My professional problem is centered around Generation Z students and their lack of knowledge retention. With every new generation comes a different preferred method of learning. We find in our Veterinary Nursing Program that students attend class and laboratories and complete assigned tasks, but many are not retaining the content when asked to retrieve the information later or are unable to make meaningful connections to information. So here lies the professional problem: Veterinary Nursing Program students are not retaining course content. Students are unable to grasp the concepts of dental abnormalities, which therefore has an effect on their charting performance during their quiz and final. I believe this specific issue lies within the students. They spend minimal time and effort to initially learn the information. Students are unable to make a deeper connection of foundational information, which inhibits their ability to think critically or take their thinking one step further.
At a second glance I began to wonder if this issue stemmed from educators. Or is it a combination of both the educator and the student? Many educators grew up during a different generation, whose degree of technology use and preferred method of learning was very different in their education. Students in the Veterinary Nursing Program are not currently given space to explore basic concepts of material. It takes effort, empathy, and curiosity from educators to learn more about Gen Z and their preferred use of technology and resources in an educational environment. As stated by Satria Persada, Bobby Miraja, and Reny Nadlifatin, “There are several considerations to ensure the optimality of digital learning implementation such as the infrastructure, the knowledge towards the technology, the surrounding environments and the maturity of the technology itself” (Persada et al., 2019). If educators know what technology methods are available and how they can be used, realistic expectations of their use and possibilities can be achieved.
I’m realizing this issue involves many layers and differing opinions. Optimal educational experiences should encourage further exploration and critical thinking, but students need to take action themselves to do so. Educators need to obtain a better understanding of the current Gen Z student body and how they prefer to learn. What worked for their educational experiences may not be what works for current students. We need to be open and willing to change our teaching methods.
References:
Persada, S. F., Miraja, B. A., & Nadlifatin, R. (2019). Understanding the generation Z behavior on D-learning: a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) approach. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 14(05), 22. doi: 10.3991/ijet.v14i05.9993
D, L. T. 16 Dec. 2015, Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/technology-classroom-education-1095751/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2020.
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