Project websites
http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/netgeneration/
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/my-esrc/grants/RES-062-23-0971/read
What research questions the project addresses, aims & themes
The overall aim of the research was to provide an empirically based understanding of young students, often called the Net Generation or Digital Natives, as they first engage with e-learning in tertiary education.
The objectives were to gain an empirically based picture of first year undergraduate students as they encounter elearning by:
- Investigating the self reported attitudes and activities of students entering their first year in university
- Exploring their prior exposure to digital and networked technologies, including games and social networking.
- To explore their attitudes towards, expectations and experience of e-learning at university.
- To explore any linkages between their prior exposure to and experience of gaming and digital networked technology and their expressed attitudes towards and experience of e-learning.
- To investigate the use of social software in the navigation of the new university environment and the construction of new networks and communities (e.g. the use of Facebook MySpace etc).
- To develop the theoretical basis for understanding any generational changes that result from exposure to new digital and networked technologies.
- To provide timely evidence based advice for policy makers, teaching staff and administrators about the nature of new generation students in relation to the deployment of elearning.
How the research questions are addressed by the project (methodology and activity/environment)
The project employed a mixed methods approach:
Surveys
1. Spring 2008
The instrument collected baseline data about key aspects of the students' use of technology in their social life and for study purposes. It consisted of four sections: demographic characteristics of the respondents, access to technology, use of technology in university study and finally course-specific uses of technology. (n=596, course enrolment 1809)
2. Autumn 2008
A linked survey with the survey issued in Spring 2009 providing a longitudinal component. The instrument included sections that including demographic information about the participants, their access to technology, frequency of media use, competence with ICT and attitudes to e-learning at university. (n=1093)
3. Spring 2009
The instrument was similar to that used in Survey 2 with the addition of some items related to Survey 1 to explore issues that had developed from the first results. ( n=713, identified linked responses to both surveys n=369)
Interviews
1. Students (recruited from Survey samples)
- Spring 2008 (n=10)
- Winter 2008/09 (n=58)
The interviews were conducted over the telephone, conversational in style and followed a semi-structured form with four key areas covered in all interviews. Each interview began with a short preamble explaining what was meant by the key term e-learning " By e-learning I mean learning using a wide range of ICT, such as course management software, mobile tools, online media etc".
2. Staff
- All staff visited and informal conversation about the project and the details of the course
- Formal interview, recorded and transcribed (n=12)
The interviews were semi-structured and face to face and they took place at the place of work. In one interview two members of staff were present; all other interviews were conducted with a single staff member.
Day Experience Method
(Cultural probe recruited from interview sample)
Students were provided with a small video camera and a small notebook. The students all had their own mobile (cell) phone that the research team could send messages to. Students were sent SMS text messages over the course of 24 hours. Each student received approximately 11 text messages. All students were provided with these questions to answer when they received
- What time is it?
- What are you doing?
- Are you using any technology and, if so, what is it?
- Where are you?
- Who are you with?
- How do you feel about it?
Each student then recorded their responses when it was appropriate to do so as close as possible to the receipt of the text message.
Findings and outputs
A small minority of today's university students don't use email and others are confused by the array of technologies available at universities. Yet many students couldn't bear to be without their mobile phones and find themselves distracted by social networking sites during study. These are the some of the findings from research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council into how today's generation of students use technology. The research, led by Dr Christopher Jones of the Open University, surveyed and interviewed over two thousand first year students at 5 English universities.
"Our research shows that the argument for a sharp generational break between today's generation of young people who are immersed in new technologies and older generations who are less familiar with technology is flawed," concludes Dr Jones. "The diverse ways that young people use technology today show the argument is too simplistic and that new single generation, often called the net generation, with high skill levels in technology does not exist." The research's findings included:
- Almost all owned a mobile phone (97.8%), just over three quarters owned a laptop (77.4%) and over a third (38.1%) owned a desktop computer. Over two thirds (70.1%) felt their access to computers was sufficient to meet their computing needs, and the mobile phone was chosen by 83.2% as the device students would miss most if they did not have access to it. However, the surveys also revealed a small minority of students who either didn't use email or have access to mobile phones.
- The age of students influenced their use of technologies. Students who were 20 years or younger reported being more frequently engaged in instant messaging, sending text by a mobile phone, participating in social networks, downloading or streaming TV or video and uploading images, audio and video onto social networking sites than students aged 25 years or more. For example, only 4.3% of those aged 20 or younger never used social networking websites compared to 78.5% of those aged 35 years or older. The younger students also used information and communication technologies for social life and leisure more frequently whilst older students were more likely to use them for study.
- In their studies, students used new technologies more than they were required by the course. This was particularly marked for instant messaging and social networks. However, certain new technologies were only used by a minority of students: contributing to blogs (21.5%) and wikis (12.1%) or using a virtual world (2%).
- Despite the major advances in technology, students still inhabit the same kinds of learning spaces they used ten years ago. They continue to study in their bedrooms, the university library or other dedicated study spaces at the university; this is despite the ability with mobile devices and broadband to study anywhere.
