ERIC Number: EJ999218
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-6677
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Available Date: N/A
The Digital Native Debate in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Recent Literature
Smith, Erika E.
Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, v38 n3 Fall 2012
More than a decade after Prensky's influential articulation of digital natives and immigrants, disagreement exists around these characterizations of students and the impact of such notions within higher education. Perceptions of today's undergraduate learners as tech-savvy "digital natives" (Prensky, 2001a), who both want and need the latest emerging technologies in all learning situations, continue to dominate the discourse in educational technology research and practice. Popular yet controversial conceptions of digital natives continue to be embedded within the assumptions of several contemporary research studies on student perceptions of emerging technologies, seemingly without regard for a growing body of evidence questioning such notions. In order to promote critical discussion in the higher education community considering potential directions for further research of these issues, especially within the Canadian context, the purpose of this review of recent literature is to analyze key themes and issues emerging from contemporary research on the Net generation as digital natives.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Higher Education, Educational Research, Research Needs, Educational Trends, Misconceptions, Student Characteristics, Generational Differences, Evidence, Definitions, College Students, Influence of Technology, Educational Technology, Computer Uses in Education, Literature Reviews, Comparative Analysis, Discourse Analysis
Canadian Network for Innovation in Education. 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K1N 7E4, Canada. Tel: 613-241-0018; Fax: 613-241-0019; e-mail: cnie-rcie@cnie-rcie.ca; Web site: http://www.cjlt.ca
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Identifiers - Location: Canada
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