Military Review English Edition March-April 2015 | Page 30

year to year. This educational model brought both
students and instructors to a centralized place to
deliver education in person. The ability to form an
actual relationship with the instructor was common
because people interaction often creates a relationship. Through that relationship, credibility and trust
were cultivated, and students were motivated to
learn or not learn as a result of the relationship. This
model of education has changed significantly over
the last 25 years, especially since 1987 when online
education became a practical reality as introduced
by the University of Phoenix. Our student bodies,
our methodologies, and our common practices have
changed to accommodate the new generation of
learners. Today, 73 percent of students are nontraditional students.7 The military, being very aware
of the new model in the classroom, has developed a
multifaceted approach to educating and training to
end harassment and sexual misconduct. If the two
transactional education models were juxtaposed as
mathematical equations for comparison, they would
look something like the equations below:
Old Educational Model Transactional Equation
(Teacher + Values + Curriculum + Delivery +
Actions) x (Student + Sense of Purpose + Values
[Reactions to Curriculum + Instructor]) = Education
New Educational Model (for the Millennial)
Transactional Equation
(Teacher + Values + Curriculum + Delivery +
Actions) x (Student + Sense of Purpose + Values
[Reactions to Curriculum + Instructor]) x (Mobile
Technology + Social Networking) = Education

Challenge of Teaching Millennial
Generation
Changing the hearts and minds of service members through instruction will assist in eliminating the
serious problem of sexual harassment and misconduct.
However, a new generation of learners has necessitated
a change in how educational materials are presented.
Understanding the educational paradigm of millennials is the key to educating and training them.
Millennials constitute a unique learning population
with very distinctive trust and credibility issues as
compared to previous generations.8 Unlike their
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predecessors, millennials have grown up with technology. Full digital literacy and competence are very
significant characteristics of the millennial. As a result,
training and educational practice have changed. One
consequential behavioral change of the technology-savvy generation is that they tend to trust human beings
less than previous generations.9
Previous generations have usually looked to their
elders as an authoritative source where knowledge,
competence, and values could be gained. The millennials have often found nontraditional anchors for
their social structure and the icons of who or what
can be trusted.10 This impacts the classroom and
interactions within it.
Although the military has made great strides to
make any place where technology can be accessed a
classroom, it has not addressed the challenge to the
“trust factor” in education that modern technology
has imposed. Millennials will check their devices,
whether it be smart phones, tablets, laptops, or computers, to verify what an instructor is saying. Using
any one of these devices can quickly verify the “truth”
of the words an instructor speaks. If a student finds
any discrepancy, he or she will quickly challenge the
instructor. The way in which the instructor responds
to the challenge will greatly affect the entire class. A
poor response can diminish both the credibility of,
and trust in, the instructor.

Credibility and Trust: Keys to
Effective Education
Although there have been many changes to the
model of education, there are some things that have not
changed. Two unlisted components that are essential
to education and training are present in both transactional equations. These components are credibility
and trust. It does not matter where the classroom is;
without credibility and trust, effective education can be
seriously diminished. The need for these components
has not changed. No matter what the educational goal,
a student who does not trust the curriculum or the
teacher will not learn the necessary objectives.
Establishing credibility. New teachers in many
venues are usually told to initiate and maintain credibility in the classroom through discipline. Keep the
class orderly, take charge right away. Let your students
know who is boss. This control reputedly establishes
March-April 2015  MILITARY REVIEW