A New Breed of Student

Canadian business executive and author Don Tapscott discusses the need for a change in the model of learning that has remained unchanged for centuries. While he acknowledges institutions are difficult to change, Don Tapscott makes a compelling argument for the need to overhaul the current education system to better adapt to the ever-changing mind of the 21st century student.

Don Tapscott calls this kind of student "digital natives," while he considers himself a "digital immigrant," and that this multi-tasking, technological aficionados learn differently from generations that preceded them. Don Tapscott argues that students are the most powerful force to change education, as the new student is likely to be watching television while on their laptops reading, thinking, organizing, contributing and listening to music online, while chatting with their friends via texts. This new ability to process information differently is being ignored, according to Don Tapscott, and argues we need to move from broadcast mode to a mode of interactive learning that better appreciates these skills.