- The distracting nature of technologies, such as social networking sites, email and mobile phones, was commonly cited in the interviews but also happily accepted. Most students had developed ways to cope with the distractions while studying. These ranged from switching off the sources of distraction to taking breaks for social networking.
- The more students used a new technology, the more competent they believed they were in using it. There was little difference in the reported IT skill levels between the sexes, except male students were more confident than female students in their use of spreadsheets, graphics, audio/video, computer maintenance and security. However, university staff noted that whilst students had wide exposure to technology they often lacked in-depth knowledge of specialized pieces of software and of spreadsheets in particular.
- There was little evidence that today's students enter university with demands for new technologies that teachers and universities cannot meet. Rather many students reported initial surprise or confusion at the array of technologies that were available at their university, but few thought that this led to long-term difficulties. While teachers who are prepared to develop their skills with the new technologies and to integrate them carefully into their courses are unlikely to be held back by their membership of a preceding generation.
Project impact
The scientific impact the project has had has been in adding robust empirical findings from English universities to a growing body of international studies. The project made local connections within the UK through visits and personal contacts with previous researchers who had published in the field at GlasgowCaledonianUniversity (Littlejohn and Margaryan) and EdinburghUniversity (Bayne and Ross). Work was also reported in participating universities (Lancaster, Liverpool, MMU, The OU and Gloucestershire) and beyond (CoventryUniversity, JISC e-pedagogy experts group, HEA e-learning SIG).
The project has brought together researchers from the USA, Australia, the UK and South Africa in workshops and symposia alongside the research work undertaken in the UK. This began with a one day conference and workshop held over subsequent days at the Open University, UK. This event was the first bringing together of the emerging international research in the field. This international connection has allowed for the dissemination of the UK research in an international context. It has also led to co-operation with Laura Czerniewicz in the production of a special section of the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, bringing together senior researchers in the field and in the production of a special edition of Learning, Media and Technology in which most of the articles were led by junior researchers from the UK, Australia and the Netherlands. The special edition was a development from a symposium held at the Networked Learning Conference 2010 that brought together a range of senior and junior researchers in the field.
National and European dissemination was achieved through conference presentations to a range of audiences, including practitioner audiences through targeting the Association of Learning Technology conference 2009 and in obtaining invitations to speak at the JISC e-pedagogy group meeting and the HEA e-learning Sig meeting. Presentations were also given to practitioner audiences in a number of universities in the UK and a presentation was given to doctoral students in LancasterUniversity and Aalborg University (DK).
International dissemination of results was achieved through a series of study leave visits and presentations following the conclusion of the project in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, WollongongUniversities and the University of Technology Sydney), South Africa (University of Cape Town) and New Zealand (University of Auckland).
Publications were placed in open repositories, Open Research Online (ORO) and two conference papers in the ACM and ALT repositories respectively. This facilitated a wide and rapid diffusion of findings from the project. Download data from the ORO was supplied with the final report but these cannot be updated due to technical difficulties. However there have been 35 unique downloads of project outputs in ORO during 2011. The publication by Jones et al (2010) in Computers in Education has led to 17 citations recorded in Scopus by 20th March 2010 (including 5 self citations).
Findings were also reported in a variety of media outlets including Computer Weekly News (28th October 2010) and the Net Gen Skeptic blog (http://www.netgenskeptic.com/). These broadened those audiences aware of the publications and findings.
The ability to draw together a group of international researchers for the first time was not anticipated in the project proposal. A major factor in assisting this development was project support of £11,500 provided by the Open University. This funded a 1 day conference (May 2009) that was video streamed and made available as a recording. The video from the 1 day event is still available at: http://stadium.open.ac.uk/stadia/preview.php?whichevent=1339&s=31 ). The funding also facilitated 3 days of workshop activity that led directly to a special section in JCAL, co-edited with one of the participants, Laura Czerniewicz, and visits and presentations at universities in Australia and South Africa.
The Open University supported Chris Jones' study leave visits to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia allowing the project findings a broad international dissemination which built on the earlier international work around the 1 day conference in May 2009.
The HEA commissioned Chris Jones to write a literature review assessing potential implications for higher education. This will raise the projects profile amongst key policy making and practitioner audiences.
The ESRC funded the Literacies in the Digital University seminar series which was able to invite Ezster Hargittai to speak at a seminar held at the Open University (October 2010). This allowed the project team to open a dialogue with an additional international group of researchers in the same area of work as the research project.
Publications
Related book chapters
Jones, C. (2012). Networked learning, stepping beyond the Net Generation and Digital Natives. In L. Dirckinck-Holmfeld, V. Hodgson and D. McConnell (Eds) . Exploring the Theory, Pedagogy and Practice of Networked Learning. New York: Springer-Verlag. ISBN: 9781461404958.
Jones, C. (2011) Students, the Net Generation and Digital Natives: Accounting for educational change. In Thomas, M (Ed) Deconstructing Digital Natives. Routledge.
Journal articles
Jones, C. (Ed) (2010). Learning, the Net Generation and Digital Natives. Learning, Media and Technology. 35 (4), pp 365-434. ISSN 1743-9884.
