My note: 17 years after, and several generations after (Millennials, Gen Z) the observations still hold

Singer, M. (2002, February 13). Teaching the MTV Learner. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/Teaching-the-MTV-Learner/46241

Britney Spears does have more appeal than most quadratic equations. With thousands of dollars of high-tech digital engineering spent on every word uttered, or in this case, sung, how can the typical college professor compete?

“In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears-and that is our problem.” ― Thomas L. Friedman, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/304461-in-china-today-bill-gates-is-britney-spears-in-america

MTV Learners are seeking warp-speed answers to their life issues. They want to know: “What does this information (your course) have to do with me (self-actualization)?” and “What does this information (your course) have to do with my career (my choice of vocation)?”

Be democratic, not autocratic. Instead of management by fiat, try taking regular opinion polls and surveys of your students to determine the specific methods of teaching your course.

Try to eliminate the lecture-test, lecture-test, lecture-test format and substitute other learning models that accentuate the choices of the MTV Learner. Focus on the quality of your syllabus as a giant “master operating agreement” that presents the learning objectives of your course and related policies in a manner that is as clear and as easy to understand as possible. Without sounding too litigious on your syllabus, present the consequences of missed absences, overdue work, incomplete assignments, and the like.