For Students, by Students: Engaging Millennials through Technology to Develop Educational Resources

• In Event: 2222 - Teaching and Learning Symposium Roundtable Session
  In Informal Discussion Roundtable: Table 02. Technology Serving Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Teaching and Learning Challenge:
A constant challenge in classrooms is actively engaging students; a challenge perhaps even more poignant for Millennials, a generation who has grown up amidst ubiquitous, ever-changing technologies. Everything is digital—from money to ordering take out, even connecting with friends. In line with new technologies, the ways in which students interact with knowledge are also growing and changing. Fewer students are content with traditional forms of instruction (i.e. reading a textbook and listening to a lecture). Instead, Millennial students want their learning experiences to be as diverse and engaging as the rest of their lives. Herein lies the challenge: how do we, as teachers, shift our classroom practices to meet students where they are and make learning more enjoyable, meaningful, and engaging?

Approach to Addressing the Challenge:
We addressed this issue by incorporating a fun, creative assignment in our classes (graduate and undergraduate level) that speaks to diverse learning styles and the Millennial lifestyle: an educational video group project. Students worked together in small groups to produce a short “educational” film, intended to teach viewers about a particular topic relevant to the course. Students were given a rubric to guide the assignment, but they were given full autonomy in the creative process, and at the end, produced videos that can be used as learning tools for students, by students. This type of assignment speaks directly to Millennials as “digital natives.”

Utility of Presentation:
This presentation will be useful for audience members by taking them step by step through an innovative, contemporary project that can be easily incorporated into almost any course, that students find engaging, meaningful, and fun. We will overview all of the components necessary to adopt this project, as well as give suggestions about how to adapt it to best fit anyone’s particular needs.

Authors

• Jonathan M. Cox, University of Central Florida

• Brittny A. Wells, University of Central Florida