Week 8 Q1 Definitions

Marc Prensky argues that technology has had an influence on how younger generations think and learn. He argues this by his two definitions of digital natives and digital immigrants.

Digital Natives- Prensky argues that Digital Natives are people who have been brought up with technology. Therefore they, as he describes ‘have a digital language of computers, video games and the internet’. This consequently means that the younger generation think and learn differently because of their exposure to such technology and argues that their type of learning should be altered accordingly.

Digital Immigrants- In comparison to Digital Natives, Prensky argues that Digital Immigrants are less inclined to use technology, because they have not been subjected to technology through the whole of their life. Digital Immigrants are more likely to use other means for entertainment and research (books, radio etc) before using the technology that natives use. Digital immigrants have to learn how to use this technology, where it is naturally part of a native’s life.

In my own opinion of these definitions I feel that Prensky’s ideas are far too rigid to describe the whole of society. Prensky is assuming that every person will fit into a certain category, when for example, a younger child who is assumed to be a native, could feel more comfortable playing with a football than a computer game. This therefore is suggesting that a native has a characteristic of an immigrant, but Prensky’s definition does not allow for this idea. Also, because of the Upgrade Culture and technology continually being converged and changed, a digital native may grow up to have more characteristics of a immigrant because they no longer have the ability to use the technology as they did as a child. Does this mean that they develop into an immigrant?

It could be true to say that natives learn differently because of the power they are subjected to on the internet, for example being a produser and the non-linear style of the internet. This power may mean that the native can not learn from a book, where the power lays with the author and are giving messages to the reader without question which refers to Prensky’s argument that teaching styles need to be different to incorporate the new native way of thinking. Although in regard to this argument, I still feel that it is far to generalised in believing that every native will benefit from being taught in a ‘native style’.


http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/