Jones, C., and Healing, G. (2010). Networks and Locations for Student Learning. Learning Media and Technology. 35 (4), pp 369 - 385. ISSN 1743-9884. DOI: 10.1080/17439884.2010.529914
Hosein, A., Ramanau, R., and Jones, C. (2010). Learning and Living Technologies: A Longitudinal Study of First-Year Students' Frequency and Competence in the Use of ICT. Learning Media and Technology. 35 (4) pp 403 - 418. ISSN 1743-9884. DOI: 10.1080/17439884.2010.529913
Jones, C. and Healing, G. (2010) Net Generation students: Agency and choice and the new technologies. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. Vol 26 No5. Pp 344-356. ISSN 0266 4909.
Jones, C. and Czerniewicz, L. (2010) Describing or Debunking? The Net Generation and Digital Natives. (Editorial to Special edition) Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. Vol 26 No5. Pp 317-320. ISSN 0266 4909.
Jones, C., and Hosein, A. (2010). Profiling University Students' Use of Technology: Where Is the Net Generation Divide? The International Journal of Technology Knowledge and Society. Vol 6 (3) pp 43-58. ISSN: 1832-3669
Jones, C., Ramanau, R., Cross, S.J., and Healing, G. (2010) Net generation or digital natives: Is there a distinct new generation entering university? Computers & Education. Vol 54 (3) pp722-732 ISSN 0360 1315
Refereed published full paper
Ramanau, R., Hosein, A. and Jones, C. (2011). Net Generation Distance Learners and Patterns of their Digital Technology Use. In Nunes, M.B. and McPherson, M. (Eds), Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference E-Learning, 2011, Volume 1, Rome, Italy, July 20-23, pp.21-27.
Hosein, A., Ramanau, R., Jones, C. (2010) Are all Net Generation students the same ? The frequency of technology use at university. IADIS E-Learning Conference July 2010, Freiberg, Germany.
Jones, C., and Healing, G. (2010). Learning nests and local habitations. In Dirckinck-Holmfeld L, Hodgson V, Jones C, McConnell D & Ryberg T. (Eds) Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning, Aalborg 3-4th May 2010. ISBN 978-1-86220-225-2
Ramanau, R., Hosein, A., and Jones, C. (2010). Learning and Living Technologies: A Longitudinal Study of First-Year Students' Expectations and Experiences in the Use of ICT. In Dirckinck-Holmfeld L, Hodgson V, Jones C, McConnell D & Ryberg T. (Eds) Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning, Aalborg 3-4th May 2010. ISBN 978-1-86220-225-2
Jones, C., and Cross, S.J. (2009) Is there a Net generation coming to university? In Damis, H., and Creanor, L. (Eds), "In dreams begins responsibility"- choice evidence and change: The 16th Association for Learning Technology Conference, Manchester 2009. pp 10-20. ISBN 978-0-95-458-709-3
Jones, C., and Ramanau, R. (2009). Collaboration and the Net generation: The changing characteristics of first year university students. In O'Malley, C., D. Suthers, Reiman, P. & Dimitracopoulou, A. (Eds). Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning: CSCL2009: CSCL Practices. (pp 237-241). University of the Aegean: Rhodes Greece. ISBN 978-1-61584-137-0
Jones, C., and Ramanau, R. (2009) The Net Generation enters university: What are the implications for Technology Enhanced Learning? M-2009: Proceedings of the 23rd ICDE World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education including the 2009 EADTU Annual Conference, 7-10 June 2009, Maastricht NL.
Conference papers (abstract only)/conference symposium editorial
Jones, C. Hosein, A., Healing, G., and Ramanau, R. (2011) First year university students and new technologies: A complex picture with no evidence of a net generation of digital natives. Educational Futures: Education, technology & Sustainability. CAL '11, ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity, Manchester 13 th - 15th April 2011.
Jones, C. (2010). Students of the network age: A complex portrait of English university first year students. European Conference on Educational Research - Education and Cultural Change. Helsinki, 25th -27th August 2010.
Jones, C. (2010) Networked Learning, the Net Generation and Digital Natives. In Dirckinck-Holmfeld L, Hodgson V, Jones C, McConnell D & Ryberg T. (Eds) Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning, Aalborg 3-4th May 2010. ISBN 978-1-86220-225-2
Jones, C., and Ramanau, R. (2009). Community and Digital Networks: The Net generation learners and community. 13th Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI), Fostering Communities of Learners, Amsterdam 25th - 29th August 2009.
Jones, C., and Ramanau, R. (2009). The Net Generation entering university: The experiences of first year students. Learning in Digital Worlds, CAL '09, 23rd - 25th March 2009, Brighton.
Commissioned literature review
Jones, C., and Shao, B. (2011). The net generation and digital natives: implications for higher education. Higher EducationAcademy, York.
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/evidencenet/net-generation-and-digital-natives
Keywords
Net Generation, Digital Natives, Technology Enhanced Learning
People involved
Chris Jones
Graham Healing
Anesa Hosein
Simon Cross
Ruslan Ramanau
Project partners and links
The Open University
Funder(s)
ESRC
Start Date and duration
1 January 2008 - 31 March 2010