[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-598567-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-598567-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","digital-natives-and-net-generation-in-higher-education-critical-literature-review","Digital natives and Net generation in higher education - Critical literature review","","More than a decade after Prensky’s influential framing of “digital natives” and “digital immigrants,” higher education remains divided over whether undergraduate learners truly possess distinctive technology capabilities and preferences. This review analyzes contemporary research on the Net generation and digital natives, mapping key themes and controversies in educational technology discourse. It emphasizes the growing evidence that challenges generational assumptions and highlights the need for critical discussion, particularly for future research directions in the Canadian context.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/digital-natives-and-net-generation-in-higher-education-critical-literature-review/598567/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/digital-natives-and-net-generation-in-higher-education-critical-literature-review/598567.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"A glass of water","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-04","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",6,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is the central debate about digital natives in higher education?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The debate concerns whether undergraduate students truly represent a distinct generation with unique technology needs and whether higher education should respond to those claims.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What does the review focus on?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It maps key themes and issues emerging from recent research about the Net generation and digital natives, emphasizing contested assumptions.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Why does the article highlight the Canadian context?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It notes that few sources have examined the debate as it applies in Canada and uses that gap to motivate future research discussions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},598567,1792909944,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},962090760832,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","| 􀀎􀀚􀀗􀀝􀀘􀀓 (-!(\" | 􀀆􀀏􀀗􀀗 􀀏􀀝􀀜􀀚􀀘􀀙􀀓 '%&' |\n| --- | --- |\n\n􀀈􀀐􀀍 􀀄􀀑􀀏􀀑􀀙􀀉􀀒 􀀇􀀉􀀙􀀑􀀛􀀍 􀀄􀀍􀀊􀀉􀀙􀀍 􀀑􀀔 􀀆􀀑􀀏􀀐􀀍􀀗 􀀅􀀌􀀚􀀋􀀉􀀙􀀑􀀕􀀔􀀝 􀀂 􀀃􀀕􀀓􀀖􀀉􀀗􀀉􀀙􀀑􀀛􀀍 􀀂􀀔􀀉􀀒􀀜􀀘􀀑􀀘 􀀕􀀎􀀃􀀆􀀅􀀆􀀈􀀊 􀀂􀀇􀀊􀀆􀀉􀀄􀀊􀀋􀀉􀀆  \n􀀂􀀆 􀀅􀀇􀀄􀀃􀀈 􀀊􀀌􀀉 􀀇􀀄􀀊 􀀈􀀂􀀋􀀆􀀅􀀊 􀀃􀀌 􀀅􀀈􀀄􀀂􀀇􀀃􀀆􀀈􀀁 􀀃􀀂􀀉􀀊 􀀇􀀌􀀄􀀉􀀊􀀄􀀆􀀅􀀉􀀄􀀈􀀄􀀉􀀋 􀀆􀀇􀀄􀀂􀀅􀀃􀀁􀀇􀀅 􀀅 􀀄􀀃􀀂􀀂􀀈􀀂􀀆􀀏􀀌􀀄 􀀃􀀉􀀇􀀊􀀂􀀋􀀂􀀍􀀅􀀎􀀄 􀀄􀀅 􀀈􀀂 􀀈􀀇􀀋􀀋􀀆􀀊􀀂􀀋􀀌􀀊􀀅 􀀊􀀆􀀃􀀅􀀉􀀋􀀅  \n􀀂􀀉􀀆􀀇􀀄 􀀂􀀋 􀀃􀀈􀀆􀀊􀀅􀀑 􀀃􀀊􀀈􀀏􀀆􀀌􀀍􀀈􀀎􀀐 􀀋􀀇 􀀂􀀉􀀅􀀆􀀌􀀎􀀄  \n􀀁􀀃􀀆􀀇􀀅􀀂􀀄􀀇  \nMore than a decade after Prensky’s influential articulation of digital natives and immigrants, disagreement exists around these characterizations of students and the impact of such notions within higher education. Perceptions of today’s undergraduate learners as tech-savvy “digital natives”(Prensky, 2001a), who both want and need the latest emerging technologies in all learning situations, continue to dominate the discourse in educational technology research and practice. Popular yet controversial conceptions of digital natives continue to be embedded within the assumptions of several contemporary research studies on student perceptions of emerging technologies, seemingly without regard for a growing body of evidence questioning such notions. In order to promote critical discussion in the higher education community considering potential directions for further research of these issues, especially within the Canadian context, the purpose of this review of recent literature is to analyze key themes and issues emerging from contemporary research on the Net generation as digital natives.  \n􀀁􀀃􀀅􀀆􀀄􀀃  \nPlus d'une décennie après la célèbre distinction de Prensky entre les natifs et les immigrants du monde numérique, un désaccord important existe à propos de ces caractérisations des élèves et de leur impact dans l'enseignement supérieur. Le discours dominant dans la recherche et lapratique des technologies de l’éducation perpétue une représentation des étudiants d’aujourd’hui comme étant des «natifs du numérique» hautement qualifiés (Prensky, 2001a), désirant et requérant à la fois les dernières technologies dans toutes les situations d'apprentissage. Ces conceptions populaires mais controversées continuent à être au coeur de plusieurs hypothèses dela recherche contemporaine sur les perceptions des élèves à l’égard des nouvelles technologies, et ce, au mépris d’un nombre croissant de preuves contraires. Afin de promouvoir la discussion critique dans la communauté de l'enseignement supérieur, laquelle s’est engagée dans uneréflexion sur les orientations possibles pour des recherches plus poussées sur ces questions, en particulier dans le contexte canadien, cette revue de la littérature récente a pour but d'analyser les  \n􀀃􀀉􀀊􀀍 􀀌􀀃􀀂􀀍 􀀎􀀚􀀗 (-!(\"  \nprincipaux thèmes et problèmes issus de la recherche contemporaine sur la génération del’Internet ou des natifs du monde numérique.  \n􀀁􀀃􀀈􀀇􀀄􀀅􀀂􀀆􀀉 Digital natives, Net generation, higher education, undergraduate students, educational technology  \n􀀊􀀜 )􀀑􀀙􀀔 ( natifs du monde numérique, Génération Internet, enseignement supérieur, étudiants universitaires de premier cycle, technologie éducative  \n􀀁􀀅􀀈􀀇􀀆􀀃􀀉􀀂􀀈􀀄􀀆􀀅  \nWhen it comes to understanding the technology needs, preferences, and uses of today’s undergraduate learners, often termed the Net generation or Millennials, there is a clear and apparent struggle occurring within higher education. At the heart of this struggle is a growing debate regarding notions of such students as “digital natives,” as purported by futurist Marc Prensky (2001a, 2001b). Ten years after Prensky’s influential articulation of digital natives (anew generation of young students, embodying technical savvy) and digital immigrants (older generations of educators, lacking technical savvy), there remains disagreement concerning the validity of such characterizations and the implications of such notions. Proponents of digital native ideas argue that education communities must quickly respond to the unique technology needs and traits of Net generation students (Howe & Strauss, 2000; Prensky, 2001a; Tapscott, 1998). However, in regards to technology needs and aptitudes, critics of dig","cbCaiaG1inGhDbPw","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiaG1inGhDbPw","pdf",241168,18,"English","# Overview of the digital natives debate\n## Purpose and scope of the literature review\n# Background and definitional origins\n## Prensky and related frameworks\n## Popular claims versus critical evidence","[{\"question\":\"What is the central debate about digital natives in higher education?\",\"answer\":\"The debate concerns whether undergraduate students truly represent a distinct generation with unique technology needs and whether higher education should respond to those claims.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the review focus on?\",\"answer\":\"It maps key themes and issues emerging from recent research about the Net generation and digital natives, emphasizing contested assumptions.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the article highlight the Canadian context?\",\"answer\":\"It notes that few sources have examined the debate as it applies in Canada and uses that gap to motivate future research discussions.\"}]","Digital natives and Net generation in higher education - Critical literature review | PDF",1792087170,45]