Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants: Some Thoughts from the Generation Gap
| Title: | Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants: Some Thoughts from the Generation Gap (ID: CSD4507) | | Author(s): | Timothy VanSlyke (Chemeketa Community College) | | Topics: | Digital Fluencies, Faculty Development, Information Literacy, Net Generation Learner, Teaching and Learning | | Source: | The Technology Source | | Origin: | Community Contributions (2003) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | In a two-part series entitled "Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives," Marc Prensky (2001a and 2001b) employs an analogy of native speakers and immigrants to describe the generation gap separating today's students (the "digital natives") from their teachers (the "digital immigrants"). The digital natives Prensky describes are surrounded by digital media to such an extent that their very brain structures may be different from those of previous generations. The native/immigrant analogy can help us understand the differences between those who are comfortable with technology and those who are not; however, I disagree with many of the conclusions that Prensky draws from it. In this article, I consider the implications of Prensky's analogy and whether it provides sufficient justification to radically change the way we view teaching and learning. | | View this resource: | |
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