The Millennials are entering higher education institutions and are showing different behavior traits. This new generational student has incorporated technology as a “sixth sense” and has fully integrated the means to communicate globally. This generation meets a confident expectation of organizational accommodation that stems from their previous experiences before entering college. The quality of the education a student receives from college depends on how the students measure their peers.

This new generation of students is called the Millennials, and they have been told they are the “Greatest Generation.” These students have been armed with the tools to move this world to a better and prosperous future. However, they have been brainwashed into the economic, political, and environmental arena, and they have been exposed to financial and global crises from birth. However, many view them as “Generation Whine” because these young people have been so over-indulged and protected that they are incapable of handling adverse situations.

Researchers have focused on this new generation and how to manage and motive them. Researchers also explored how these college-educated students moved into the world of work. Faculty members and school administrators are searching to understand what outside advances motives these students and what teaching pedagogies help and engage them. Advancements in technology, like cell phones and social networks, help grew and shaped the Millennials. Cell phones and social networks grew up alongside the generation. The world’s first commercial cellular phone that weighed almost two pounds was introduced when these kids celebrated their first birthday, and the iPhone was introduced during their 25th birthday.

Millennials are “digital natives,” while the previous generations lived only some part of the technology revolution. The internet and other peripheral devices were in their infancy with Generation X, while the Millennials grew up with and learned to master online technologies. Researchers have shown that Millennials can multitask as well as respond to visual stimulation and filter information.

Millennials adapt less to face-to-face interaction and deciphering non-verbal cues. When asked to research a topic, they will turn to Google, and if they cannot find the answer there and they will turn to Wikipedia. The Millennials have been used to presenting information gathered in smart classrooms, which at the touch of a button, they can move from PowerPoint to embedded website content. 

Introducing Distance Interactive Pedagogical (DIP) methods will allow the faculty member to insert their presence into the classroom environment. I have been in numerous meetings where faculty members are trying to find new and innovative ways to stimulate this generation of students. Software programs like Loom and Epuzzle directly interject the professors’ facial expressions, hand motions, and tone in the online environment. Once the student sees how the professors present feedback, the student will develop a certain comfort level. Therefore, he/she can absorb the feedback, and they are moving into the learning phases.