<\/p>\nI recently attended the International Conference on Educational Technology in Singapore.<\/p>\n
I noticed these 2 guys early in the conference. During each keynote speech, they were quite immersed in Facebook - sending each other messages and photos, or leaning across and showing each other some interesting\/fun item.<\/p>\n
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The significance?<\/strong> The participants at the conference were all teachers or lecturers - the very same people who probably insist that students close laptops, turn off mobile phones, stop playing with PSPs and the like, while their lecture is going on.<\/p>\n I have often made the following point during training. If you put a laptop in front of participants (students or lecturers) and then expect them to concentrate while someone is giving a talk, then forget it. It doesn't happen. The participants will concentrate on the laptop, of course, since it provides them with an engaging environment (something that most talks do not).<\/p>\n The solution?<\/strong> Re-design the lecture (and keynote) to involve intelligent use of the laptop by participants, to enhance the learning event. Don't expect people to listen for hours - that is becoming a non-existent skill.<\/p>\n Footnote:<\/b> Why do I call these guys \"almost\" digital natives? Well, their ages are late 20s, so they miss out on having grown up completely in an Internet-based world. But they have certainly embraced it.<\/p>\n