New Terms for the Educators’ Digital Lexicon

In 2001 Prensky introduced the terms “digital immigrant” and “digital native”. While some may argue these terms are now considered historical, we argue that they are and remain culturally significant and historically timeless.  As such we use them to frame our discussion here as it relates to the introduction of new terms salient to higher education. Currently the educators' digital lexicon is insufficient to address educational success. The authors present terms augmenting the educators’ digital lexicon. The authors propose terms expanding the digital lexicon including another class of learner – the digital Neanderthal and terms for educators to consider including digital concordance, digital discord, digital disruption, and digital dissonance. These terms are a result of members of each digital class not considering their learners. Unless instructors adopt learning theories amenable to appropriate classes of learners in the digital landscape, they will be barriers to learning instead of facilitators. If students are taught without regard to their digital demographic, educators will lose a vital opportunity to engage students regardless of their digital demographic. Administrators must also consider the faculty digital demographic when implementing technical innovations as this demographic may impact its success or failure. The authors are unaware of other work highlighting or conceptualizing this new class of learner or educator. Further, to our knowledge we are unaware of the concepts presented here being presented elsewhere. The consideration of these concepts is critical to the success of students today in the future and our educational institutions.