Shorthand or Shortsightedness?: The Downside of Generational Labeling

Autor/in	Bonfiglio, Robert A.
Titel	Shorthand or Shortsightedness?: The Downside of Generational Labeling
Quelle	In: About Campus, 13 (2008) 3, S.30-32 (3 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1086-4822
DOI	10.1002/abc.256
Schlagwörter	Student Diversity; Models; Learning Strategies; College Students; Stereotypes; Student Needs; Critical Thinking; Labeling (of Persons) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Analogiemodell; Learning methode; Learning techniques; Lernmethode; Lernstrategie; Collegestudent; Klischee; Kritisches Denken; Labeling-Ansatz
Abstract	At what point does a paradigm become so prevalent that it loses its utility? Probably when attempts to simplify complex concepts become oversimplification. A case in point may be the use of the term "millennials". The designations "millennials" and "millennial generation" are frequently used, allegedly to paint a nuanced portrait of today's college-going population. It seems that wherever one turns--newspapers, journals, or professional meetings--there are opportunities to read or hear about the best ways to teach or reach millennial students. When first introduced, the idea of the millennial generation of students struck a chord with many educators, probably due to its novelty and accessibility. It seems, however, that as the concept has gotten greater and greater exposure in educational circles, it has become less and less useful as a framework for developing strategies that lead to effective learning. Thinking of the college students of this era solely as millennials over-simplifies who the students are and how teachers should best work with them. This kind of thinking perpetuates stereotypes about who attends college and who does not. Although contextualizing the characteristics and experiences of students may be a helpful way to think about them as a group, the more broadly these generalizations are applied, the less accurate they tend to be. This is why the author thinks that the term millennials has only limited usefulness in the educational arena. Thus, the author offers four suggestions to help combat simplistic thinking about students and how to best enhance their learning: (1) meet students' needs by first getting to know them personally; (2) get to know all students by embracing student diversity; (3) keep the focus on education; and (4) practice critical thinking. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Jossey Bass. Available from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774. Tel: 800-825-7550; Tel: 201-748-6645; Fax: 201-748-6021; e-mail: subinfo@wiley.com; Web site: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/browse/?type=JOURNAL
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10