Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Perspectives of New Millennium Higher Education Learners (NMHELs)

Educating students is the primary goal of colleges and universities. However, reaching that goal depends on understanding those learners. New millennium higher education learners (NMHELs) are described as those who were born after 1980 and who were raised in the technology era. Only by understanding the NMHELs can colleges and universities create learning environments that optimize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. The study aimed at determining the perspectives of the NMHELs in terms of the teaching learning process they undergo in higher education. The study is a descriptive type of research which attempts to describe the new millennium higher education learners using a researcher made instrument. A total of 350 college students from six institutions of higher learning in a region south of Manila, Philippines were the respondents of the study. Results have shown that even with the luxury of the technological advances, there is not much change in the ways NMHELs want education should be. In the Philippines, education is still a valued activity that every youth should be able to acquire. The traditional ways and methods still apply but with some adjustments, modifications or additions. Technology is used as tools but the methods and strategies still remain. The teacher is still a requirement in the classroom for the students to follow.