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Co-written by Pamela M. Taggart, who is a Senior Director of Development Europe at AVIXA
www.avixa.org.
"A new generation of students has arrived. They’re glued to their smartphones and grew up experiencing the world through multiple screens" says Pam Taggart.
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| Photo: OEB Newsportal |
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they want something more than the traditional education experiences like the well-worn classroom lecture or the stately campus library. Students use mobile devices to socialise, handle their finances, keep in touch with parents, and much more. They communicate face to face — even when they’re miles away from each other. They expect brilliant high definition everywhere they look and a soundtrack that fits in with their lives. Using new technology throughout higher education represents a natural progression for a generation that favours digital platforms.
Today’s connected students are looking for meaningful, immersive experiences that impact their learning and their lives. They’re used to consuming audio and video information at the swipe of a finger or touch of a button, and they want that in their physical world, from classrooms to public spaces. Students seek interactive learning with peers and faculty members — simulations, games, audiovisual (AV) collaboration — that will help them solve problems and retain vital information. Research bears this out.
The American Cognitive psychologist Richard Mayer of the University of California, Santa Barbara has explored the link between multimedia exposure and learning. His experiments prove that students who get information in multisensory environments do better than those who perceive information through one sense. Mayer found that recall through multisensory stimulation is more accurate, detailed and longer lasting — even 20 years into the future. One’s problem-solving ability improves, too, helping students generate up to 50 percent more creative solutions.
The growth of online degree programs and distance learning has also contributed to heightened expectations.
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Source: OEB Newsportal
