Millennial Learning – Video

How do millennial’s process information different than those of Generation X or earlier? Find out why they think so differently, and how education is changing to fit those needs.

Educators are addressing the growing need to transform training, as the workplace becomes quickly overtaken by millennials. This generation, as learners, are increasingly more difficult to capture the attention of. Because of the fast-pace, they’re so used to living in, they demonstrate a withering tolerance for more traditional lecture-style learning, but rather require a more active teaching style.

Because of how different millennials process information from Generation X, it’s forced a much-needed shift in the education landscape. Many from earlier generations scoff at the supposed “short attention span” of millennials, but really it’s just a product of being highly familiar with technology from a young age. Millennials are pros at Googling and used to having unlimited information 24/7. This has heightened their expectations for what information truly matters to them.

So how do we overcome this? Convince them it matters. Millennials are inherently less likely to follow rules just for the sake of following them. They’re used to the justification of actions. So provide the reasoning behind the procedure or policy you’re teaching them, and they’ll be much more likely to implement it.

But having an adult not just memorize facts, but develop an understanding of something, is much more complex. Millennials flourish in an environment with constant change. So by offering a variety of teaching methods, you appeal to a variety of learning styles and hold a millennial’s attention. This generation leans strongly towards training that engages their visual and auditory faculties. So rather than spending hours repeatedly hosting the same lectures, take the time to create innovative training videos, to better engage your learners and save yourself time.

Utilize web-based applications so your students are able to learn at a time and pace that works best for them. Doing so has proven to enhance both the learner and the teacher’s capabilities.