SAGE

W e are in a completely different era when it comes to teaching today's learner. Students are faced with many distractions that impact their ability to learn and change the way they process information and select tasks to do. To break through the noise of continual distractions and to level the playing field, college instructors must develop meaningful learning experiences that engage students and motivate them to learn. WHO ARE TODAY'S LEARNERS? Effectively meeting the needs of today's modern learner is far more challenging than differentiating the needs of traditional versus non-traditional students. The oldest of Generation Z (the iGens) are now entering higher education and are bringing along their love of technology—and their expectation that technology will be used in the classroom. Today's modern learners "have short attention spans, crave instant gratification, and are distracted—but not too distracted to want to learn" (Rowsey, 2019). Gen-Zers, surrounded by technology since birth, expect their learning experiences to be personalized for them in the same way that Netflix has done for years. This form of personalization— students picking and choosing what they are engaged in and what they are not—"will inevitably influence education and institutions" (Doucette, 2018). To attract a new generation of learners, academic leaders need to "further differentiate program offerings to fit the distinct needs of new sets of students, rather than simply tweaking what they have always offered" (Academic Partnership, 2019). Both technology use and personalization must be core components of the classroom curricula to ensure student success. And, as important as it is for higher education instructors to use diverse teaching techniques in their courses to better meet the needs of incoming modern learners, it is even more important that educational technology courseware offerings match student lifestyles and expectations. TEACHING TODAY'S LEARNER Personalize and customize. Instructors should consider integrating personalized components, as well as creating assignments that are high quality, efficient, and available on demand to best teach today's learner (Rowsey, 2019; Sinar, 2019; Doucette, 2018; Gikas & Grant, 2013; and Cardone, 2018). Additionally, if the assignments are enjoyable, "people naturally return for more" (Rowsey 2019). And when students are able to create meaning with academic content just as they do with content on social media, they will remain engaged and involved. A New Era of College Instruction It is even more important that educational technology courseware offerings match student lifestyles and expectations.

• Cover