Digital Natives

Digital Natives in the Education System

The first discussions of digital natives were concerned with a “disconnect tragedy” in the educational system. Youth already immersed in visually rich environments, with attention enticements like “leveling up” in video games, and multiple information streams, quickly lose interest in a classroom with a talking head. While educators generally prefer slow and controlled release of information, usually in some linear sequence, and often highlight memorization, digital learners often prefer accessing information quickly through multiple sources, use of hyperlinked and at times chaotic information streams, and active and useful learning. Educators concerned with reaching the new digital natives were encouraged to use project-based learning, avoid lecturing, promote work in teams, set challenges and standards to ensure rigor, and tap into students’ passions and interests. In particular, because the teacher is no longer the “fountain of knowledge,” having been replaced by the Internet (e.g., Google and Wikipedia), some form of guided discovery learning, with some evaluative tools, is seen as a more engaging process.

In the midst of rising parental concern about the escalating use of video games, some researchers have noted that video games use many strategies that would be of benefit to educators, including online collaboration, planning and execution, problem-solving challenges that “level up” when a challenge has been mastered, and a rich media environment that keeps interest and engagement high. Many educators, seeking stronger learning connections with digital natives, now use games as part of the learning process, and new mobile phone and computer tablet apps that can track student performance as they develop visual identification or textual retention skills are available at low cost.

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