Thursday, June 17, 2010
Are we 'Digital Immigrants'?
I came across an interesting article by Marc Prensky Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (2001) which was discussing the fact if today’s teachers are what he defined as ‘Digital Immigrants’. He was referring to those of us who were not really born into the digital world but have, at some later point in their lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology. These ‘Digital Immigrants’ always retain, to some degree, their ‘accent,’ that is, their foot in the past. The ‘digital immigrant accent’ can be seen in such things as turning to the internet for information second rather than first, or in reading the manual for a program rather than assuming that the program itself will teach you how to use it. Today’s older generations were ‘socialized’ differently from their kids, and are now in the process of learning a new language. But a problem that the educational system can face nowadays is that our ‘Digital Immigrant’ instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language. ‘Digital Immigrant’ teachers assume that learners are the same as they have always been, and that the methods that worked for the teachers when they were students will work for their students now. But obviously that assumption is no longer valid; today’s learners are really different. What do you think?
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I was very interested in this post and I think it makes a lot of sense. The comparision with the immigrant is very accurate, especially in the points mentioned such as where to look for info first and such things.
ReplyDeleteHowever, taking this approach seems to also imply that there is nothing that can be done - that once an immigrant always an immigrant. It also seems to point out that there will always be a mismatch between the immigrant teacher and native learner where it is applicable.
I think that if this is so then it will keep going on because when our students grow into adults, their students will have other things that they didn't have, making them immigrants as well in a way. I guess this cycle will always exist at our rate of progression so all we can do it hope everyone focuses on lifelong learning and understand that things need to be kept up to date, especially if we the 'immigrants' are in a position to teach the 'natives'.
I consider myself one of those born into the digital age, playing DOS games from the time I was only 6 years old. I remember the internet gaining popularity when I was in Form 3, as dial-up began phasing out in favour of broadband. As such I had already been brought up under the older culture of searching through books, whilst also being one of the youngest generations given access to the world wide web. In a way I got the benefit of both worlds and can refer to both sources as need be. Such has allowed me to relate to our modern-age students. Oftentimes our pupils can't see the need to look up difficulties in books, where a simple google search would give hundreds, if not thousands, of results. I believe that it is important for us as lecturers to remain up-to-date with the technological changes taking place around us.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting post! As I was reading along I believe that I too qualify as one of these 'digital immigrants', for I remember a time where a computer and internet were not in my vocabulary (I can't believe it either!). Despite what the article says, even though I refer to the internet quite often, to a certain extent I still consider myself as a digital immigrant for when I look at my six year old cousin, he frequently astounds me with his computer literacy!
ReplyDeleteOlder teachers I am afraid do find it hard to come to terms with infusing new technology into their lectures! Comparing myself to a particular colleague of mine I can confirm that she does not get how I can use the internet so much, even to communicate with my students. She believes that a teacher must not communicate with the students outside the school grounds for this might breech the student-teacher bond. She does not seem to understand that even though I communicate with my students via e-mail the respect is still there, all I am doing is reaching out to them in a means that they recognize!
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic. Same as Mark, I consider myself lucky that I used to play games on old text based operating systems such as DOS. I said lucky because I can appreciate the difference in mentality of todays students, something which I had to put quite some effort to get used to. It took me some time to get used to the graphical user interface (GUI) of today's computer usage.
ReplyDeleteMost of today's students do not have a minimal idea of what is going behind the scenes in technology, unless they are studying an electronics engineering subject. They do not appreciate the complexity of a computer application such as a game. They just play it, enjoy shooting here and there but little goes through their mind about the mathematics behind such a scientific creation.
Computer technology as we know it today has its roots in the late 70s (1978 to be exact). Therefore those born in this era or before had to adapt to these technologies later on in their life and may have found it hard to get used to it.
ReplyDeleteThose born later, in the 90s (as most of our students) were born in the era when the most important stages of computer technology were taking place. These were brought up in a digital world; using a computer has become as if they are speaking their native language.
Speaking about my own experience, I was born in 1984. During my childhood I have never been interested in ICT, not even at secondary school (1995-2000). I remember we had 1 hour lesson per week in a computer lab, at that time using Windows 95. Computer studies was not even offered as an optional subject at the time.
When I bought my first PC, in 1999, I was fascinated by the facilities such system can offer. At the time it was just a simple machine which I used as an aid in my homeworks. Today, this technology has become part of my life. I use it at my workplace, if I'm working at home, during my leisure time, through my mobile, and even if I'm abroad. I have to admit I am one of these 'digital immigrants' mentioned above.
