I teach adults (occasionally, but now rarely, even older than me!). But from an aged perspective the generation now entering research are far more adept than me at statistics, far more efficient at acquiring relevant data, far more networked with others, but often naive about the quality of data and the practicalities that limit their use. Intuition based on experience enables me to detect dodgy data and bad methods. There seems to be a belief that the more complex and the more recent some analytical tool is, the better it must be. Maybe there was an advantage to learning statistics via hand-cranked calculating machines; you sure wanted to know that you were using the right method!

Hi Sera, I mean the applications. Thanks.

Dear Miranda,

Soon we will teach the z-generation. We have to know some of their apps; they must know that we know some things they don't. Agree?

Yes, I agree with your first statement. One of the teacher responsibilities is to show "some" of the applications especially in their generation perspectives. Of course, the z-generation may have the different point of views in respect of their era, but they need a set of guidance in the context of developing their knowledge era. In addition, I also agree with the second one. I believe that, we can not know overall of the past. Like us, who can not know "every things" about the previous generation; they may not also know some things about nowadays because of the difference of the generation. Besides knowledge, experiences are also the essential parts of a learning.

dear Miranda,

I recognised your question before asking my similar one.

Thank you for participating.

Best

Peter

I teach adults (occasionally, but now rarely, even older than me!). But from an aged perspective the generation now entering research are far more adept than me at statistics, far more efficient at acquiring relevant data, far more networked with others, but often naive about the quality of data and the practicalities that limit their use. Intuition based on experience enables me to detect dodgy data and bad methods. There seems to be a belief that the more complex and the more recent some analytical tool is, the better it must be. Maybe there was an advantage to learning statistics via hand-cranked calculating machines; you sure wanted to know that you were using the right method!

Dear friends, thanks for your answers to my question.  Yes, Peter, I realized what you said.  I'm sporting when other people ask similar questions, and I have no time for downvoting.

You are right, Prof Robert, about what researchers seem to need complex stats, to feel that they have done a superior job.  (I will send you an email soon, later today.)

But journals (editors, reviewers??) seem to have the same mentality.  I read several papers in a journal, JRST.  Many of the papers used SEM, structural equation modelling.  Not everyone of us has SEM, but if I have it, I will learn to use it, if it gives an advantage.  We do not need to bring out the most complex stats to show that our paper is an hones report, and worthy to be shared among researchers.  (I must not move away from the topic.  Marcel already has a question on why do good scientific papers get rejected.)

5 Tips for Teaching Generation Z In College!

"Time Magazine reported at the beginning of 2015 that Generation Z students are wired differently and that as they move into their college years, it is becoming apparent just how they differ from previous cohorts.  

Generation Z consists of students born between the mid-1990s and 2010, and learn differently because of their exposure to technology. These students have been also been brought up differently and like Generation Y (ie. Millennials), they are forcing professors to re-think how we present our material. This group of students makes up more than one quarter of the U.S. population and are now starting to enter their final years of high school, which means their next stop will be our college classrooms...

Understanding how Generation Z thinks will help you plan new teaching strategies to maximize engagement and retention in your class. Here are some tips to help you prepare for the challenges and changes on the horizon:

• Tip 1: Become A Learning Guide
• Tip 2: Generation Z Embraces Technology
• Tip 3: Allow Educational Freedom
• Tip 4: Teach Students the Benefits of Taking Risks
• Tip 5: Speed of Access Matters

Keeping all of the above in mind, it can be difficult to keep pace with the technology needs of teaching these new tech savvy students with the limited budgets provided to us. Many of the new techniques that we as educators are learning focus on how to find technology that we can use in our classrooms for a low cost.

When it comes to engaging generation Z students, flexibility really seems to be the key..."

https://blog.tophat.com/generation-z/

Thanks dear Ljubomir, for bringing us right back on track.  I will remember what is written that teaching Gen Z requires flexibility and patience.  (I have been with my nieces and nephews who are Gen Y.  Soon in the family, we will have Gen Z.  My nephew will return to Malaysia to get married soon.  We visited them today at Reading.  He's lucky, he can work from home, save petrol and even cook lunch for us today.  And that is just Gen Y.)

I can add a little. When it come to assessment of course work, the new environment calls for substantial pieces of prepared work, given that there is software to detect gross plagiarism. But many early stage assessments are depending on unseen multiple choice questionnaires, primarily because of the large number of students involved. But having the privilege of rather small classes, and few, but lengthy assignments, I can say that the way in which many far older than generation z use online resources in a competent and critical way is impressive, often alerting me to stuff I had not encountered. I can handle this in small classes, even  cancelling formal sessions when a student alerts me to a great event which they should attend rather than listen to me. And with such assignments there is the scope for originality that is missing from the traditional unseen yes/no exam.

Learning styles for generation Z!

The issue is that the literate forms of commu­nication alone just won’t connect in today’s visual world. Today’s learners are a multi-modal generation and therefore demand communication styles that engage multiple learn­ing channels...

What strategies can we use to teach Generation Z?

Generation Z will learn more effectively if they are left to solve problems and find solutions. All of their gaming experience has centred around solving problems so that they can progress to a greater problem. When a student sees the progress they are making they become addicted to success. They will continue to work at a level of a game for a long time because they realise that each time they fail they have just learnt one more strategy and at least know what won’t work....

http://generationz.com.au/learning-styles/

http://usingtechnologybetter.com/teaching-generation-z/