Review by: Schönwald, Ingrid (2007-12-02)

This article analyses the effects of virtual technologies on learning styles and deduces requirements for teaching approaches.

The authors use an article of Gioia and Brass (1986) about the "TV generation" as a point of departure to reflect about the changes of learning styles within the last twenty years. With the widespread presence of Internet tools, computer simulations and games, and computer-mediated communication in the everyday lives of nowadays students, a new "virtual generation" emerged. Characteristics of this V-Generation are specified, such as their information seeking behaviour which is focused on the internet and their preference for computer-games and virtual communities as their favourite pastime.

This development implies a key question for teachers: How might we best teach our new virtual generation students?” The basis for the following discussion is provided by an analysis of key characteristics of virtual technologies and their implications for student learning styles. Three widely acknowledged principles of effective learning are adapted to the domain of virtual technologies: (1) promote active involvement by students in the learning process, (2) ensure facilitative social settings, and, (3) focus on problem solving

Finally, the authors recommend teaching approaches that enhances in-class learning of the virtual generation through the use of technologies. They characterize these teaching strategies by three learning goals:

1. Facilitating Students’ Ability to Make Content Connections via Hyperlinks
2. Facilitating Students’ Ability to Make Interpersonal Connections
3. Facilitating Students’ Ability to Make Complex Inter-Domain Connections

These three learning goals are not just proclaimed, but it also described in-debt e. g. the implications for the role of the instructor, applicable technology, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

The article provides a good literature overview on the current discussion of the "digital natives" and embraces both theoretical reflection and practical guidelines for teachers. For practical purposes it would have been desirable if the paper also included reflections on assessment approaches for the three core learning goals.