9.04.2008

Is there a net generation or just buzz?

Many books and reports were published, showing the audience that we have a "net generation". This generation has, in the author's view, typical characteristics and is sometimes quite different from the elder generation before.

Tapscott, Prensky, Obliger and others belong to the most wellknown advocates of that net-generation theory.

The German educationalist Rolf Schulmeister doubts the existance of such a generation. In his publication "Gib'ts eine Net Generation? (Is there a net generation?) he points to the fact that there is hardly valid research evidence that underpins the claims from the authors.

Although Schulmeister presents considerable research for his claims, the quality of the research is divers and not fully comparable. It's also difficult for him to avoid the trap of journalistic generalisations and ill defined concepts. That makes it difficult to follow him in his conclusions that the concept of a net generation is just a buzz. He will need more evidence, grounded by solid theories, to throw away the bathtub with the net tubbies in it.

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3 reacties:

Anonymous Anoniem zei...

I read the article too, and i was specially focused on a quote:
"Spricht aus meinen Wörter Ärger?"
(is there offense in my words)
He makes the same mistakes as the ones he oppones against: generalisations on single books or cases, data just coming from a limited amount of countries, journalistic statements etc.
A pity, where the article itself is a good attempt to come to a better grounding of an unproven assumption. Fortunately the paper is not finished, but is ongoing. Without any doubt prof. S. will finish with more detailed and grounded arguments.

Dr. J.Krashnovar, visiting professor, Czech Republic

8:36 p.m.  
Anonymous Anoniem zei...

I agree with Dr. Krashnovar. But the contribution from Schulmeister intended to provoke an ongoing discussion, opening opportunities to exchange research and theory, in order to come up with a more complete picture of the problem.

Inger Holmsted, Stockholm

9:49 a.m.  
Anonymous Anoniem zei...

Hi there,

I am working in secundary education in the German Republic. In my opinion there really is a new generation. The way my pupils behave, think, act is quite different from the eighties, when i started teaching.

Manfred Grossfelt, Hamburg

9:43 p.m.  

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