Engaging Graduate Nursing Students across the Generations to Use New Technologies

From the use of mobile devices to the “Cloud”, technologies for use in the classroom for students and professional practice continue to change. Engaging graduate students across the generations is challenging for instructors. Graduate nursing programs include students from multiple generations; therefore the learning characteristics of the generations will be presented. The preferred methods of social media and other devices used by each generation will be examined. Ways to engage all learners despite their generational characteristics will be discussed and examples presented. As the newest generation of learners becomes part of the generational mix, changes in the classroom will be conceptualized. Potential generational differences and strategies to help students overcome the differences will be described. Types of technologies used to communicate and educate online students and the general expectations related to each generation will be discussed. Tenets of active learning across the generations using technology and the advantages and concerns regarding the use of social medias in education and the experiences across the generations will be examined  

The latest technology and the potential for use in the classroom will be presented in the context of generational learners. The information in this presentation is important to all educators in higher education even if only one generation is represented in the class. However, ways to build on generational characteristics are important in classes with multiple generations and can assist in engaging students at a deeper level of learning.