Very interesting topic indeed! I definitely consider myself a digital immigrant. However to use the same analogy, there is a difference between the immigrants who willingly remain distant and refuse to integrate, and those who adapt their lives to the new country's culture - I would like to think that I pertain to the latter!:)
ReplyDeleteI was at school at the time when you had to wait in front of the canteen or the Valletta milk van for hours and ask friends if they saw the person you might be waiting for; and when a long distance friend was called a pen pal with whom you communicated with pen and paper with monthly intervals; when the words text and digitital were merely literary or mathematical terms!:) However, thanks to my openness to technological change and with the help of my own kids (who are now in their teens) I have learned a lot.
I believe that it is a question of wanting to learn and change and accepting that some times 'il-musmar il gdid jaqla l-qadim' and at others the wise old owl knows best. We must always keep in mind the older technical skills because you'll never know when they come in handy! During the last (very long) power cut there were numerous games and activities we had to resort to in order to pass the time.
Leonardo da Vinci's teacher was a very famous artist (del Verrocchio), but he willingly put his brush down when he saw Leonardo's work as he saw in him a 'modern' genius. Bernini's father was a master sculptor and admittedly confessed that he may not have been as great as his son, however he also said that had it not been for him his son will not have existed. The invention of photography made artists look around them with a different perspective, some thought it might make artists redundant, but it did not oust art but it complimented it.
So I think that we need to look forward to the future however we also need to know where we came from. We need make clever use of all the resources that are available in order to reap the best benefits.
Leanne mentioned old teachers. Let’s for a moment imagine that one of the classic German philosopher somehow appears among us. (I do not know why I choose Germans; it could be someone from ancient Greeks, as well). Anyway, my question is what would be his reaction and how he will see today’s world? I am not going to name anyone, but I can imagine that he will need a few years to register all this changes, especially digital ones. Just to understand what has happened in the interregnum while he was absent, he would need much longer time. But I am sure that once his impression with the technological boom settles down, the old teacher would conclude that we as human race did not learn a lot from his time. He would soon realize that majority of the problems that he left are still present, like wars, poverty, hunger, lack of education, slavering, greediness, corruption, crimes, alienations amongst people etc, while some of them would be new for him, like ecological problems.
ReplyDeleteI do not know what he might conclude, but my conclusion is that all this technological progress, enabling globalization processes, did not make people any better as humans.
It is true, after all, it is a question of wanting to change and accepting the fact that today’s world is quite different from the one we were born into, but since this change is coming gradually we all have the time to adopt ourselves to the exigencies of this modern technological world and internalise its vales. I myself can be considered as one of those ‘digital immigrants’, but since I did adapt to this technological world, I do not really feel a ‘digital immigrant’ (although actually I am) but rather I feel belonging, and it comes natural to me to turn to the internet. I remember the time when I was in my secondary education, when we used to have only one hour per week in a computer lab and all we would do was open the paint programme and create something related to that time of year (for example in Easter time we would create an Easter card etc.). Of course now it is a completely different story and this important technology has become an integral part of my daily life. However it is also true that there are people who feel alienated from this world and since they do not keep pace with it then they would feel outsiders/ not belonging, and if they are in the teaching profession then it would be really hard for them to actually transmit their message across since they are on different wavelengths from their own students.
ReplyDeleteBaran makes an interesting point here. I was telling my students something similar just a few weeks ago. We were discussing how technology has progressed in the past years and one student mentioned the freezing of one's body to be able to live in the future if scientists ever find a cure.
ReplyDeleteNow the point that I got out of my lecture is imagine how alienated that person woukd be (Walt Disney for one) when they are re-born (or unfrozen) into an age where things are totally different. I for one would feel so strange; just like an alien in a different planet. I believe that the world we live in makes sense because we put meanings to the concepts we see. Now if all of a sudden we are thrown into a different reality it would be hard for us to accustom to it. Truth is relativistic, to a certain extent, and indeed my truth is not the same truth of people living a hundred years or so into the future.
Hence just like these 'frozen people' will be aliens in their own planet, so are these digital immigrants in this new technological age. So Chris you are right, we 'digital immigrants' are lucky to have accustomed ourselves to technology
I disagree Baran. ICT is just a tool which can be used either positively or negatively. There are initiatives that use this tool to address some of the problems you are mentioning (e.g, see the link http://www.scidev.net/en/news/african-leaders-endorse-ict-to-cut-poverty.html).
