This morning’s workshop is: The Changing Nature of Support – In a cloudy, consumer-oriented world
The Forces of Change in IT – Morely Winograd, USC Marhshall School of Business
Senior Fellow at USC Annenberg Center
Author of Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation Is Remaking America –
Millenials are remaking America – R U Ready?
Generational Differences are Just as Great as National Cultureal Differences, but are rarely perceived.
Defining a generation – Common location in history, common beliefs and behaviors, perceived membership in a common generation.
The fact that people can sense that they’re part of a generation is an important part of generational theory, but it doesn’t explain generational behavior differences. Strauss and Howe try to explain this. Posited two reasons: Changes in child-rearing approaches; Events experienced during maturation. Third piece: fundamental changes in communication technologies.
These create a 80+ year cycle of four distinct archetypes. Groups of people born within certain decades have enough commonality that it’s measurable using social science tools.
Question on the impact of immigrants on this. One out of five millennials have an immigrant parent. Research shows that millennials who are children of immigrants are more determined to live American values and fit in, so you get a reinforcement of millennial attitudes and behaviors. Millennials are the most optimistic generation, believe they will have more financial success than their parents. Hispanic and African Americans believe that more than white millennials.
Age of maturation – 17 to 25. People take an independent view on how the world works during that period. Once people settle on those paradigms they do not change during their life.
Four Generational Archetypes Cycle through History: Civic (GI Generation, 1901-1924); Adaptive (Silent Generation, 1925-1945); Idealist (Baby Boomers, 1946-1964).
Idealists: indulged as children; driven by deeply-held values as adults; won’t compromise on fundamental questions of right and wrong; use ideals as the driving force to provide meaning in their lives; divided generation from the beginning; communication technology: broadcast television.
Reactive generation (Gen X – 1965-1981): React AGAINST what came before and reject almost all of it; unprotected, criticized children (portrayed as slackers); cynical, anti-institutional young people; entrepreneurial risk-takers in mid-live; communication technology: Cable TV. Highly value work-life balance.
Next civic generation: Millennials – 1982-2003: protected and revered children (family rules, joint responsibility for child rearing); upbeat, optimistic, partisan unifiers; group-oriented, problem solving, institutional builders as adults; using social network technology to do so; communication technology: social media. The user is in charge – infects their attitude about everything.
Millennial Generation is the most diverse in American history – 40% are non-white. Have the most gender neutral attitudes in history. Multi-culturalism begins at home, and continues on line – globally connected, much more likely to study abroad. Most voracious users of new technologies. Millennials are NOT Gen X in their attitudes or behaviors. Every generation does not behave the same way – millennials are not rebellious.
Millennial’s parents: Baby boomers chose to become older parents in the 80s, while Gen X moms reverted back to the earilier birth-age norm, which meant that two generations were having babies simultaneously.
Millennial Generation is: special; sheltered (thanks to most sweeping youth safety movement in history); confident (highly optimistic, they boast about their generation’s power and potential); team-oriented (they want consensus, not confrontation); Achieving (best behaved generation in decades); pressured (pushed to study hard, avoid risk. Everyone gets a trophy – no winners); Conventional (more comfortable with their parent’s values than any other recent generation, they support the idea that social rules help).
Pluralist generation (since 2003) – communication technology: mobile
So what will all that mean for higher ed in a millenial era?
New purpose: create “learning communities”, introduce students into them.
Faculty will design learning experiences, create environment for learning, not necessarily for teaching.
Students will co-design and co-instruct.
Universities will become “degree granting bodes” certifying mastery and knowledge.
Using simulation and visual communication to evaluate mastery.
Technology will enable both distributed learning communities as well as “technology drenched campuses”. MOOCs will provide free (?), high quality educational fundamentals.
Campuses will become intelligent physical spaces with smart phone interaction – sensors everywhere. Lot of learning will take place
Serious games will provide effective comprehensive learning experiences – more trial and error, individual testing before advancing, students learn to “be” as well as to “do”.
Oren Sreebny 