By Susan Smith Nash, Ph.D.
Do you sometimes feel as though the course you’re taking was designed for some sort of composite person that has nothing at all to do with the way people really are? Do you feel as though you’re being addressed as though you were a robot or a simulacrum of a person, and not a unique individual?
If so, you’re not alone. Colleges and universities talk about Baby Boomers and GenX and GenY, but many do little or nothing about generationally distinct traits and characteristics except to create “ElderLearn” workshops for those over 60, and travel-study for 20-year-olds during the summer and Spring Break.
For online students, the generational misalignment is even worse. Most colleges and universities have bought a prepackaged online course solution that a powerful company sold to their IT decision-makers. Sadly, most online colleges spend not even a nano-second identifying characteristics by generation of their students. Further, it does not even occur to them to align generational needs and proclivities with online course or program design.
Seniors (age 65 and older)
You may be surprised how many seniors are taking online courses. Their reasons for taking courses are diverse. Some are doing it because having a degree has been a lifelong dream. Others are taking the courses because they want to study a topic that is interesting to them, or which will have an impact on their health. While people tend to stereotype older people as being conservative and unwilling to change, what surprises many researchers is that today’s seniors tend to be iconoclastic and willing to try new ideas, particularly when it comes to health, nutrition, and finance.
Many of today’s seniors have responsibilities that other generations did not. An increasing number of seniors are raising their grandchildren because the grandchildren’s parents are unable to do so. What this means is intergenerational technology transfer -- it is likely that seniors are more aware of computer games, simulations, instant messaging, social networking, and e-mail than younger generations who do not have the contact. At the same time, some seniors may not have had much experience with various features and capabilities of the Internet. This means that they will appreciate a clear presentation of the activities, and ones that do not require too many plug-ins or downloads.
Because seniors have very specific goals and reasons for taking a course, they often lose interest when they are restricted to being able to write on a single topic, or when their way of demonstrating competency has only to do with online quizzes. They value personal feedback, and the ability to write papers on topics that are relevant to them.
Boomers (age 45 to 65, more or less)
Baby Boomers have been characterized as selfishly ambitious, steeped in “me generation” values. Is this actually fair? What Boomers have been, if anything, is participants in mass movements. Think about it -- the first wave of Baby Boomers flung themselves into mass movements and fads that ranged from Beatlemania to war protests in the 60s and 70s. Later, they fueled other mass movements and put incredible commercial muscle into products and services that Boomer masses liked. Mass marketers figured it out quickly: Appeal to the Boomers, and you’ve got a multimillion dollar business opportunity. Boomers are not as fickle as one might think. If anything, they’re nostalgic and they cling to things that remind them of earlier mass movements. Otherwise, how do we explain the almost cloying nostalgia for “moldy oldies” in the form of pop songs from the 60s and 70s?
Boomers are ambitious. Boomers have benefited from and been burned by globalization. This means that many have had huge reversals of fortune in the middle of their professional careers, which have occurred in the form of layoffs and industry closings. So, as a result, many Boomers have diversified and retrained. Online courses are useful and help them achieve career goals.
Most Boomers have used the Internet extensively to obtain information, to order products, and to use e-mail. Fewer have blogs, use social networking (Myspace, Xanga, etc.), and even fewer are dedicated gamers, or post their own audio or video files in sharable spaces.
As a result, they may feel more comfortable with a course that has less interactivity than newer versions. At the same time, they will be demotivated if the course does not serve a concrete role in advancing them toward career, personal, academic, or professional goals.
In general, Boomers are very busy and must balance work, education, and family commitments. They are getting older and are now “sandwiched” between generational needs. A course that allows one to make progress in small chunks of time is the best.
Generation X (30 - 45)
Often accused of being a slacker generation, and completely demotivated, Gen X weathered the sea changes wrought by globalization, along with rapid changes in information technology, including personal computers and the Internet. They do not see the gleaming future that the Boomers saw when they came of age, nor do they feel the same sense of self-efficacy. Many have had to languish in low-level contract jobs with no benefits or job security. As a result, many are just now finding ways and angles for carving their own niches, while maintaining a profound sense of cynicism and a need to express their individuality. Many abhor mass movements and see them as formulas for self-extinction.
In terms of information technology, many GenXers are very web-adept in terms of using it to obtain information, to communicate via e-mail, but they may not feel the urge to keep up with latest iterations of software, fads, or skills. To appeal to GenXers, it is important to provide room in the e-learning space for creative self-expression, individuality, and bonding in uniquely specific ways. Asking online students of the GenX group to share their favorite musician or movie will tend to result in unique results, yet with a spirit of camaraderie and support at creative self-expression.
Generation Y (23-29)
This group exhibits characteristics that perplex employers. They arrive at job interviews armed with degrees and credentials, just to announce that they are looking for self-actualization. They refuse to waste their time on a job that is simply a means to an end. The job has to have a “pinnacle moment” somewhere in it -- it has to incorporate activities or recognition that make the GenY person feel as though they are engaged in something unique. At the same time, they have no tolerance for busywork or ambiguity and the notion of a “comfort zone” of a routine is abhorrent to them. They will work at a job as long as it is mutually beneficial and not a moment longer.
For an online course to appeal to a GenYer, it has to have “pinnacle moments” in it that make the student feel self-actualized. If it does not, the student will slog through the course, but will likely transfer to another program. Money is not the issue. GenYers cheerfully plunge up to their eyeballs in debt. What matters is self-actualization and the promise of self-actualization. One might use the “golden handcuffs” approach on GenYers in order to keep them in the program. Rewards work for retention. Give them incentives and little payoffs that they can see just over the horizon. The payoffs have to be small, frequent, and spendable.
The key to GenY is that the course has to be interesting, useful, and be perceived as self-actualizing. In terms of technical ability, GenYers are used to emails and websurfing - blogs and some social networking
Millennium Generation (12 - 22)
This is the MySpace generation, and they are used to gaming, IM and social networking. Many are home-schooled and are entering online colleges in their young teenage years.
A rigid learning management system that is locked behind password-protected portals, requires multiple log-ins, does not allow exchanging multimedia files, will seem very rigid, constricted and confining. For the MySpace generation, Blackboard may feel like a virtual detention hall.
Conclusion
Colleges and universities have a great opportunity to appeal to more students and to increase retention by attuning their courses and programs to the unique characteristics of different generations. The bottom line is that colleges and universities that do so will be the winners, and those who do not may limp along, but they will never realize their full potential, and what is more, they may never quite understand what went wrong.
Aligning online courses and programs to appeal to all generations is the key. If you’re interested in more information, please request the full study, which is available by sending an email to susan.s.nash@gmail.com
[Listen to the companion podcast at:
http://community.elearners.com/blogs/inside_elearning/attachment/2055.ashx - 7.65 MB]