If you have not seen this YouTube video by Michael Wesch, an assistant professor at Kansas State University, and his Introduction to Cultural Anthropology students, it is definitely worth a look. In the spring, these students created a survey about student learning and also wrote the script for the video.
While some of the figures are striking, particularly those associated with the use of technology (e.g., students will write 500 pages of email but only 42 pages for class; students bring a laptop to class but aren't doing coursework - okay, not so striking), I wonder how this really differs from when I was an undergrad many moons ago? I knew plenty of students who purchased a $100 textbook and never opened it; there were also those who paid for a class and never attended (particularly those huge lecture courses at UIUC in Foellinger Hall). Even though technology played a very minor role (if at all) in my undergraduate classrooms, I saw a lot of similarities between my experiences and those of the students in this video.
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This is an interesting video. I also wonder how different the experiences really are for students now and 10 years ago. Many people note that students are very nocturnal and so libraries should consider having longer hours or being more available late at night when students need assistance. I think college students have always been night owls, the difference I see is that students now expect assistance 24/7. Ten years ago students were up late at night working on papers but they did not expect anyone to be available to help them. I think the Internet along with other "On Demand" services has resulted in students expecting assistance 24/7.
The popularity of online courses and the need to save money along with an increasing number of young entrepreneurs has also resulted educational institutions being required to demonstrate their successes. Because there are other outlets available for students to get an education and due to rising cost, educational institutions are becoming more student-centered.
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