Teaching in a Millennial World

Abstract

New media encompasses an increasing spectrum of digital technologies from animation tools to virtual worlds. Most Millennial students entering college today do not know a world without computers or new media. Hence, one of the biggest challenges facing higher education today is bridging the gap between these “digital natives” and faculty who may see themselves as digital immigrants. Some scholars argue that higher education faculty, in general, are using 20th-century methods to teach 21st-century students. The early exposure to and use of technology inside and outside of the classroom has shaped the way Millennials learn and the need for faculty to adopt new approaches. There is also an increasing global demand for technical competency and digital literacy across all professions including health promotion. Faculty play a key role in helping Millennial health students explore and apply new media tools to support their learning as well as to address current health challenges. Teaching by design theory encourages faculty to present an array of new media tools for students to use in order to analyze, apply, communicate, and create. The purpose of this article is twofold: first, to help those who teach and train health promotion specialists better engage the Millennial audience; and second, to present an abbreviated survey of new media categories and tools that health promotion faculty and practitioners may use to enhance their pedagogy.