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Are Kids Really Digital Natives? (Opposing Views on Learning)

While it’s true that I grew up with mobile technology, computers, and even online dating, I wasn’t born into them. Yes! I know what a landline is, and I’m pretty sure my parents had one at home when I was growing up. I always thought this knowledge of both worlds - the real one and the digital one - was an asset. 

Then I stumbled across Marc Prensky’s work, and he kind of burst my bubble a bit. An American writer and speaker on education, Prensky is definitely best known for having created the terms "Digital Native" and "Digital Immigrant." 


Essentially, “Digital Natives” refers to those born during or after the digital age and “Digital Immigrants” were born before the digital age. This means the latter has had to adopt new technologies (like computers and cell phones) later in life. 

Here's a pic so you have an idea what I'm talking about. (I'm a visual learner.)


So as long as the so-called immigrants adopt technology, there's no issue. Right?
Well, not according to Prensky...


Q: According to Prensky, what is the immigrant/native divide and how has it affected the way students learn?

According to Prensky 2001 work “Digital Natives Digital Immigrants,” there is a divide between the two camps and it is especially important in education as the digital divide affects the way students learn. 

This divide stems from the fact that the two camps were socialized in different ways and adults have to essentially learn a new language - the digital language. As he points out, a language learned later in life “goes into a different part of the brain” (Prensky 2).  This can even lead to a “accent,” the strength of which gets thicker with time. (The later in life technologies are adopted, the more likely one is to rely on older strategies.) For example, a friend of mine who is a senior still prints out directions even though she has a gps and smartphone. As for me, I personally hate online textbooks. My brain just stores the information differently than it does with printed material. 

That brings us to the education problem…

Prensky finds that the single biggest divide in education is that teachers are typically “Digital Immigrants” who speak an outdated language, and thus, struggle to teach their “Digital Natives” students who speak a different language (Prensky 2). 

For example, young people are used to receiving information quickly, prefer to parallel process and multitask, enjoy games rather than work deemed serious, and thrive on being networked. In contrast, many educators (adopters of technology) prefer an approach that is slow, step-by-step, and has a greater emphasis on serious, individual work.             

The above examples imply that kids today learn differently, and Prensky thinks it is unlikely that that will change. Therefore, educators must change their methodology and content to properly teach today’s students. According to Prensky, both “legacy” content (like reading, writing, and arithmetic), and “future” content (digital and technological content, as well as ethics, politics, languages and sociology), must be taught at a faster pace, in parallel, include random access, and be unburdened by the traditional step-by step methods (Prensky 4). 

While I ultimately agree the “Digital Immigrant” way of teaching is not the only way to teach, and that students’ “new language” is just as capable of learning, I thought he went a bit too far calling educators basically lazy, stupid, and ineffective (Prensky 6). 

Prensky’s theory would have us believe that - at the basic level - gamification is the answer to everything. I don’t really agree with that. 

Luckily, Paul Kirschner shoots some holes in Prensky’s work…


Q: What are some of the other myths Kirschner associated with Prensky’s findings from 2001?

Myth - Digital Natives Exist and are Inherently Information-Savvy 

One myth Kirschner busts in "The myths of the digital native and the multitasker" is that young people are somehow inherently information-skilled. Studies show they aren't. In fact, evidence suggests that the "Digital Native" doesn't even exist. He points out what I was thinking the entire time I was reading Prensky’s works: This guy provides no evidence for what he’s spouting. (Those are my words, not Kirschner’s.) Kirschner states that evidence-based studies conclude that any differences, if they exist at all, are limited and don’t warrant drastically adapting education to suit their superiority. If anything, research suggests that technological capabilities are limited to a few suites, and that significant instruction is required to be able to use technologies for learning purposes (Kirschner 136-7).       

Myth - Learners Can Multitask

According to Kirschner’s research, learners cannot multitask. Kirschner explains humans are not capable of multitasking. In other words, we can only perform simultaneous tasks that require no cognitive processing.

Rather, humans tend to task switch, but that can have deleterious effects on learning and performance. Studies have shown that task switching results in poorer learning outcomes for students. Over time, it may also impair cognition, thinking, and even brain development. YIKES! Unfortunately, so-called multitasking behavior can also impede the learning of other students who witness someone doing it, even if they themselves do not (Kirschner 138-40).   

Myth - Education Must be Transformed to Suit “Digital Natives”

Kirschner cautions against any educational design that assumes the myths debunked in Prensky’s work. He says that these myths, when implemented into education, hinder learning rather than help it. While this doesn’t mean that technology is bad, it does mean that it is an educator’s role to decide the time and place for it, and that this should be an important part of teacher training (Kirschner 140). For adults who didn't grow up in the digital age, it means that technology adoption does not leave you with some thick "accent" that everyone will notice for all time. These skills can be learned to proficiency and beyond with time and instruction.  


Final Thoughts

After all is said and done, I would say I tend to agree with Kirschner on this one. Ultimately, he provided evidence for his claims and I think most of us have learned that multitasking is typically a bad idea when you want to achieve the best results.

This TEDx Talk challenges assumptions about "Digital Natives" and encourages parents to talk to their kids about risks and social media. It made me realize that some parents might feel like they can't talk to their kids about the online world because of the myths associated with Prensky's ideology.


What do you think? Are young people "Digital Natives" or is it just a myth? Let me know in the comments!    

*Images by Kimberly Scamman

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