Generation Z: Computer experts or not?

Generation Z students often have their phones or tablets in hand all day and night. It was a common trend for faculty to receive a “Chat” anywhere from 11:00 pm to 1:00 am. A reminder that if a faculty member has the app downloaded to their phone, this “chat” is not delayed until the next day, this “chat” comes through similarly as a text message. MS Teams also allows students to “audio call” and “video call” other users. Once again, an especially useful tool when needing to counsel, demonstrate, or simply directly speak to a student. So, “how would this be an issue for the student?”. Many students felt that they could “audio” or “video” call faculty at any moment. Often, while in a department meeting, driving in the car after 6:00 pm, or preparing content prior to class beginning 6:00 am, students would “call”. Most of the calls were true “video” calls. It was after this stream of incidents that the need for rules of MS Teams was realized.

MS Teams tips for students

• Ensure students know your times which you are available for Chats and/or Calls
• Ensure students understand that it is inappropriate to “calls” without notice to the instructor. Also, instruct them on how to set up an appointment
• If using only for Live Stream courses, make sure the students are aware of the purpose

Outlook email

As a college student, there is an expectation that any form of communication to an instructor should be professional. There are even many high schools that offer computer courses, as well as some nursing programs that require computer courses as a pre-requisite to admission. While these courses teach students the basics of using programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, they often lack teaching common courtesy when submitting documents or communicating with others.

As an instructor of first-semester nursing students, I understand that the students will need some guidance in becoming true professionals. What is shocking, is the increasing amount of teaching needed regarding basic communication. Some issues that have been noted among faculty when it comes to emails are the lack of respect, timing, and unprofessional email names.

Lack of respect in emails has been one of the main issues among students. Often as instructors, it is important to take a step back and “re-read” the email to ensure that it is not simply being read aggressively or disrespectfully, as the tone of emails can sometimes be misconstrued. It has been noticed by faculty members that students often send slanderous emails, demanding emails, and occasionally refuse to respond to emails. As a faculty member, each of these situations should be handled delicately. Many times, the student does not understand what should and should not be sent in an email, and engaging in slanderous, malicious emails will create a negative result for both parties. A prime example of this would be a student disrespecting a clinical instructor while giving compliments to the one whom they are emailing. While the instructor receiving the email may feel validated and gracious, they must also remember that engaging in this email will send reassurance to the student that they are also in agreement with the statements directed at the clinical instructor. Instead requesting a meeting with the student and following the school’s guidelines would be a more appropriate response. While in this meeting a suggestion can be made for the student to visit the “writing lab,” or information regarding professional communication can be presented.

All nurses can remember late-night studying at one point during their education. Many nurses can also remember completing at least one assignment extremely close to the deadline. While this is a practice that, unfortunately, will possibly continue for years to come, one important rule of thumb is to explain expectations for communication regarding projects when assigning them. It has been a common experience lately that many students feel that if they submit an emailed question immediately, often an hour, prior to an assignment being due, that they will be excused because they did not receive a reply to their email prior to the deadline. There are also those emails requesting meetings, references, test reviews, and an abundance of other things, that are sent late at night with student expectations that faculty will accommodate, or complete the task by the deadline, often early the next morning. Needless to say, students do not see the “behind the scenes” work that is required of faculty, therefore they believe that faculty has plenty of free time and should be able to accommodate these requests on short notice. One way to prevent this issue is to be sure to establish the timelines for replies to emails early in the course. Make sure it is visible to students, by including it in your course welcome, as well as the course syllabus. Also, be diligent in responding to the student within the timeframe that you do allow, therefore it will be no breakdown in the student-teacher relationship.

While many nursing schools require students to use their assigned school email address when communicating with instructors, staff, and administrators, it is important to ensure that students establish a professional personal email address. Many students may not be aware of the effects of email addresses that label them in negative ways. This is important for future jobs, State Board of Nursing applications, and several other reasons they may be prompted to use a personal email address.