Online Degrees - Generational Learning Styles

It comes as no surprise that different generations have different ways and styles of learning, and this is because different life experiences shape learning. Are you a baby-boomer or Gen-Xer? Your age can make a difference.

Baby-boomers tend to be much more dependent on authority figures-instructors-to support their learning. They want to be told what to do, what's important, and how things should be learned. Xers are much more accustomed to doing things themselves. They want options and flexibility. Because of this, boomers, will often feel less comfortable on the Web at first simply because it can feel as though there is a disconnect between teacher and student because both are not physically present in the same room, and teachers cannot be there to say what needs to take place when. Xers, however, will actually thrive on the independence that online degrees / learning can afford. They like the options and varied learning methods-CDs, videos, interactive modules, etc, which are often associated with online degrees.

Is your computer "nice to have" or a necessity? Boomers learned about computers and technology later in their education. When given a task, the question would more likely be, "How can I do this with a computer?" On the other hand, Xers have had technology from the beginning. A computer is not just nice to have, but a necessity. When given a task, the question would more likely be, "How can I do this without a computer? Without Google?"

The speed at which these two generations learn is also different. Boomers' lives were generally slower-paced. Learning was often drill and practice-it took time and needed time. Online games or tests can sometimes seem ineffective or trivial because they don't provide time to think things through. But everyone knows Xers thrive on the "now," the instantaneous.