Students used to ‘quick feedback’, are becoming more and more demanding.
Students currently going through the higher education system are part of a “net generation” who expect instant feedback because of their heavy reliance on mobile phones, social media and video games, a conference has heard.
Arlene J. Nicholas, an assistant professor in the department of business studies and economics at Salve Regina University in New England, spoke at the Society for Research into Higher Education conference, held in Wales last week, giving findings from her research on learning methods among 100 students at a small private university.
She told delegates that the current generation of US students – defined as those born between 1981 and 2000 – were the most diverse, with a third defined as non-white or Latino. But they are also the most demanding, Dr Nicholas claimed. “This multimedia generation seems to expect multiple methods to learn,” she said.
She added that the net generation could be easily upset by negative feedback but nevertheless wanted more feedback than any other generation.
Read full story, and read more about FASTECH, a project at the University of Winchester considering how technology can enhance feedback.
