By Alejandro Hernandez, Corporate Communications Intern, SAGE Publishing

Just a few days ago, I graduated from California State University, Northridge, but instead of the usual cap and gown ceremony, I had dinner with my family and called my neighbors, friends, and extended family to thank them for their support over the years. A short video consisting of a slideshow presentation replaced my school’s commencement tradition that dates to 1958. Back in March, I witnessed the sudden closure of a complete campus and had to grow familiar with learning online through virtual meetings, lectures and exams. And with a new approach to pedagogy came new challenges for students and instructors, such as keeping students engaged and catering to specific student needs.

One challenge I noticed in my online classes was how students easily faded into the background. When students were not engaged in a lecture, they could now mute their mics and disable their cameras. One way to keep students engaged is by making the content relatable, such as by tying a lecture to recent events. For example, instructors can tie in new research on COVID-19 to engage their students (SAGE has set up a freely accessible microsite with social, behavioral, and medical research on COVID-19 and pandemics that could be used for this purpose).

Many of us Gen-Zers are also facing individual challenges outside of the classroom, making customized learning very important. Students in my classes had to complete work at different times; some students had had to pick up new jobs and others had to watch their siblings while their parents worked. Having streaming video resources available online enables students who are unable to attend a class live to return later and watch. Students in my class also used video to complete their own presentations when they were unable to make it to an online lecture. They could submit them beforehand and have the instructor play it during the scheduled class time.

Immediate feedback can also help with keeping students engaged and managing difficult schedules, as it allows for personalization and for students to get their questions answered outside of class time. Online quizzes with real-time grading and the ability to look up key terms help students see exactly how they are progressing and how to continue to learn beyond class. Tools like this and more are available through many digital courseware services, including SAGE Vantage.

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing people to go about life in new ways. Especially with the state of the fall semester still largely unknown, not only do students need educational support right now, but many of us also need emotional support. Instructors can consider addressing the human-side of teaching, sharing wellness resources, and practicing mental health activities with their students. And if a school does return virtually, I’ve come to understand that engagement and personalization are key for instructors to keep students active and eager to learn. While my semester may have not ended in the way I or my classmates had hoped, us graduated Gen-Zers completed a huge milestone after a considerable amount of stress, hard work, and determination.