Speed: Teaching the generation Z

Facebook has been available to the public for 15 years. Most of our students grew up with social media. A netizen commented that her parents didn’t bring her up – social media did. She developed her values and world view by immersing herself in online communication. She had to distinguish healthy from harmful
influences without guidance. From an early age, our students have been
influenced differently from those born before 1995. Relationships to information and knowledge differ. Social relationships, transactions and expectations differ. In addition, we are witnessing a sharp increase in mental health issues experienced amongst our students. These are factors influencing the ways in which education is perceived, delivered and consumed. Lecturers comment that the task of
teaching effectively and maintaining relevance is becoming increasingly more challenging. Shifting a large proportion of teaching activities online in response to the recent pandemic has amplified the difficulty. This presentation will explore current influences that are shaping students’ and lecturers’ relationships with education and with each other. It will stimulate discussion amongst lecturers, who are seeking advice and community in the face of these issues.