Self-Directed Learning and Augmented Reality: How to Teach Gen Z

Some campus leaders still talk about millennials as if they were the prototypical undergraduates. But enrolling now is Generation Z, the most diverse cohort in modern American history, one that grew up during the Great Recession and its aftermath, entirely in the era of the smartphone and social media. Today’s students crave value and relevance, they seek campus services over amenities, and they’re near-constant users of Instagram and YouTube. To compete for a shrinking pool of high-school graduates and meet greater expectations for student success, colleges must adapt.

Planning for that transition means rethinking strategies and priorities to meet the needs of today’s students. The Chronicle recently released a special report, “The New Generation of Students: How Colleges Can Recruit, Teach, and Serve Gen Z,” drawing on demographic trends, surveys, front-line observations, and an expanding array of books and experts to examine the mind-sets and motivations of Gen Zers and describe how colleges can best serve them. In the report, we explored some changes to teaching that would suit this new cohort.

Technology has been integral to the daily lives of many of today’s teenagers since they were toddlers. But when they come to campus, they’re looking for a mix of virtual and face-to-face learning, says Vickie S. Cook, an associate professor and executive director of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service at the University of Illinois at Springfield. That requires a new approach to synchronous learning (at a set time) and asynchronous learning (at your own pace). “This generation doesn’t distinguish between the two,” Cook says. Here are some of her tips for developing an effective educational experience for Gen Z.

Let students tell their stories using their tools.

Explain learning goals and let students determine how to meet them using technology. Encourage them to create their learning through YouTube, podcasts, blogs, or even video games. Use the resources students produce — for example, a video on how to solve a math problem or conduct a biology experiment — for peer advising. This “near-peer” model can be effective because students identify with the advisers.

Create immersive environments.

Take a cue from medical schools at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Nebraska, and elsewhere that use virtual and augmented reality to let students interact with patients before they enter a hospital setting. In other disciplines, such technology can allow students to apply concepts as they learn them and demonstrate the relevance of the material.

Build flexible learning spaces.

Study rooms and other spaces on campuses that encourage group work should be configured with movable walls and furniture to adapt to independent use. And look for underused space in hallways where writing surfaces can be added to walls, as the University of Southern California did in a new building for its school of communications and journalism.