Skip to main content

Digital Learners and Digital Teachers: Challenges, Changes, and Competencies

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Competencies in Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership in the Digital Age

Abstract

Technology has changed almost every sector of society, but there are little changes in education compared with changes in the other sectors. In the past, research mainly focused on using technology to improve learning performance or teaching efficiency. However, little attention has been paid to the influence of technology on the characters of students and teachers themselves. Students and teachers are the two most important factors in any educational system. In this age of transformations, attention should be paid to the changes in students and the knowledge of teachers. In this chapter, we first discuss the character of students who have grown up with digital technologies and the Internet. Then, we analyze the changes in teachers’ knowledge, and what knowledge needs to be developed. Finally, we analyze the challenges, changes, and the competences for students and teachers in this digital age from the perspective of an educational ecosystem.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bennett, S., & Maton, K. (2010). Beyond the “digital natives” debate: Towards a more nuanced understanding of students’ technology experiences. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(5), 321–331. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2010.00360.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, L. (2008). The “digital natives” debate: A critical review of the evidence. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(5), 775–786. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00793.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corrin, L., Bennett, S., & Lockyer, L. (2013). Digital natives: Exploring the diversity of young people’s experience with technology. In R. Huang & J. M. Spector (Eds.), Reshaping learning SE—5 (pp. 113–138). Berlin Heidelberg: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-32301-0_5.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Demirbilek, M. (2014). The “digital natives” debate: An investigation of the digital propensities of university students. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 10(2), 115–123. doi:10.12973/eurasia.2014.1021a.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gasser, U., & Palfrey, J. (2009). Mastering multitasking. Educational Leadership, 66, 14–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gros, B., Garcia, I., & Escofet, A. (2012). Beyond the net generation debate: A comparison of digital learners in face-to-face and virtual universities. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13, 190–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howe, N., & Strauss, W. (2000). Millennials rising: The next greatest generation. New York: Vintage Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jang, S.-J., & Chen, K.-C. (2010). From PCK to TPACK: Developing a transformative model for pre-service science teachers. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 19(6), 553–564. doi:10.1007/s10956-010-9222-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. (2013). The new shape of the student. In R. Huang & J. M. Spector (Eds.), Reshaping learning SE—4 (pp. 91–112). Berlin Heidelberg: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-32301-0_4.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C., & Czerniewicz, L. (2010). Describing or debunking? The net generation and digital natives. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(5), 317–320. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2010.00379.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C., Ramanau, R., Cross, S., & Healing, G. (2010). Net generation or digital natives: Is there a distinct new generation entering university? Computers & Education, 54(3), 722–732. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.09.022.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Looi, C., & Hung, W. (2005). ICT-in-education policies and implementation in Singapore and other Asian countries. In A. Aviram & J. Richadson (Eds.), Upon what does the turtle stand? (pp. 27–40). Boston: Kluwer. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/1-4020-2799-0_2.

  • Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oblinger, D. (2003). Boomers, Gen-Xers, & Millennials: Understanding the new students. Educause Review, 38, 37–47. doi:93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1–6. doi:10.1108/10748120110424816.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prensky, M. (2008). The role of technology in teaching and the classroom. Educational Technology, 48(6), 1–3. Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Role_of_Technology-ET-11-12-08.pdf.

  • Romero, M., Guitert, M., SangrĂ , A., & Bullen, M. (2013). Do UOC students fit in the net generation profile? An approach to their habits in ICT use. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 14, 158–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selwyn, N. (2009). The digital native–myth and reality. Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 61(4), 364–379. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1800799&show=abstract.

  • Shulman, L. E. E. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tapscott, D. (1998). Growing up digital: The rise of the net generation. Library. doi:10.1177/019263659908360714.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tapscott, D. (2008). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world HC. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teo, T. (2013). An initial development and validation of a digital natives assessment scale (DNAS). Computers & Education, 67, 51–57. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.02.012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, M. (2011). Deconstructing digital natives: Young people, technology, and the new literacies. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, P. (2013). The digital natives as learners: Technology use patterns and approaches to learning. Computers & Education, 65, 12–33. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.022.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tolani-Brown, N., McCormac, M., & Zimmermann, R. (2011). An analysis of the research and impact of ICT in education in developing country contexts. In J. Steyn & G. Johanson (Eds.), ICTs and sustainable solution for digital divide: Theory and perspectives (pp. 218–243). New York: Information Science Reference. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=zh-CN&lr=&id=dq6jpD9oNMkC&oi=fnd&pg=PA218&dq=scale+up+ICT+in+education&ots=Y4EXk3OHWg&sig=vXR8cI1GhzHCNZd6OMvlaDyjSb4.

  • Varela-Candamio, L., Novo-Corti, I., & Barreiro-Gen, M. (2014). Do studies level and age matter in learning and social relationship in the assessment of web 3.0? A case study for “digital natives” in Spain. Computers in Human Behavior, 30, 595–605. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.048.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Q., Myers, M. D., & Sundaram, D. (2013). Digital natives and digital immigrants towards a model of digital fluency. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 5(6), 409–419. doi:10.1007/s12599-013-0296-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, A. (2010). Grown up digital: How the net generation is changing your world—Don Tapscott. International Journal of Market Research. doi:10.2501/S1470785310201119.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ronghuai Huang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Huang, R., Yang, J. (2016). Digital Learners and Digital Teachers: Challenges, Changes, and Competencies. In: Spector, J., Ifenthaler, D., Sampson, D., Isaias, P. (eds) Competencies in Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership in the Digital Age. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30295-9_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30295-9_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-30293-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30295-9

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics