I came across this very well put together video a little while ago. It is about the generation that is moving into power as you read this: Generation We.
In 2015 in America (I believe the U.S. that is) 74 Million people are considered to be part of the population group Baby Boomers. They have been born between 1946 – 1964. This group is followed by the Generation X which incorporated all those born between 1965 and 1977. In the eBook “Generation We” by Eric Greenberg with Karl Weber the Generation X group is considered “… a politically and socially conservative cohort that has struggled to define itself against the vast and dominant Boomer group it followed.” I this makes me part of this group. I never considered myself to struggle with my place in society nor feeling suppressed by my parents generation.. However, the new Generation are the Millennials born between the years 1978 till 2000. What this generation has to deal with and what their opportunities are is shown in the video below.
Eric Greenberg is using the online social networking to promote the Millennials as the Gen(eration) We and to activate members of this section of the population. This generation will be more diverse than any other before (White 63%, Hispanic 18%, Black 14%, Asian 5%).Their education is good and who would have guessed that, they will are also the most wired ones. Interested in more about Gen We? Take a look in to the above mentioned eBook.
All these facts and predictions are of interest when we take a look into online learning and the ease this generation is using technology in the educational field. Generation X needs to shape up to find the right ways to cater towards the next generations needs. a simple PowerPoint presentation based in a flash widget and maybe some underlying sound does not seem to be enough anymore. More so the opportunity for learners to interact with each other and the content itself while learning. Rearranging content while discussing and arguing for the right solution seems more the way to get cognitively involved than simply absorb some fixed and inflexible content.
Filed under: Education, Social Networks, generation we, learning, video
