Handbook on Educating the Net Generation

It's too bad this handbook has the same title as the book by Oblinger and Oblinger because, unlike the book, the handbook is based on some solid research conducted at three Australian universities. The result is an evidence-based understanding of how learners are using digital technology at these institutions and some practical guidelines for what this means for teaching and learning.

The project, which is based at the University of Melbourne, has investigated how "commencing first year students and their teachers use traditional and emerging technology-based tools in their everyday lives and to support student learning and drawn on the expertise of teachers and the results of this investigation to develop and implement pedagogically sound, technology-based tools to enhance student learning in local learning environments."

Key findings of the research:

1. The rhetoric that university students are Digital Natives and university staff are Digital Immigrants is not supported.
2. There is great diversity in students’ and staff experiences with technology, and their preferences for the use of technology in higher education.
3. Emerging technologies afford a range of learning activities that can improve student learning processes, outcomes, and assessment practices.
4. Managing and aligning pedagogical, technical and administrative issues is a necessary condition of success when using emerging technologies for learning.
5. Innovation with learning technologies typically requires the development of new learning and teaching and technology-based skills, which is effortful for both students and staff.
6. The use of emerging technologies for learning and teaching can challenge current university policies in learning and teaching and IT.

Download the handbook: Educating the Net Generation: A Handbook of Findings for Practice and Policy