Are Engineering Students Typical Millennials?

Presented by Richard Sweeney

Sweeney@njit.edu
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P'werp'int is a(ailable at http)**library+.njit.edu*sta,!-'lders*sweeney*
Millennials als' .n'wn as /enerati'n 0 and Ech' 1''2ers
The na2e Millennials relate the peri'd when they were c'2ing '- age
3'we(er4 they pre-er n't t' be labeleddue t' (ery independent
characteristic
5ey -'cus gr'up 6uesti'n) 7' Millennials ha(e the sa2e beha(i'rs4
pre-erences4 etc. as the sa2e age '- pre(i'us generati'ns?
Millennials were b'rn between +979!+998
Sweeney has inter(iewed '(er "% panels '- Millennials
o 9atest in :ew 1runswic.4 ;anada
o 7i,erence between A2erican and ;anadian Millennials)
;anadian Millennials ha(e -ewer cell ph'nes <due t' higher c'st
in ;anada= and read 2're <attributed t' the weather=
1''2ers ha(e a wider range '- birth years than 'ther generati'ns
1''2er > Millennial gr'ups based 'n ?S ;ensus @Ace data
Bewer /enerati'n Cers
Br'2 this year 'n4 the nu2ber '- students in the Millennial gr'up under
+& will decline
$Da(erage age '- Millennial entering the w'r.-'rce
1''2ers retire later than n'r2al between #"!7%
M'st i2p'rtant aspect '- the Millennials) 2're ch'ices*selecti(ity
M're ch'ices reEected by lac. '- generati'nal 2usic
o :' need t' c'n-'r2
o Ability t' select any type '- 2usic
Millennials rather w'r. al'ne despite better in c'llab'rati'n
1'rges pers'nality test -'r in b'und 2edical students
o @ut '- +# pers'nality traits4 +% are substantially di,erent
between generati'ns
MillennialsDwar2er
o Fn the c'nteGt '- +& year 'lds in this generati'nal (s +& year 'lds
-r'2 'ther generati'ns
7' Millennials ha(e an attenti'n pr'ble2?
o Fnitial presu2pti'n is yes
o 3'we(er4 the persistent playing '- (ide' ga2es see2s 'therwise
Millennials are better 2ultitas.ers
Millennials are less sel-!reliant
o 9ess independent due t' helic'pter <h'(ering= parents
o All their ti2e as .id was structured with playdates and acti(ities4
unli.e the latch.ey .ids '- /en C
MillennialHs greatest -ear) 'nly ha(ing + pr'-ess'r -'r a class <lac. '-
ch'ice=
Pre-er cust'2iIati'n
o TheyH(e had 2're ch'ices a(ailable t' the2 than any 'ther
generati'ns
Millennials are digital nati(esJ e(ery'ne else is a digital i22igrant
All are 'n Baceb''. but n'ne are 'n Sec'nd 9i-e
o Sec'nd 9i-e in('l(es t'' 2uch ti2e4 2'ney n' i22ediate
pay',
S'cial netw'r.ing is n't tri(ial
o Media has n't been used in a peer t' peer way
o EG) 3a(ing students help 'ther peers and class2ates with
s'l(ing a 2ath pr'ble2
o An'ther eGa2ple '- the (alue '- s'cial netw'r.ing) Ki.ipedia
and Encycl'pedia 1ritannica ha(e ab'ut the sa2e le(el '-
accuracy
F- Millennials are n't being tested 'n s'2ething4 they w'nHt study it
Tests sh'uld be c'2petency based4 n't just -act based
All eGpect t' earn 2're than their parents and w'r. less h'urs
EGpectati'ns '- the2sel(es are high
Read less
o Bew read papers
o :'t reading the literature
Millennials 2're '-ten identi-y a library with b''.s4 while 'lder
generati'ns identi-y a library with in-'r2ati'n
9earning characteristics
o 7'nHt read instructi'ns
o Trial > err'r 2eth'd'l'gy
7eLned sense '- pers'nal space
o 7'nHt want t' recei(e 2essages -r'2 pr'-ess'rs 'r uni(ersity (ia
teGt 2essage 'r FM
Ba('rite e(ents based 'n interacti(ity and engage2ent
;'nsider lectures b'ring
o 3a(e t' engage the2 with 2're than just clic.ing
Pers'nal tut'ring has 'b(i'us beneLts '(er traditi'nal teaching
o Tail'red educati'n needs
o EG) 1i'2edical Engineering ;'urse
Pr'(ide b'G '- 2achines -'r students t' build a 2achine t'
suture Lngers
Mery i2patient
Kant t' d' it -aster
7'nHt want t' learn things they d'nHt need t' .n'w
1e an eGcellent teacher 'r help students be better learners?
