ERIC Number: EJ897858
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Oct
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0266-4909
EISSN: N/A
Beyond Natives and Immigrants: Exploring Types of Net Generation Students
Kennedy, G.; Judd, T.; Dalgarno, B.; Waycott, J.
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, v26 n5 p332-343 Oct 2010
Previously assumed to be a homogenous and highly skilled group with respect to information and communications technology, the so-called Net Generation has instead been shown to possess a diverse range of technology skills and preferences. To better understand this diversity, we subjected data from 2096 students aged between 17 and 26 from three Australian universities to a cluster analysis. Through this analysis, we identified four distinct types of technology users: "power" users (14% of sample), "ordinary" users (27%), "irregular" users (14%) and "basic" users (45%). A series of exploratory chi-square analyses revealed significant associations between the different types of technology users and the university that students attended, their gender and age and whether the student was local or international. No associations were found for analyses related discipline area, socio-economic status or rurality of residence. The findings are discussed in light of the rhetoric associated with commentaries about the Net Generation, and suggestions about their implications for teaching and learning in universities are offered.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Multivariate Analysis, Educational Technology, Misconceptions, Student Characteristics, Skills, College Students, Student Attitudes, Correlation, Internet, Influence of Technology, Predictor Variables, Technological Literacy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A