Skip to main content

Digital Natives: Real or Myth?

Good Ole Prensky    

Marc Prensky coined the term "digital natives" in 2001 in the article "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" published in On the Horizon. Prensky does explains that those born into this more technologically advanced age are digital natives due to the fact that the children grow up with these new digital devices and interact with the devices their whole, albeit young, lives. Those born before this time frame, or 1984 as Kirschner believes, are digital immigrants due to the fact that they lived lives before the advancement of the digital world and are in face new and must assimilate to the digital world. The graph below does a good job of explaining the ways that digital natives and digital immigrants consume information.

 So, by this logic, I myself would fall into the digital native category. I feel like I would disagree with Prensky if it was based on my experiences alone. Although I consume too much digital information, more than what is definitely recommended by my doctor, I still learn in what Prensky would call the old ways. I have found that while I desire instant gratification that the digital native does and the fact that I prefer video games to serious work, does not mean that I learn better by using a reward system or multi-tasking while learning. I would classify myself as a middle child of the digital debate. I love consuming information as quickly as possible but when it comes to mastering a craft or learning a skill, I need to focus and work on the project steadily. Usually, my best method of studying comes from writing down the information and then creating my own questions on the subject. The idea of playing a game to learn how to code would frustrate me in that I play video games to escape, not to be the best at the game, or to learn. 

But Wait, Here's Kirschner

Paul A. Kirschner on the other hand states that although a person may be designated a digital native, it does not necessarily mean that they are digitally literate. Kirschner brings up the fact that all of Prensky's data was from observations and not necessarily on in-depth research. When studied, it has been shown that the digital natives do not learn differently than the digital immigrant. Kirschner points out that "social media is a passive source of information reception". (2017) So it goes to show that although the digital native might consume massive amounts of social media and digital information, it does not correlate with learning better by using these means. When it comes to multi-tasking, studies have been done that show the constant switching from subject to subject actually limits the amount of information one can absorb. This means that "there is a need to teach pupils, students, and teachers about the importance of focus and the negative effects of multi-tasking on learning" and the importance of understanding the risks of multi-tasking. Kirschner does a great job of explaining the pitfalls of learning in the digital native way. For further reading, attached is an article the Kirschner wrote along with Tim Surma on the importance of LEARNING during the pandemic.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Who Doesn't Love a Good Argument

 I really enjoyed this assignment. Trying to find different arguments that were being conducted online lead to some pretty ridiculous arguments being made. I realized that maybe the enjoyment I get out of listening or reading pointless arguments is not a good thing. In fact, maybe I am part of the problem because I love a good argument. I find it great when I can win an argument, but I also find that whenever I lose one, the benefit of learning something new definitely outweighs the emotional toll of losing an argument. But I digress and let's continue towards the argument I chose to follow.  "Ghosting" people who are rude, annoying and making your life worse, etc etc isn't a shitty thing to do and should be normalised. This is the headline from a sub-reddit called r/unpopularopinion. The OP (original poster) states that basically it should be ok for one to "ghost" someone who is in the wrong. Here is a link to the Original Thread . Ghosting refers to ending...
Post a Comment
Read more

Toulmin and Pat McAfee

 It is easy to get into an argument these days. I feel like you can throw a biscuit at someone, and an argument will start. That might be because you threw a biscuit at someone, but there is a chance someone will critique your form when you threw the biscuit, or why you threw a biscuit instead of throwing a muffin, because the biscuit is not a better missile than a muffin. It really doesn't matter anyway, because you are now in an argument. Hopefully, you can hold your ground in this argument and if you have an understanding of the Toulmin Model, you will at least be able to communicate your reasoning for throwing the biscuit.      The Toulmin Model is a way of understanding the logical flow of an argument. The three basic parts of the Toulmin Model is the claim, reasons, and the evidence ( Communicating Online, 316) . The claim is your main argument you are presenting, with the reasons supporting the claim, and then the evidence is the support system that justifies ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Introducing Myself

My name is Jed Arnold. I currently live in a small town in central Illinois, but in 3 weeks I am moving to Chicago. I am working towards a degree in psychology to hopefully become an addictions counselor in the near future. I have worked in a probation office as well as a local library and oddly enough, both have given me a great insight into the nature of addiction. I have never felt a great desire for any career until I started dealing with those struggling with addiction.  I am currently a Circulation Manager at the library I work at, which basically comes down to customer service and making sure everyone knows how to shelve books properly. The key is to know the alphabet. I am engaged to a wonderful woman who hopefully follows through and marries me in February. So, you could say that planning a wedding as my current hobby. I feel like my mind has been spent on the proper colors for a table runner as well as why certain flowers are not allowed to be paired with other ...
Post a Comment
Read more