Abstract:

Today’s higher education student population includes a wide range of generations and cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to determine the needs of today’s multigenerational and multicultural students in informal collaborative learning environments. This study focused on understanding students’ different cultural and generational needs, defining culture as different college affiliations, and defining generation as graduate and undergraduate students. The research team used qualitative and quantitative research methods including literature reviews, personal interviews, observation, photographs and surveys. The researchers expected to find differences between generational and cultural needs within informal learning spaces. This study suggested that university students working in groups consisting of people from their own college tend to meet in environments specific to their college. In contrast, students working in groups consisting of people from different colleges tend to meet in public, well-known, common spaces. In terms of generational differences, undergraduate students preferred the university library, valuing comfort, quiet, and privacy, while graduate students preferred coffee shops or their own homes for the same reasons, with access to food and coffee having an increased emphasis. The study also suggested that married students with children had group scheduling conflicts due to family responsibilities and preferred working at home.

Keywords:

Informal Learning Environment, Collaborative Learning, Multi Generational Students, Multi Cultural Students, Learning Space Design.