Avionics News December 2012 - 53

of security since these college freshmen were about 7 years old. They have never been allowed to wave goodbye or meet friends and family at the gate. Flying around the world nonstop happened long before they were born. Spending more than a year in space is nothing new either. Manned private spaceflight has been around since they were 10. For them, spaceflight is not a matter of if we can, but rather, if we can afford it. It’s likely they speculate about why it’s taking Virgin Galactic so long to start making launches. Youngsters fortunate enough to attend an opera at the New York Metropolitan Opera House would not be surprised to see translation screens in the seat backs. From their perspective, those screens have always been there. Speaking of screens, the Mindset List states these students “watch television everywhere but on television.” It is very unlikely these freshmen students’ parents ever bought them a set of encyclopedias. Some may never have seen a set. In the past, colleges would publish viewbooks, which are promotional booklets with plenty of pictures used to promote the college. Now, most viewbooks are online. Before sending their child to college, parents have the opportunity to look online

at viewbooks, college rankings, professor ratings, placement rates, local rental rates and even crime statistics. Professors have a new worry. If something embarrassing happens, it’s likely to end up on YouTube before the day is done. Before purchasing a textbook from the college bookstore, students will investigate whether it is available for rent or purchase as an e-book. They also will check to find if the book is available at another bookstore or through an auction site for less. The modern college student feels naked without a smartphone. They never turn it off, and it’s unlikely they will ever sign up for traditional wired service, even after they graduate. Not only does the phone connect them with friends and fellow students, but also it makes all the information available on the Web instantly available. I would make a comparison to the Borg from “Star Trek, The Next Generation,” but the last new show aired the year they were born. Whether these characteristics are good or bad is open to interpretation. Since they grew up with Web-connected computers, their ability to retrieve information off the Web is phenomenal. During the last few years, I’ve noticed an increase in their skill at separating bad information from good information. As often as not, they

retrieve the information with their phone. The smartphones can be a terrible distraction in class. They are forbidden in many classrooms, but the rule is nearly unenforceable. The students merely tuck them away with the ring tone set to vibrate. If they get a chance, they’ll take a peak to see if they got any text messages while they were listening to the professor. On the other hand, they have the power of the Web with them at all times. Furthermore, they have the power of phone applications. Just the other day, I was explaining how dBm-tomicrovolt conversion calculators and tables were available on the Web. Before I finished the sentence, a student had searched, located, downloaded and installed a dBm to microvolt calculator to his phone. Many have ear buds with them at all times. I can identify with their love of music, if not their choice of styles. The downside to the ear buds on their phones, iPods or MP3 players is the fact many have measurable hearing loss before they even show up to the classroom. In this age of connectivity, some students can be resistive to the idea of memorizing facts. Why, they reason, should they memorize some fact, which is instantly available on
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Avionics News December 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News December 2012