Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Volume 27, Number 4

Much has been written about the so-called millennials--those born between 1982 and 2004, also referred to as Generation Y--and how grow-ing up in a digitized world has shaped their learning characteristics and preferences. Researchers argue, for example, that generational traits--such as being team-oriented, conventional, and achieving--incline these students toward collaborative learning, the use of interactive technology, and immediate feedback (Howe & Strauss, 2000, 2007). While pedagogical discussions originally focused on their experience as K-12 students, since Howe and Strauss's influential Millennials Go to College (2007) research has broadened to address this generation in the context of higher education. Across the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, the primary focus has been on how teachers, as well as curriculum planners and administrators, should adapt to support millennials' learner profile (Gauthier, 2016; Kist, 2005). A particular emphasis on new multiple and digital literacies has led to fruitful discussions of the ways in which online technology can be successfully incorporated into the 21st-century classroom.