Growing Curiosity: Three Strategies to Foster Engagement in Large Classroom Settings Among Generation Z Public Health Undergraduate Students

Abstract

As undergraduate public health programs continue to grow across the United States, it is important to tailor public health pedagogy in large classroom settings to meet the learning styles of diverse Generation Z students. Generation Z students are unique as they have grown up in an uncertain economic and political environment, tend to be more open minded and open to engagement and feedback, and have a unique set of technology skills and expectations for in classroom learning. We present a case study of a three-pronged approach to effectively scale up introductory public health courses in large classroom settings to meet the learning styles for Generation Z through: (1) Integrating Technology, (2) Emphasizing Real World Skills, and (3) Providing Clear and Defined Rubrics. This combination of student digital prowess and connectedness presents unique opportunities for instructors to adopt unique teaching tools and assessment modalities to appeal to a diverse student population.