Abstract

The majority of undergraduate students attending Australian universities now belong to Generation Y, and bring with them a unique outlook shaped by the social, political and cultural context of their childhood years. This change in outlook brings with it a shift in learning preferences, so to ensure a more effective learning environment for Generation Y students, learning and teaching strategies must adapt to address these preferences. In particular, research has shown that Generation Y learners favour experimental activities, the use of technology, structure and teamwork. This pedagogy has been adopted in the development of an interactive online model which adapts chat room technology to increase flexibility for external law students engaged in the development of negotiation skills in the undergraduate law unit, Trusts, at the Queensland University of Technology. This paper outlines the project and the rationales underpinning the development of the model. The impact of these initiatives on student learning experiences and some considerations for the future, are also discussed.