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the main topic, I originally thought that I am not a digital immigrant having started playing with my first computer when I was 13. However, I am not so sure now especially since my 6-year old cousin told me that a computer game he was playing was too advanced for me to understand :)
I agree with Ranier, ICT is just a tool. But it can be used in many ways than one. The older, non-technical, people find difficulty to grasp concepts, find difficulty to cope with an ever changing world.
ReplyDeleteFor the rest of us who are used to the technical world, these things seem to be easy to get into. Are we digital migrants, I think that the answer is no. Because IT is part of the real world just like a car is.
I believe that going 'digital' is also a frame of mind. Even if all of the ICT tools are available to us, it all depends on the user really.
ReplyDeleteSome people actually give up trying to adapt themselves to the new media tools around them. I for one, was nurtured in a digital world, but still today, once I have settled in it, I still feel overwhelmed with all the digital media being invented each day. We are living in a 'survival-of-the-fittest' world, but WE have to be the ones that adapt to it.
An interesting concept would be that of taking in consideration technophobes (people who fear or dislike new technologies). Will they ever become 'digital immigrants'? Will we ever, as a human race, conquer the digital divide?
As one of the oldest lecturers at MCAST - IICT (nearly 50) I would classify myself as a 'digital immigrant'.
ReplyDeleteWhen I grew up in the sixties we had no computers, no colour TV (only 2 stations)and no calculators to mention a few items let alone the digital age technological advancements/inventions of today. I still remember my first job as a reservations manager with a leading hotel where, reservations were done on a large magnetic board with iron coloured strips, everything written down and every adjustment noted on paper. Nowadays, reservations are done through the internet from your home where, you can see the room and facilities, book and pay online with a click of a button. Ah, how times have changed!
Although, this digital age has brought some drawbacks, example the mobile 3G phone, Yes its excellent to keep in touch with everyone but has the mobile phone taken over our private life? and what about our privacy on 'facebook'?
Yes, I'm still a 'digital immigrant' still trying to grasp some of the new technologies but I believe with the right mix, still using some of the traditional systems, has helped me form a better character not relying completely on machines!
Reading these posts made me recall my first computer, an Atari 500. It was in the mid 1980s and had around 4 to 5 years. I still remember some of the games which were copied on cartridges and audio cassettes.
ReplyDeleteA few years after I was given an Amiga, I still remember how puzzled we were in comparing the pixels of Atari with those of Amiga. There was a huge difference! Also, Amiga utilised floppy disks. Thus I consider myself as a person who was born in technology. I remember that even before I got my first computer I used to go to play at my uncle’s house.
However, even though it sounds contradicting, I also consider myself as a digital immigrant as technology changes very fast and I remember that I got my first PC only when I got to post-secondary school. Thus I had to make up for the updates in technology. I needed the PC for school purposes and thus this need brought me to update the technology that I was using.
I am almost 50 myself , but I do not consider myself to be a digital immigrant. When computers turned up in the late 70s I immediately got to use them. Comparing them to today they were really slow. I worked on the first Word and excels , even worked on Autocad version 2.To draw a line it took 10 mins. I always adapted to change and took up the useful and the practical.So even if I am old it does not mean I am stupid in computers. Maybe I do not use certain things because experience has shown me that they are not practical , could waste more time than save it , and instead of being beneficial they are detrimental. So do not go about ridiculing your older comrades , they may be much wiser then you think!!!
ReplyDeleteIn "Digital Students, Industrial-Age Universities", Professor Emeritus Arthur Levine writes about how digital native students are acting as a catalyst for change in higher education. His writing reminds me of Sir Ken's "Bring on the Learning Revolution", in which we must learn that the old ways of doing things may not be suitable for the present (or future) solution.
ReplyDeleteLevine presents the following scenario: "At the university, the clash between old and new is manifest in profound differences between institutions of higher education and the students they enroll. Today’s traditional undergraduates, aged 18 to 25, are digital natives. They grew up in a world of computers, Internet, cell phones, MP3 players, and social networking".
This is not the first time higher education has faced a crisis, but it seems it will always be faced with the challenge of change.
Again from Levine: "What is certain is that higher education needs to change, because students won’t, and the digital revolution is not a passing fad. To be sure, the purposes of the university have not changed. They remain the preservation and advancement of knowledge and the education of our students for humane, productive and satisfying lives in the world in which they will live. The activities of universities will continue to be teaching, research and service.
