The Digital Divide and TeachingHow Do Our Students Really Use Technology?

Derek Bruffderekbruff.org @derekbruff

WARM-UP

Question 1• What is one way of using

or thinking about technology that you and (most of) your students have in common?

Question 2• What is one way (most of)

your students use or think about technology that is different from how you use or think about technology.

SAME OR DIFFERENT?

What’s your experience?

20%

75%

5% A. Students yes, me no.B. We have that in common.C. I don’t think students do/think

that.

It’s complicated.

We should probably ask some students.

IT’S COMPLICATED

Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

“It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous environment and the sheer volume of their interaction with it, today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.”

Marc Prensky (2001)

Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

Digital Natives: “Our students today are all ‘native speakers’ of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet.”

Digital Immigrants: “Those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in our lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology are, and always will be compared to them, digital immigrants.”

It’s Complicated

• The independent variable here is experience, not age.

• Individual results may vary.• I can drive a car, but I don’t really know how

it works.• I can drive a car, but I don’t really understand

the automotive industry.• Non-academic experiences don’t always map

to academic experiences.• “Native” and “immigrant” are complex terms.

But Here’s the Thing…

Super Mario Bros. (1985) Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

But Here’s the Thing…

Source: TechCrunch, http://is.gd/oWk8O8

WE SHOULD PROBABLY ASK SOME STUDENTS.

This might be a biased sample.

2013 ECAR Study of

Undergraduate Students

and Information Technology

(n=113,035)

Data!

Data!Someone else’s

2013 ECAR Study of

Undergraduate Students

and Information Technology

(n=113,035)

What can we learn about how our students use social media (etc.) that might inform faculty interested in integrating technology into teaching and learning?

Data!Our

6 FOCUS GROUPS

35 STUDENTS

a lot OF DATA

What do students do online outside of their academic work?“I just check to see what’s going on.

I use the Facebook chat a lot to talk to people; friends from school and friends from other schools.”

“In terms of Facebook, it’s just keeping up to date with family and friends from home and that’s what I say for Twitter, too.”

What do students do online outside of their academic work?“Also, I feel like I get a lot of news

from Twitter just because I check, like, what’s trending, like, I found out about when Whitney Houston died on Twitter…”“I have an order of things I always check in every day. [Facebook,] email, news, ESPN, and then whatever I decide. I go to a bunch of video sites and check out some funny videos and then that’s all, really.”

What do students do online outside of their academic work?“On my phone I have Google

Reader, and I have an aggregate of RSS feeds for certain tech blogs and other sites I love. That’s kind of one of the main things.”

What do students do online outside of their academic work?“Most frequently I’m on Deviant Art,

like, hands-down. I just love that website… Literature, poetry, stuff like that. Things based on books and stuff. And, like, I talk to a lot of people in there… I know people from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, different parts of America.”

SIDEBAR: MEMES

Student 1: I may have to explain it, but I make Memes, occasionally. Student 2: Oh, God, Memes? Facilitator: Yeah, explain. Student 1: It’s --  Student 2: So complicated. Student 1: It’s, like, yeah. It’s like a -- it’s kind of like an inside joke. An inside joke from, like --  Student 3: Of the internet.  Student 1: Basically. And everyone on the internet can vibe to it. Student 4: This is so different than Memes that, like, the definition of Memes in social science; right?

DISCUSSION

Given the student perspectives you’ve seen today, what do you see as key principles for integrating technology in teaching and learning?

THE STUDENTS OF TODAY

ARE LIKE THE FACULTY OF 1999.

DISCUSSION

Given the student perspectives you’ve seen today, what do you see as key principles for integrating technology in teaching and learning?

A Few Takeaways

Have a clear goal.

Livetweeting BladerunnerMark SampleGeorge Mason Univ.

Tell students why you are using technology.

“You MUST MUST MUST explain to students why you are using clickers. If you don’t, they often assume your goal is to track them like Big Brother, and force them to come to class. Students highly resent this.”

Doug DuncanCU-Boulder

Take time to teach the technology.

Writing for WikipediaCynthia Cyrus

Vanderbilt Univ.

Another Example

What was the most common reason students in Derek's class chose Diigo

over Pinterest?

29%

6%

24%

41% A. Pinterest was too feminine.B. Diigo seemed more academic.C. Diigo seemed easier to use.D. Pinterest accounts took too long to

create.

Don’t underestimate the importance of ease of use.

Derek BruffEmail: derek.bruff@vanderbilt.edu

Web: derekbruff.orgTwitter: @derekbruff

Flickr Photo Credits– “Questions from the Audience,” Derek

Bruff– “Baby Sees the iPad Magic,” Steve Paine– “Angry Face,” Katy– “Riced Out,” Scott Waldron– “Planning Session,” WorldIslandInfo

– “X-Ray Chairs,” Henning Mühlinghaus– “Missing Steps,” Stefan Bucher– “Interesting Pin,” Derek Bruff– “Like Father, Like Daughter,” Derek Bruff

Meme featuring Mike Caulfield, courtesy Amy Collier