"Digital Natives": An Asian Perspective for Using Learning Technologies.

Students entering universities in the 21st century have been described variously as digital natives, the millennial generation or the net generation. Considerable study has occurred around the world to determine the knowledge, skills, understanding and the purposes to which this group of individuals makes technology work for them. A number of researchers have begun to question some of the claims made for this group in terms of their ability to engage with and use technology for learning. To date there has been little information specific to the Asian learner and their use of technology. This paper begins with a description and analysis of a survey that examined the knowledge, skills and understanding of students entering first-year undergraduate studies at the University of Hong Kong. This description is followed by a discussion of the potential impact this has for the design of learning environments in higher education.

[1]  R. J. Repique.  Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants , 2013, Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.

[2]  Biju Issac,et al.  The mobile devices and its mobile learning usage analysis , 2008, IMECS 2008.

[3]  Boaventura DaCosta,et al.  The digital literacy debate: an investigation of digital propensity and information and communication technology , 2010 .

[4]  Rebecca Eynon.  Harnessing Technology: The Learner and their Context Mapping young people's uses of technology in their own contexts - a nationally representative survey , 2009 .

[5]  T. Judd,et al.  First year students' experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives? , 2008 .

[6]  Don Tapscott,et al.  Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World , 2008 .

[7]  Jared Keengwe,et al.  Faculty Integration of Technology into Instruction and Students’ Perceptions of Computer Technology to Improve Student Learning , 2007 .

[8]  Marianne C. Murphy,et al.  A Comparison of Student Perceptions of their Computer Skills to their Actual Abilities , 2009, J. Inf. Technol. Educ..

[9]  R. Eynon,et al.  Digital natives: where is the evidence? , 2010 .

[10]  M. Prensky.  Do They Really Think Differently , 2001 .

[11]  Maarten De Laat,et al.  'Disruptive technologies', 'pedagogical innovation': What's new Findings from an in-depth study of students' use and perception of technology , 2008, Comput. Educ..

[12]  Gail Salaway,et al.  The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008 , 2007 .

[13]  Peter T. Ewell,et al.  Accreditation and Student Learning Outcomes: A Proposed Point of Departure. CHEA Occasional Paper. , 2001 .

[14]  Neil Selwyn,et al.  The digital native - myth and reality , 2009, Aslib Proc..

[15]  Christopher R. Jones,et al.  Net generation or Digital Natives: Is there a distinct new generation entering university? , 2010, Comput. Educ..

[16]  Oliver Au,et al.  Experience on Outcome-Based Teaching and Learning , 2009, ICHL.

[17]  Diana G. Oblinger.  Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials: Understanding the "New Students.". , 2003 .

[18]  Hannah Thinyane,et al.  Are digital natives a world-wide phenomenon? An investigation into South African first year students' use and experience with technology , 2010, Comput. Educ..

[19]  R. Clark.  Reconsidering Research on Learning from Media , 1983 .

[20]  Fu Lee Wang,et al.  Hybrid Learning and Education, First International Conference, ICHL 2008, Hong Kong, China, August 13-15, 2008, Proceedings , 2008, ICHL.

[21]  Sue Bennett,et al.  The 'digital natives' debate: A critical review of the evidence , 2008, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[22]  Ma Mohd Din,et al.  Implementing Outcome Based Education Using Project Based Learning at University of Malaya: An Evaluation , 2008 .

[23]  Veronica Goerke,et al.  Australian undergraduates' use and ownership of emerging technologies: implications and opportunities for creating engaging learning experiences for the Net Generation , 2007 .