THE MILLENNIAL LEARNER

Millennial Generation is one of the most researched generation because of the uncertainty of their actions. Today’s students have change significantly due to the fact that their study habits are non-traditional as they want to be more engaged using technology. Born 1982 through2000, Millennials are the most diverse generation whose approaches in learning are highly defined by technology and different social media platform.

Stark in 2014 (as cited in Millennials: Our Newest Generation in Higher Education) said the Millennials are active learners. They are diverse and they seek learnings where they can engage and interact using technology. Stark added, that the teachers must be able to provided this environment, otherwise, learners will look for this somewhere else.

For the teachers to know what to prepare for Millennial learners, it is important to know first the general characteristics of this generation. In the article Learning in the 21st Century: Teaching Today’s Students on Their Terms, Millennials are viewed as the generation who prefer to use technology to study and communicated anytime of the day or night; they are risk-takers and like to explore alternative methods to complete a given task; they are inclusive by being accepting and tolerant of all races, religions and sexual orientations; technology is part of their day-to-day affairs and performed different tasks using different gadgets available.

These characteristics of Millennials have forced the academic community to shift gears to accommodate their needs and demands. At some point, the academe has to compete with the accessibility of the internet such as e-books and online journals that are less costly and more convenient to access. More and more campuses and universities are investing with different digital libraries to expand the access of the students with international researches and journals. Teachers on the other hand have changed their classroom settings as well. Considering the preference of Millennials to a variety of media platforms, they integrate the use of ICT in their day-to-day class.

Millennials are multi-taskers therefore they are more comfortable when they are tasked to make discoveries using all available technology. Blended classrooms,where a combination traditional and technology tools is utilized, can be a good program for youth. Regardless of race, ethnicity, and social and economic status, Millennials expect teachers to integrate different technology-based teaching strategies.