(W2) Instructional design strategies for digital native learners

 I have been coming up with some ideas of how we, as instructional designers, can cater learning experiences to digital native learners. 

Some characteristics of digital native students were listed by Prensky (2001). As digital natives are used to receiving information really fast, content duration should be minimal and optimized by respective channels. For example, below 3 minutes is advised for youtube video; below 1 minute is for tiktok videos; or below 20 seconds should be for facebook stories. Digital native also prefer graphics before text, which highlights the importance of multimedia content creation in learning in replace of traditional text-based format. They function best when networked. Therefore, group work, collaborative knowledge construction and discussions are collaborative activities that can facilitate their learning nature. Additionally, digital native learners prefer games to “serious” work. That paves the way for more informal learning activities and content through the use of gamification, informal learning environments and multimedia content.

On the other hand, it is also important to strike a balance with the nature of digital native learners. Increasing the pace of content and activity to accommodate their speed shouldn't necessarily trade off for developing their focus or patience. There still needs to be activities, such as reflection work, to slow them down or making a good balance. Networking should be an addition to individual work, not a replacement, to ensure the capability of learning and working independently.

Reference

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

Comments

  1. Lotta S. KaosMay 28, 2024 at 6:32 PM

    I love this reflection on how to design instruction for digital native learners. I thought the statistics on the amount of time per platform was very interesting. Last semester I created a module on Microlearning for EME 5608. I learned a lot about the research behind Microlearning and why it is working, especially for digital native learners. I love how you said that it is important to slow down our learners with things like reflections and networking. These are some great ideas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SM PinkJune 1, 2024 at 8:11 PM

      Hi Lotta, any notes you want to share about designing microlearning experiences for digital native learners? I think the fast-paced and short learning duration of digital native learners requires microlearning experience to make learning engaging and effective. Yet, the fact is that not all experiences can be changed into micro ones. Even if it is yes, I don't think it should be, given that learners also need to develop higher-order cognitive capabilities (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, etc.), focus ability, or resilience. Those are harder to develop through micro experiences.

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