Is Millennial Skepticism Toward University in Sync with Reality?

Source: Ottawa Citizen via Academica

Millennials and senior experts might disagree on the value of a university education, suggests a recent article in the Ottawa Citizen. David Cook, a 21 year-old who recently quit a job stocking grocery shelves, told the Citizen that he is skeptical about whether the alleged “one-size-fits-all” model of university education can support students in finding out what they truly want to do with their lives. Yet retired University of Toronto economics professor David Foot argues that the increasing proportion of young people with postsecondary credentials has in fact made a bachelor’s degree “the new high school degree.”

Millennials Learn Differently, Rank Canada Best Country in the World

Source: Inside Higher Ed and U.S. News & World Report via Academica

The changes in the way that young people learn is “forcing the educational system to adapt to the learners, and not vice versa,” writes Sophia Sanchez for Inside Higher Ed. The author argues that such change means that educators need to better understand how members of the Millennial generation differ from those who came before. Among their attributes, reports Sanchez, are shorter attention spans, a preference for collaborative learning, and a drive for instant gratification. To help address these changes, Sanchez recommends that educators establish clear learning outcomes, deliver knowledge in small doses, and use a mix of different teaching methods. A recent survey from the US News & World Report’s “Best Countries” platform has also shown that Millennials (aged 18 to 35) from around the globe view Canada as the best country in the world.