What must change, however, is the means by which we educate the digital natives who are and will be sitting in our classrooms — employing calendars, locations, pedagogies, and learning materials consistent with ways our students learn most effectively. It means that the curriculum must meet our students where they are, not where we hope they might be or where we are".
My two ' worth - The phrase 'means by which we educate the digital natives' struck me as highly important. I especially like the mention of “pedagogies” – this signifies a fundamental change in the methods used for effective learning, brought about by the significant changes that the world is going through, overwhelmingly a digital world now.
It seems like a lot of trial and error, and experimentation, checking out what pedagogies will work and what won't. It's not just using technology in learning - it's the successful outcomes that count.
Source: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2010/06/14/levine
I am a 47-year old digital immigrant par excellence! Desiree’ makes a telling statement: technology is making such huge groundbreaking advances every day (or should that read every minute) that today’ s Y generation may themselves be immigrants in a couple of years’ time. Their advantage, though, will be that they will not have a phobia of such technologies as I seem to have. It is indeed a steep learning curve for me but I shall not be giving up any time soon!
ReplyDeleteI took the ecdl course four years ago through an esf programme organized by MCAST. Some of my present colleagues within the VTTU were my tutors back then! It took us six months to obtain this very simple certification, but I am still very proud of my achievements. With apologies to Niel Armstrong, that sure was “One small step for mankind, one giant leap for mummy Marthese”!!
Which brings me on to Leanne’ s second comment. Every year I ask for my students to provide me with their email address. I put them on a group and have no qualms whatsoever communicating with them in this manner. I also give them my mobile number should we need to contact one another in case of an emergency, as in the case of the recent traffic catastrophe on the Aldo Moro road. It is one small example how to bridge (no pun intended!) the digital divide. As Leanne states, respect can still permeate through technology.
My personal challenge will be to keep up with this fast-paced change; unfortunately I am always made to feel lagging one step, or more, behind.
A very interesting post indeed - starting from Chris’ original post to the comments that followed. I had never come across the term 'digital immigrants' and consequently I was very curious to read more about it. It was also interesting to note how many people chose to comment on the topic. While we are living in a somewhat individual world, somehow it seems like these collective labels attract us. People seem to enjoy labelling themselves, to identify the "category" in which they belong to.
ReplyDeleteChange is going on all the time and if we start labelling everything, we can create new labels all the time such as "The Ben Ten immigrants", “Bebé TV immigrants”, “Adverts with Maltese personalities immigrants” etc. The surroundings and realities of the children change all the time and it's not just technology that creates these distinctions. After all, these differences in generations have always existed and they will always exist. We are placing new labels to something which has been referred to as the generation gap before.
Furthermore, such "generation labels" might not be a reality for all students. For instance, what if we were to teach a 16 year old student who virtually had no access to any technology where s/he was brought up? In fact, the term 'digital immigrants' seems to have been applied to certain people in the Western world only. So while it is true that today's generation of learners are collectively different, we also need to recognise that each individual student has a different baggage and 'outcasts', be it ‘digital outcasts’ or otherwise will always exist, no matter the age.
Here’s another reflection on this post. While Leanne and someone else pointed out that they were impressed by their six year old cousin’s ability to use the PC, I have to admit that I am not as impressed with my student’s ability to use their some software on their PCs. Despite the fact that these students are all younger than I am and by definition most are not digital immigrants, I still feel that I have been able to cope with most technological changes better. For instance, I know for certain that I can use Microsoft Word and Excel far better than my students. The reason is simple: I spent time going through all the menus and experimenting whereas my students have not done so (despite the fact that they were surrounded by this technology from the day they were born).
ReplyDeleteTo present the counter argument, I had never used Movie Maker, FLV Editor, FLV to AVI converters, etc. before, and yet, in less than a week I installed all these packages and taught myself how to use them. Of course, I am not an expert and the end result is very far from perfect but I probably learnt enough to serve the intended purpose. Unfortunately, I am not keen on furthering my skills on these packages because I feel that all this digital editing does not fit my personality or aptitudes. In fact, this might be why my students never spent time going through the menus on Word or Excel. They probably lack the motivation to discover further – possibly because the software does not meet their aptitudes. Similarly, I never played any online games such as World of Warcraft because I never enjoyed them, although I do read about them to keep updated. This does not mean that I not able to communicate with today’s students – I might find some students who like me, hate playing online games because they enjoy other things.
So in reality, I tend to agree with 3M, shaz and Eleonora amongst other bloggers who argued that it's up to each one of us to keep in touch with technology.