Teaching Generation Me

Abstract

Today's college students are significantly different from previous generations. On average, they are overconfident, have high expectations, report higher narcissism, are lower in creativity, are less interested in civic issues, and are less inclined to read long passages of text. They are highly confident of their abilities and received higher grades in high school despite doing fewer hours of homework than previous generations. They also believe in equality regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Strategies for teaching Generation Me include: frequent and honest feedback on performance; interactive learning; explaining why the material is important; using images and video clips; eliminating makeup exams and exceptions; and shorter textbooks. Teachers can use self-esteem and success as an example of a correlation explained by reverse causation and/or confounding variables, and can cover cultural differences such as individualism and collectivism. Overall, the best practice may be solutions that preserve high standards for learning but accommodate this generation's preferences. © 2012, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.