Who are the learners sitting in front of you in the class today? Much has been said about generation Z: their limited attention span; their ability to bounce between three screens at a time; and that they can spend in the range of 10 hours a day interacting with multiple screens simultaneously. It’s important to note that generational generalisation is a risky road and we should tread lightly in order to not label any learner according to the trends of their peers. Yet, the children in our classes today grow up in a vastly different context than their teachers did.

What does the future hold?

How can teachers adapt to the current generation and equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills and values that they’ll need to thrive in the 21st century and beyond? There’s a renewed focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) subjects; and on the role of ICT, machine learning, and artificial intelligence – with each of these factors holding uncertainty as to the impact it will have on human lives. What does remain true though, is the need for humans to interact with other humans that make up their community. What the nature of this interaction is, or the platforms that would facilitate these interactions, remains unpredictable.

Understanding Generation Z

Being open-minded and accepting of diversity are some of the admirable traits of Generation Z. Most are driven by empathy for others and care for the environment, with a focus on social justice and inclusion. They are coming of age in a more divisive time than the previous generation. Nationalism, globalisation, terrorism, climate change, and immigration create tensions within society that these children are increasingly becoming aware of. Growing up in such a politically divided world inevitably affects their worldview and has led to them being called a generation of activists, with many effectively using digital communication platforms to create awareness and giving their movements a voice to be reckoned with.

The role of a teacher

With the existence of the Internet and its everyday use, knowledge is no longer the monopoly of teachers, professors, or academics. It has become increasingly accessible, levelling the playing field and creating opportunities to redress injustice. If teachers are to design relevant learning events we’ll need to approach our teaching in an integrated fashion, bridging the divide between subjects. We’ll need to frame lessons with the focus on problem-solving using critical thinking; creativity; collaboration; effective and relevant communication; as well as computational thinking.

We often over-emphasise a learner’s academic performance whilst neglecting their social and emotional development. Standardised testing that only measures a learner’s ability to memorise facts will not serve in the best interests of learners who can rapidly recall any information with the aid of their mobile devices.  What would serve this generation is to teach the skill of discerning facts from ‘fake news’, and teaching values such as empathy and self-awareness.

Dr. Francois Naude