o Baculty reacti'ns t' this 6uesti'ns
F d'nHt get it
F d'nHt see a reas'n t' change
3'w can we change?
7i,erent c'ncept '- busy
3ate busy w'r.
Kant l'ts '- pers'nal -eedbac.4 all '- the ti2e
7igital nati(es
o :'t necessarily Keb $.% creat'rs but they are using it
0'u Tube
o Kant !" 2inute seg2ents and then test their s.ills
Typically n't just FMing + pers'n 'nly at a c'2puterJ pr'bably w'r.ing
'n 'ther tas.s 'r h'lding 2ultiple c'n(ersati'ns
Pr'ble2s with Millennial beha(i'r
o EG) Multitas.ing c'nsidered rude t' a pr'-ess'r teachingJ 2're
eAcient use '- ti2e -'r the student
E2ailDpre-erred 2'de '- c'22unicati'n
K'2en are hea(ier ga2ers
All a,ected by ga2ing
EGperiential learning sh'uld be 2're li.e ga2ing4 case studies4
eGperiential4 hands!'n learning
Practical > achie(e2ent 'riented
o 1ig decisi'ns decided at the last 2inute
S'2ething better 2ight c'2e al'ng
:'2adic
9i.e t' pull in-'r2ati'n4 n't push in-'
M're li.ely t' l''. 'nline -'r a j'b than in a newspaper
Miral 2ar.eting the best 2eth'd
3uge 2edia c'nsu2ers
Nuesti'n +
Kith Millennials entering TA p'siti'ns4 ha(e they ad'pted new teaching
styles?
A) :' in-'r2ati'n as '- yet
Nuesti'n $
3'w d'es these attributes play 'ut acr'ss the digital di(ide?
A) :'t e(ery'ne is at the sa2e place at the sa2e ti2e but they all want t'
be. They Lgure 'ut a way t' get the techn'l'gy that they need. The digital
di(ide i2pacts speed but n't general participati'n.
Nuesti'n
7' y'u as. the audience the test 6uesti'ns as a c'2paris'n?
A) 7i,erent 2eth'd'l'gies between Millennials and 'ther generati'ns in
using techn'l'gy.
Student resp'nses
o 9i.ely t' F7 with cut4 c'st4 brand '- jeans but n' d'2inant type
o EGa2ple '- ch'ice4 n'n!c'n-'r2ity
o 5ey characteristics '- an ideal b'ss
o Briendly4 EeGible4 c'2passi'nate
o Pre-erred c'22unicati'n style
o $* in pers'n tal.ing
o e2ail4 FM
o +%*+$ iP'd 'r Mp 'wners
o &*+$ c'ncerned ab'ut li-e*w'r. balance
o j'b searching 2eth'd
o s'cial netw'r.ing with pr'-ess'rs 'r at c'n-erences
o all 'wn a pers'nal lapt'p
o less than +%O bring it t' class
o % 'n Sec'nd 9i-e
o All 'n Baceb''.
o M're li.ely t' ha(e -riends '- di,erent ethnicities