Reflection in an Always-on Learning Environment: Has It Been Turned Off?

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Reflection in an Always-on Learning Environment: Has It Been Turned Off?

9/16/2005

By Helen L. Chen
Stanford University

Who are the students entering today's colleges and universities? Sometimes referred to as the Net Generation or Millennials (students born in or after 1982), we know that this is a group that has never known a world without computers and the Internet. The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released a study on "Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 year olds" (www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia030905pkg.cfm) which found that not only are children and teens interacting with media (including TV, videos, music, video games, computers, movies and print) for non-school activities on average 6 hours per day, but a quarter to a third of these students are multi-tasking, and using another form of media while reading, using a computer, or listening to music. Video game designer and writer Marc Prensky uses the metaphor of digital natives vs. digital immigrants (http://www.marcprensky.com) to suggest that these kinds of experiences (video game playing, interactions via instant messaging, email, and cell phones, watching MTV) have actually changed the physical structure of digital natives' brains, how they think, and consequently how they learn.

Educause's Diana Oblinger describes how the expectations of this generation have implications for all aspects of college life. Faculty and instructors will find the learning styles of these students oriented towards teamwork, experiential activities, and the use of technology such as online discussions or simulations. Institutions must provide students with a campus infrastructure that enables them to be connected anytime and anywhere through cell phones, email, and instant messaging. Administrators and staff must meet a strong expectation for excellent customer service and immediacy with a low tolerance for delays during the admissions process, and in student services and academic advising. The learning environment that students reside in is one that is characterized by multitasking, visual orientation, immediate gratification, and parallel processing (www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0342.pdf).

One could argue that coping with information overload and developing the cognitive skills to effectively manage and critically evaluate and communicate information are essential to 21st century literacy and students' future success. However, my concern lies with what these digital natives may be losing in the process, namely the opportunity and the skills to effectively reflect on their learning experiences for the purpose of turning those experiences into meaningful and reusable knowledge. Blog historian, Rebecca Blood, states: "We are being pummeled by a deluge of data and unless we create time and spaces in which to reflect, we will be left with only our reactions" (www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html). From Marc Prensky's perspective, this is both a challenge and an opportunity for educators: how to build reflection and critical thinking into the learning process but in a language and format that is relevant to how today's students understand and live their lives.