Emerging Generation Gaps

Recently, my two brothers came to Chicago for a visit. It's always an interesting time when the three of us get together as we are quite the diverse group. I have a bachelor's degree in sociology and am right smack in the middle of Generation X. Now I don't consider myself a typical GenX-type when it comes to technology. I've spent 13 years in technology and have studied Web 2.0 I'm pretty well versed in what's going on (at least from a tech standpoint). Conversely, my brother "the professor", is also part of GenX - but he is an Academic. He has a PhD in ancient philosophy. He doesn't own a cell phone. He doesn't have an iPod (not even a Zune). He doesn't know about blogging, wiki's, etc. He lives in an academe fantasyto be frank.

Then there is my youngest brother, "the student"...born in the mid '80s - a true Millennial/GenY'er. He's a junior in college. If you send him an email or call him you'll never connect with him. Only way to reach him is via IM. Only way to know what he's up to is via Facebook. He watches tv on Youtube, he listens to his music on Pandora. He epitomizes the Web 2.0 generation where his online life and his offline life are really one in the same. He is the polar opposite of my academic brother.

While they were here visiting the student and I started talking about a web application that could transfer music from an iPod to a PC (vs. the normal way iTunes works). The professor asked how it worked and the conversation led to Wikipedia. That's where things got really interesting. As soon as Wikipedia came out of the student's mouth the professor starting freaking out. He was bad mouthing it's credibility and basically said that if any of his students cited Wikipedia as a reference that he would automatically fail them. Of course, this set the student off on how much of a help it is, etc. This led to a LONG debate that drew some very defined lines between the family. The professor's whole point was that information on Wikipedia was not valid because it did not have a formal "peer review" process to validate the information. The student's counterpoint was that, rather than just getting the view point from a few stuffy professors, Wikipedia's wiki-format created a much broader field from which the information was compiled. That's a core principle of Web 2.0 - leveraging the "wisdom of crowds" or "harnessing the collective intelligence".

In my opinion, I think part of the fear shared by the professor and his peers is that Wikipedia, and Web 2.0 in general, challenges the hierarchical foundation that the education system is built on. The notion of flattening the traditional command-and-control model and evolving to a truly collaborative learning environment would destroy academia. In some regards, it's a valid point but if it meant improving a student's propensity to learn doesn't it make sense?!?

From what I understand, this discussion continued on their 9 hour drive back home the next day. A few days later the student went to Wikipedia and looked up "peer review process". This is what he found: Wikipedia Peer Review Process - it's an article that outlines Wikipedia's own peer review process! Of course, he took the opportunity to email the professor the link - destroying the basis of his whole argument. The student has yet to receive a response ;o)