Problem 3_Digital Age
1. Digital Natives
Digital Natives: people born after 1984.
Digital immigrants: born before 1984
False image/myth: Exposed to digital technologies since a young age→ specific
characteristics, digital skills and learning preferences. Based on observations not
research.
Homo zappiens/Net generation→ better metacognitive skills,problem solving,
self regulation..
Real image: Digital natives don’t have a deep knowledge of technology→ limited skills,
use of narrow sources of media by teachers, passive consumption of
information(not creators), no improvement in information retrieval or evaluation
skills, and mainly used for communication and entertainment. They don’t
understand the real functionalities of the technologies.Based on research.
→Two research shows that people aged more than 30yo
showed characteristics of digital natives.
→ higher income and education mean higher digital literacy.
→ Teachers use a variety of technologies as often as their
students
No digital myth → digital immigrants don’t lack the skills and proficiency and everyone can
learn. Changes in education shouldn’t be based on digital natives myth but based on
evidence.
Digital literacy: need for proper training for students and teachers. Both changes and
dangers should be taught.
2. Multitasking
❖ Definition: (term is driven from computers)= belief that humans can do two or more
things at the same time.
→ attributed to women and digital natives.
→ only possible if the tasks don’t require cognitive
processing, save the one that requires cognitive processing.
What actually happens?→ Threaded cognition: we carry one cognitive task after the other.
When there is multiple threads, the least recently processed thread is
allowed to proceed;
→ psychological refractory period: response to the second stimulus is
slower because the first one is still being processed
1. Digital Natives
Digital Natives: people born after 1984.
Digital immigrants: born before 1984
False image/myth: Exposed to digital technologies since a young age→ specific
characteristics, digital skills and learning preferences. Based on observations not
research.
Homo zappiens/Net generation→ better metacognitive skills,problem solving,
self regulation..
Real image: Digital natives don’t have a deep knowledge of technology→ limited skills,
use of narrow sources of media by teachers, passive consumption of
information(not creators), no improvement in information retrieval or evaluation
skills, and mainly used for communication and entertainment. They don’t
understand the real functionalities of the technologies.Based on research.
→Two research shows that people aged more than 30yo
showed characteristics of digital natives.
→ higher income and education mean higher digital literacy.
→ Teachers use a variety of technologies as often as their
students
No digital myth → digital immigrants don’t lack the skills and proficiency and everyone can
learn. Changes in education shouldn’t be based on digital natives myth but based on
evidence.
Digital literacy: need for proper training for students and teachers. Both changes and
dangers should be taught.
2. Multitasking
❖ Definition: (term is driven from computers)= belief that humans can do two or more
things at the same time.
→ attributed to women and digital natives.
→ only possible if the tasks don’t require cognitive
processing, save the one that requires cognitive processing.
What actually happens?→ Threaded cognition: we carry one cognitive task after the other.
When there is multiple threads, the least recently processed thread is
allowed to proceed;
→ psychological refractory period: response to the second stimulus is
slower because the first one is still being processed
