Abstract
Prensky calls the generation which was born after the 1980s and into this culture the digital natives, and he calls the generation which was born before the 1980s the digital immigrants. Digital natives are the ones who were born into technological development, grew up with technology, were educated with technology, and use technology very much. However, Prensky's differentiation has been criticized for being strict and his attitude has been criticized for being technology lover. Prensky accepts the intensive interest of the children towards technology and that's why he claims that they learn from technology. With this point of view, a critical perspective will be shown towards Prensky's digital immigrant and digital native terms, and e-learning of the children in this digital culture will be observed in this study. For this purpose, related approaches and studies have been scanned.
TopPrensky And E-Learning
Today there are lots of approaches and studies on ICT. The most approached categories in the studies are children and the young ones. Rapetti (2011) discussed how ICT approaches to students in three categories. These are the enthusiasts, the reactionaries and the critics. Some approach this much-discussed subject with enthusiasm, some approach with reactionary and some approach with criticism. Mostly the enthusiastic ones can be shown. A lot of writers welcome the new generations with technology (see Seufert, 2007; Palloff & Pratt, 2003; Howe & Strauss, 2000; Tapscott, 1998, 2009; Oblinger & Oblinger, 2005).
Learning expresses a very wide term which includes family, school, geography, country and cultural structures. Because technological improvements change cultural structures, learning styles are also affected. The researchers who assume technology positively say that learning of the children is almost completely via digital culture. One of the first people that comes to mind is Prensky because of his studies about digital culture and learning on education. However there are some topics which this writer ignored. This doesn’t mean that digital learning isn’t real even if this writer is being criticized. Of course new technologies not only give technological education but also they help new policies to occur.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Media: Common name involves media organs providing communication such as radio, television, newspaper and magazines.
E-Learning: Learning style done on digital sources.
Digital Media: Digitally compressed audio, video, and photo content.
Digital Immigrants: The generation which was born when the technology wasn’t fast and didn’t grow up with technology.
Digital Natives: The generation which was born in the middle of the technological developments and grew with technology.
New Media: It is a kind of media which is usually digital and allows interaction for its user or target group.
Communication: The transaction of feeling, thought, information and news between people and the transmission of feeling, thought, information and news between people in every way possible.
Media Consumption: It is a term used to express vast time in consumption society and consumption of media products.