People who were born between 1997 and 2012 are called Gen Z, or “digital natives” – they have been using phones, tablets and computers since birth. This also affects how they learn and perceive information. Anna Kobets, methodologist of the online school for tutors “Teach. Home”, explains how the buzzers learn.
Gen Z features: lifelong learning, fast information processing and self-education
Buzzers are often said to focus only on reading short posts and watching short videos on TikTok. Because of this, they are considered superficial, unable to analyze information and solve problems that require concentration. But this is a mistake – the buzzers quickly get used to the high speed of life, the flow of information and are able to adapt. This speaks of the sharpness of thinking, the ability to instantly switch from one task to another. In addition, they can process more information in a shorter time and not experience psychological discomfort.
Chats, social networks, instant messengers have taught buzzers to communicate quickly – the fact that a person instantly receives an answer to his question. Fast communication is reflected in the study as well – for example, a student wants to immediately find out the result of a test or get an explanation of incorrectly solved problems.
Already in adolescence, people of generation Z have a broad understanding of the world around them, they know what hard skills and soft skills are, and they start thinking early about their place in life and how to make money. They strive for new knowledge, strive to go beyond the general educational program – they are looking for practical application of knowledge in online courses, narrowly focused intensives, even on YouTube and TikTok.
For buzzers, learning is a multifaceted, continuous process, they are close to the concept of lifelong learning (“education throughout life”). For Z kids, there is no fundamental difference between online and offline education.
Zoomers thrive where you need to rely on their strengths, they tend to make decisions on their own, even if this requires studying a large amount of information or conducting a whole research. At the same time, it is much more comfortable for them to exist in a format where they can fully show others and independently evaluate their contribution. But, despite their independence, Zoomers value interaction and cooperation, they are team players and work more efficiently in small groups.
Gen Z’s main motivation is internal, not external. For them, interest in the subject is important – good grades or any other type of reward for them fades into the background. Zoomers learn because they enjoy the learning process. The fact that knowledge will be useful to them in the future, or the importance that parents attach to it, is less significant factor. This is evidenced by research data – zoomers are not interested in a passive role in the classroom, they strive to be maximally involved in the learning process, because this way they learn the material better and feel their significance.
It is important for a zoomer to be aware of what he is doing and why. In the first place for him are the immediate prospects, since the world is constantly changing and, first of all, he needs knowledge to solve problems here and now.
New approaches to learning: games, interactivity and visual
Teenagers spend most of their time on gadgets and perceive the Internet as a place where they can find any information. It is quite logical to interact with representatives of Generation Z through the means of communication and in the ways that are familiar and understandable to them.
New technologies are already being used in additional education – platforms create educational programs adapted for computers, phones and tablets. The methodology of the courses allows you to give students quick feedback and automatically check homework. This allows you to instantly see the result of the exercise and analyze mistakes. As a rule, online courses for buzzers are interactive, so they are convenient and familiar to them.
For Gen Z, virtual gaming is an integral part of life from an early age. They start playing the simplest games on a smartphone or tablet before they learn to write and read. At the same time, games for them are not only a hobby, but also a way of knowing the world around them and one of the ways of socialization.
Gamification of education is the creation of a special methodology that helps explain the lesson material to the student in a playful, interactive form. According to the studies of Uchi.Doma, thanks to the emotional presentation of the material and its clarity, the buzzer assimilates information better, and the lesson is more effective. This is the concept of active learning, when a student turns from an outside observer into a participant in the process.
Children perceive gamified lessons and homework as an interesting and easy process, not hard work. It is difficult to force modern adolescents to do their homework or study additional material in subjects just because it is “necessary”. It is important for them that the task is interesting, and the game elements are well suited to turn a complex or routine task into an exciting process.
Gamification also allows you to actively use visual images in the format of a game, as well as video or audio, illustrations and diagrams – all this is remembered much better by the zoomers.
Examples of gamification of the educational process
– Bonuses in the form of badges, statuses for completing certain topics, performing tests. Collecting is inherent in children’s nature, so getting the next trophy will motivate the child to continue to study well.
– Separation of difficult topics into mini-lessons with limited access by the type of levels in the game, which open as you progress through the tasks.
– Using time frames. Ability to complete practice exercises only on certain days of the week.
– Chat creation. Many people enjoy playing classic games because of communication with like-minded people, so chat for students in the messenger is also a good idea, there they can discuss educational issues with each other and teachers.
– Using elements of the four-door method. The training course consists of several blocks: a library, which contains all the theoretical material; a playground, which is needed to master certain topics that a student can go through an unlimited number of times; “Cafes” are places where students can discuss learning and share the results of completed assignments and games.
How Buzzers Will Learn: Soft Skills, Emotional Intelligence, and Teacher Abolition
In the new information age, a new economic paradigm has come, the main commodity of which is knowledge. Generation Z will exist in a “knowledge economy” where they will be used to create tangible and intangible values. For a zoomer, a teacher ceases to be a unique carrier of information, since there are hundreds of ways to obtain it now. At the same time, the teacher begins to play a more important role – helping in the understanding of information and its application in practice.
Generation Z students perform much better when presented with an environment that combines verbal, visual, interactive components, an environment that provides opportunities, including for a wide practical experience, allowing them to instantly apply the knowledge gained.
Future teachers will play a significant role in developing the creative and social potential of their students. A large role in the educational process will be assigned to the so-called soft skills – communication building skills, emotional intelligence, creativity and creativity.
There will be a shift towards multidisciplinarity, which will lead to more active interaction between various scientific knowledge and will also become a logical continuation of the concept of longlife learning.
Generation Z grew up in a different time – the development of the digital world affects their life goals, interests, ways of perceiving information. Therefore, different approaches are needed to interact with buzzers and prepare them for adulthood. In this article, we have given only a few examples of solutions, but, of course, the list should and will be replenished, only those who are able to adapt to new circumstances can achieve success in such a rapidly changing world.
