Seemiller and Grace (2016) state that Generation Z consider themselves loyal, thoughtful, compassionate, open-minded, and responsible. Generation Z pursues to make changes in our society. And according to Seemiller and Grace (2016), this is a challenge because they prefer to work alone and occasionally lack creativity. What does this mean for us as higher education professors? We need to help guide Generation Z students in their higher education endeavors.
First, as educators, we sometimes evaluate students through exams and research papers. This type of assessment solely tells us what students have memorized for a specific exam or what they know about a specific topic. Our new generation needs more than that. They need real-life knowledge that can be related to their job area. Generation Z is digital, and we, as professors, have access to the digital world. So, let us become more skilled in different types of devices, programs, and applications that can be integrated into our classes. We have to develop activities that are related to the course, and at the same time are meaningful to our students.
I have been using technology in my English courses. The following are a few ways I utilize different technologies to help engage my students and foster motivation.
Generation Z students are on their cellphones a lot, and most of them use their phones for everyday activities. In this case, my students can use their cellphones to access their class textbooks or manuals online. I also created a blog where they can read articles related to class discussions, post comments, and at the same time, practice reading and writing in English. For example, they can start a discussion based on articles pertinent to class, such as why academic writing is important.
Students also love social media. I used Facebook Live with my students when they listened to a live conference on “Situational Leadership.” After listening to the conference, they wrote a summary and gave their opinion on the topic.
YouTube is another application that helps our students in their learning and can be of great help to both students and professors. Generation Z is very visual and interested in using YouTube for their learning. For example, in my research course, I share links from YouTube for writing a research paper, APA format, and many other topics. These students prefer surfing the web and looking for answers before asking for help. Of course, when using YouTube videos, it is important to carefully select videos that are acceptable for students.
The use of technology is not the only strategy we should re-think. We should also search for other ways of assessment and tools for how we present material to students of Generation Z. The following include some ideas you can start using right away:
Understanding Generation Z’s unique characteristics will help higher education educators re-think what they are doing in their classrooms. We need to become conscious about our students’ learning needs. Although it may not be possible to work individually with each and every student, we can try to understand their learning needs and implement new ideas. Students’ achievements are our greatest gift! ♦
