Cognitive Retention of Generation Y Students through the Use of Games and Simulations

A new generation of students has begun to proliferate colleges and universities. Unlike previous generations, Generation Y students have been exposed to a variety of technological advancements, have different behaviors towards learning, and have been raised in a different environment. These differences may be causing conflict with traditional pedagogy in educational institutions, thereby creating, while it may be unintentional, an inability for Generation Y students to learn under the standard educational method of lecture presented to previous generations. The literature supports the position that additional teaching methods are needed in order to effectively educate Generation Y students (Prensky, 2001; Brozik & Zapalska, 1999; Albrecht, 1995). Consequently, the primary goal of this dissertation is to examine the ability of Generation Y students to achieve greater cognitive retention when the instructional material is conveyed with the assistance of or through the use of games and/or simulations.