Generation Z students – those born from the mid-1990s to early 2010s – might be considered the most connected generation to hit the higher education sector. And as such their communication styles differ sharply from those of members of previous cohorts. Face-to-face conversations and phone calls are often avoided in favour of text-based or asynchronous formats, a trend that accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prolonged social distancing and remote learning disrupted formative experiences, leaving many students less confident in real-time interpersonal settings.
Empirical research supports this position. Nursing students, for instance, reported heightened stress, loneliness and discomfort with interpersonal communication, despite being technologically adept. Further, students have shown preferences for online or hybrid learning environments, which allow for more controlled and less spontaneous interaction, reported Inside Higher Ed in 2023.
The pedagogical impact is more than just a quiet classroom
These effects resonate in classrooms across disciplines. Academics commonly report decreased participation among their Gen Z students, reluctance to engage in group activities and an increased reliance on written channels when seeking support. But interpreting this as a decline in ability may miss the point. Communicating differently is not necessarily communicating less meaningfully.
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Research into faculty-student interactions emphasises that structured relational moments matter. Generation Z students respond positively to authentic, caring engagement from faculty, valuing feedback and connection when it is explicitly scaffolded, according to studies. The takeaway? These students crave connection but often need it intentionally facilitated.
This has implications for how we structure our teaching, support and assessment. Traditional participation models that rely on verbal spontaneity may inadvertently privilege extroversion and reflect pre-pandemic norms. Similarly, underused office hours often reflect students’ uncertainty about initiating contact, not lack of interest.
Belonging redefined: building community with intentionality
The theme of belonging is central here. For many students, particularly those from under-represented backgrounds, the campus has long felt like a space to be navigated. The pandemic intensified that sense of dislocation and opened new ways of thinking about access and inclusion.
Digital communication offers valuable entry points for quieter voices to participate. Online discussion boards, collaborative annotation tools and apps such as Padlet and Slack create asynchronous spaces where ideas can be shared and developed without the immediate pressure of performance. Rather than replacing face-to-face interaction, these tools can be seen as a bridge towards it. When used intentionally, they can help students build confidence, rehearse ideas and enter live discussions more prepared.
Blended learning models can leverage students’ digital fluency while creating real-time engagement opportunities. Such models promote deeper engagement when accompanied by clear expectations and community-building efforts, according to Tyton Partners’ 2023 reportTime for Class.
Practical responses: teaching with (and not against) the grain
Some universities are embedding low-stakes, socially oriented interactions directly into curricula. At the University of Melbourne, the First Year Discovery subjects integrate structured reflective exercises and group activities around central topics that build student rapport and decrease communication anxiety. These structured experiences help ease students into classroom dialogue by building familiarity and confidence over time.
Elsewhere, assessment practices are being rethought. At the University of the Arts London, students create digital or physical portfolios of their creative outputs. These are assessed on how well students ask questions, apply knowledge, use creative processes, communicate their ideas and complete final outcomes. Rather than a marking scheme oriented around abstract criteria such as “structure” or “coherence of argument”, this model reflects the kinds of skills and practices students will use in professional creative work. These assessments then feel more relevant, meaningful and connected to life beyond university.
The “starter-wrapper” model also responds to students’ need for structure within asynchronous discussions. One student is designated as the “starter” to initiate the conversation by engaging with course material in advance, while another is assigned as the “wrapper” to summarise the discussion at its conclusion. This consistent, role-based approach, as put in place at the University of Waterloo in Canada, promotes accountability, deepens engagement and helps students build confidence before contributing in live sessions.
Similarly, in-class tools such as live polls or collaborative documents can surface quieter voices and provide real-time insights into student understanding.
Soft skills such as communication and collaboration can be embedded into curricula across disciplines. The University of Derby’s Develop@Derby platform integrates digital guidance for reflective practice, goal setting and peer feedback training
An ethos of accommodation and invitation unites these strategies. They recognise that Gen Z students relate, communicate and build connection in ways shaped by digital fluency, disrupted in-person learning, and evolving social norms, not out of social deficiency but through adaptation. As the proverb goes: “When the winds of change blow, some build walls, others build windmills.” The adage urges us to use change, not fear it. In higher education, this means not only adapting to new modes of student interaction but also learning from them. Gen Z’s comfort with asynchronous dialogue, digital collaboration and peer-driven feedback offers educators new ways to build inclusive, participatory learning environments that benefit everyone.
The path ahead: connection as curriculum
As higher education adapts to these new dynamics, practitioners must also reflect on their own assumptions. What counts as participation? How do we define engagement?
Gen Z students are not socially deficient or screen-addicted; they are navigating a complex, unstable world with new tools and expectations. If we move beyond deficit narratives, we have an opportunity to rethink not only how we teach – but why.
Perhaps what we are witnessing is not the decline of social skills but their evolution. The question is not whether these students can communicate; it is whether we are prepared to listen – and to meet them where they are, with openness, intention and care.
Gary F. Fisher is learning design and online practice manager and Dean Fido is associate professor of forensic psychology, both at the University of Derby, UK.
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