Millennial students are now in college. Depending on authors dates will vary slightly, these students are generally considered those born between 1980-2000. They are the the 14th generation of Americans, and numbering over 97 million they comprise 35% of the American population. According to several related works by Neil Howe and William Strauss, Millennials are the next great generation of Americans.
This generation, in spite of negatively-framed predictions, has demonstrated many unique characteristics that can make them successful in the academic and economic world of the future. These characterizations often are often offered in broad, sweeping generalities. The challenge for academics is to understand the distinctive characteristics that differentiate Millennials from previous generations of students and to address them through effective pedagogical practices. However, this charge will take some creativity as hard data on which practices work best is slow in coming.
These are our students now, and the challenges for many older faculty is "how do we best teach and reach them?"
EDUCAUSE - Educating the Net Generation - This book and site are one of the best for those looking for resources on Millennial students.
Teaching Information Literacy to Generation Y
Comprehensive bibliography on teaching Millennials
Managing and Motivating Generations
A PDF file from a course on generational differences
The Center for Generational Studies
Comprehensive consultancy with free on-line bibliographies and fee-based research and articles
Generations at work
Profiles of the millennial generation
Adult learning
30 things you need to know about adult learning
Strauss and Howe's Website on Millennials Rising
In Print - Articles and Books
Brown, John Seely (March/April 2000), vol. 32, no. 2 Growing Up Digital, Change, 10–11.
Fraud, Jason, (September/October 2000), The Information-Age Mindset: Changes in Students and Implications for Higher Education, EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 15–24.
Hankin, H. (2005) The New Workforce: Five Sweeping Trends That Will Shape Your Company's Future. New York: AMACOM.
Kotlikoff, L. & Burns, S. (2004) The Coming Generational Storm: What You Need to Know about America's Economic Future. Cambridge: The MIT Press.
Lancaster, L. C. and Stillman, D. (2003) When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. New York, NY: HarperBusiness.
Martin, C, A.,and Tulgan, B. (2001). Managing Generation Y: Global Citizens Born in the Late Seventies and Early Eighties. Amherst: HRD Press.
Martin. C. A. and Tulgan, B. (2001) Managing Generation Y. Amherst MA: Human Resource Development Printing.
Mitchell, S. (2000) American Generations: Who They Are. How They Live. What They Think. Ithaca: New Strategist Publications.
Morrison, D. (2000) Marketing to the Campus Crowed: Everything You Need to Know to Capture the $200 Billion College Market. Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing.
Oblinger, Diana. (July/August 2003) Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials: Understanding the 'New Students,' EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 38, no. 4.
Murray, M., Jr. (2004) Freaks, Geeks and Cool Kids: American teenagers, schools, and the culture of consumption. New York: Routledge.
Schneider, B, and Stevenson, D, (1999) The Ambitious Generation: America’s Teenagers, Motivated but Directionless. US: R.R. Donnelley and Sons.
Schor, J. (2004) Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture. New York: Scribner.
Strauss, W. and Howe, N. (1998) The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy. New York, NY: Broadway Books.
Strauss, W. and Howe, N. (2000) Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. New York, NY: Vintage Books.
Strauss, W. and Howe, N. (2006) Millennials and the Popular Culture. Great Falls, VA: LifeCourse Associates.
Twenge, J. M. (2006) Generation Me: Why today's young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled- and more miserable than ever before. New York, NY: Free Press (Simon & Schuster).
Tapscott, D. (2002) Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation. New York: McGraw Hill.
Zemke, R., Raines, C. and Filicpzak, B. (1999) Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace. New York, NY: American Management Association.
Zollo, P. ( 2004) Getting Wiser To Teens: More insights into marketing to teenagers. Ithaca New York: New Strategist Publications, Inc.