In this age of mobile technology and having the world at your fingertips, the current college student's experience is very different than even just 15 years ago. While that new technology can be helpful, it could also affect students in a negative way - and make it harder for their instructors to keep them interested.
"Students are used to looking at their screens, and not used to looking at other human beings, so that’s a challenge that an instructor has when they have people in front of them, is to engage them in a way that brings a personal connection," said Leah Herner-Patnode, academic program coordinator for the Ohio State Lima Campus.
To help faculty figure out the best way to engage their students, Dr. Elizabeth Wellman from the Ohio State University Columbus campus came up to Lima to talk about why this generation of college students is often considered the Loneliest Generation, a group that is often seen dealing more and more with anxiety, depression, and a lack of connection.
An abundance of information may also get in students' way of effectively learning while at school: "I think students are having trouble navigating the system; I think students are having trouble interpreting information, but also just being able to sort and organize and prioritize," said Dr. Wellman.
Dr. Wellman also discussed some strategies that the faculty can take back to the classroom and hopefully find a way to reach their students even more.
"Being transparent with students about your own struggle and how that has impacted you was a learner, but also metacognitive ability - so for instance, asking students not just what they learned, but how they learned it and asking them to reflect on the process of learning," Dr. Wellman said.
