The Digital Native Debate in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Recent Literature

More than a decade after Prensky's influential articulation of digital natives and immigrants, disagreement exists around these characterizations of students and the impact of such notions within higher education. Perceptions of today's undergraduate learners as tech-savvy "digital na...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal of learning and technology 2012, Vol.38 (3)
Main Author: Smith, Erika E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Canada
College Students
Comparative Analysis
Computer Uses in Education
Definitions
Discourse Analysis
Educational Research
Educational Technology
Educational Trends
Evidence
Foreign Countries
Generational Differences
Higher Education
Influence of Technology
Literature Reviews
Misconceptions
Research Needs
Student Characteristics
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Summary:More than a decade after Prensky's influential articulation of digital natives and immigrants, disagreement exists around these characterizations of students and the impact of such notions within higher education. Perceptions of today's undergraduate learners as tech-savvy "digital natives" (Prensky, 2001a), who both want and need the latest emerging technologies in all learning situations, continue to dominate the discourse in educational technology research and practice. Popular yet controversial conceptions of digital natives continue to be embedded within the assumptions of several contemporary research studies on student perceptions of emerging technologies, seemingly without regard for a growing body of evidence questioning such notions. In order to promote critical discussion in the higher education community considering potential directions for further research of these issues, especially within the Canadian context, the purpose of this review of recent literature is to analyze key themes and issues emerging from contemporary research on the Net generation as digital natives.
ISSN:1499-6677