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This might include a changing paradigm in the way that infrastructure is used on campus or how students connect and collaborate. Rethinking the role of academic support centers is also a must in order to: Provide information to faculty on characteristics of students and learning strategies Advise on effective study skills at the classroom level Help students define their problems Encourage reflection on faculty’s paradigms and corresponding behaviors about their students Develop online workshops and information about effective study strategies Evaluate location and physical infrastructure Support smart objects and intelligent contexts and processes Support processes: instruction and classroom assessment Reconfigure and redesign use of space for social groupings, collaboration, and identity

Implications for Faculty Faculty are likely to experience confusing classroom environments, with students that seem less interested in participating, and who require a more individualized approach to the traditional topics. Such shifts will require a shift in instruction. The National Training Laboratories reports a shift in the average retention of different learning activities. Student’s retention average from lecture is only 5% and 10% from reading. On the other hand, retention average for discussion groups is 50%, 75% for practice by doing, and 90% when the student experiments in a teaching role. Given the millennials’ characteristics, faculty need to work on: a diversity of learning experiences in the classroom continuous research of what works for students to learn elimination of delays a customer service focus experiential, interactive and authentic learning staying connected expanding their opportunities on and off campus providing international internships emphasizing social services projects revising the curriculum taking into account the millennial learning styles and their differences Faculty can encourage students by developing interactive activities, using portable devices like PDA, iPod, mobile phones, and creating learning communities. Students will work better with mind maps, cases, games, simulations and role-play. A custom and individualized program of professional development will help faculty get up to speed.

Many of the presentations focused on pedagogy, student retention, learning styles and mentoring. All of these topics are important in education, but the role of the brain and how it acquires information was the main theme of this session.

The acquisition of knowledge requires the full capacity of brain functioning, and educators should have knowledge of the neural mechanisms associated with learning as well as the different styles of learning that impact success in the classroom.

Educators should be aware of different instructional approaches that can stimulate various sensory mechanisms to activate the brain centers that control movement and influence emotion.