Digital Natives can be defined a person born or brought up during the age of
digital technology and therefore familiar with computers and the
internet from an early age. On the other hand, digital immigrants are those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in our lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology are, and always will be compared to the digital natives. There has been a lot of research about these in the past two decades and in this post I'll try to answer some of the questions related to it.
- According to Prensky, what is the immigrant/native divide and how has it affected the way students learn?
According to Prensky, the immigrant/native divide is the gap in the ways of learning of digital immigrants and digital natives. Since the immigrants have learned the old school way, the think that the natives should also read the textbooks and learn the traditional ways however, it is highly unlikely that the natives can go backwards and learn the immigrants way. The natives find the teachings boring and they have very little patience for the lectures, step by step logic and tell-test instruction. They have spent most of their life networking.
Digital Immigrant teachers assume that learners are the same as they have always been, and that the same methods that worked for the teachers when they were students will work for their students now. But that assumption is no longer valid. Today‟s learners are different.Today‟s teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students.
- According to Prensky, what category do you fall into and how has this affected your learning?
I personally think that I fall in the digital immigrants category as I am 90s kid. When I was born, internet was not known in India and we hardly learned anything about computers till grade 4 or 5. I have experienced different styles of learning in my academic life. In India, I was completely learning the traditional pen and paper way, but when I moved here things changed quickly and I am learning more digitally. However, there are some classes that I am taking which can be considered as hybrid or in the middle as they aren't completely digital and aren't typical old school style either. I think I have developed and adapted to learn both ways but initially it was a bit hard for me to accept these changes. I am sometimes fascinated with myself as how far I have come.
- What are some of the other myths Kirschner associated with Prensky’s findings from 2001.
One of the myths related with Prensky's findings was that there is a divide in the immigrant/native and the teaching ways needed to be changed. Kirschner mentioned that this a non-existing problems and a non-solution can solve it. Once the native generations grows up and start teaching, there will be no gap and they would be better equipped with methods to be on the same page as the native students. However, I doubt it as the natives would be more advanced and there will be always be some generational gap for sure.
Sources:
- The myths of the digital native and the multitasker
- Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants
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