characteristics of the generation for guidance in meeting the educational needs of these students (Oblinger and Oblinger 2005). The members of this "connected" generation are experiential learners by nature; they would rather learn new technology and approach new challenges through exploration than by reading a manual or textbook. In fact, these students are most comfortable with image-rich environments and - therefore - educators need to provide a variety of media to satiate the needs of these learners (Windham 2005). This generation craves communication and social interaction and wants to "make a difference" in the world.
Since educators need media-rich tools to address the educational needs of this generation, this web site will point educators to three types of media-oriented resources:
Television as an instructional resource
- History
- History Channel
- Science
- NASA Channel
- Discovery Channel
- English/Literature and more
- Biography Channel
Curriculum support for teachers utilizing television programming exists for popular commercial and non-commercial programs that teachers can use to connect students' imaginations with classroom concepts:
- Commercial Programming
- Numb3rs
- CSI
- Amazing Race
- National Treasure
- Cable and Educational Programming
- Channel One
- NASA TV
- National Geographic Channel
- Public Broadcasting Service
Film as an instructional resource can be double-edged sword. Producers and Directors often take liberties with factual content, stretching these "facts" to the point of making them "tall tales".
- Pros
- Cons
References:
Educating the Net Generation. 2005. eds. DG Oblinger and JL Oblinger: EDUCAUSE http://www.educause.edu/educatingthenetgen/
Oblinger, DG, and JL Oblinger. 2005. Is it age or IT: First steps toward understanding the Net Generation. In Educating the Net Generation, eds. DG Oblinger and JL Oblinger, 2.1-2.20: EDUCAUSE.
Windham, C. 2005. The student's perspective. In Educating the Net Generation, eds. DG Oblinger and JL Oblinger, 5.1-5.16: EDUCAUSE. http://www.educause.edu/educatingthenetgen/
