Educators in NP programs are challenged with accommodating different learning styles amid students in different generational cohorts: baby boomers, Generation X, Generation Y (millennials), and Generation Z. Generations differ in their perspectives on personal life and have different expectations that may need to be addressed by faculty, presenting a challenge for NP educators. Andragogy is built on the premise that adults are more self-directed and motivated than children; maturity and experience bring unique characteristics that affect how adults learn. Adults are intrinsically motivated and work best when learning has clear, relevant goals.

Generational learning styles

Learning preferences vary by generation. Baby boomers are individuals born between 1946 and 1964 who generally value achievement, personal responsibility, and work ethic; prefer traditional learning styles with clear expectations and guidelines; and respond well to face-to-face communication and verbal instructions. They particularly value personal relationships and feedback. Generation X individuals, born between 1965 and 1980, share some similarities with baby boomers, including positive response to verbal teaching. Given that Generation X individuals witnessed the emergence of technology, they are active in terms of acquiring new information. They also prefer experiential learning styles and making decisions through data retrieval from different sources. Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996 during rapid technologic advancements, value innovation, work-life balance, and collaboration. They prefer interactive learning environments that allow them to collaborate with others and apply acquired learning to real-world scenarios. Millennials use mobile phones, the internet, and social media to retrieve information quickly.1-3 Generation Z consists of those born between 1997 and 2012. These individuals prefer learning through multimedia, such as podcasts, webinars, and videos that provide immediate feedback.2 In addition, they value flexibility and personal advancement.

Faculty challenges

One challenge that faculty may face is tailoring time-sensitive courses to different students' learning styles. Therefore, it is important to identify enrolled students' various learning styles as early as possible and to revise course activities accordingly. For example, graduate students are given a learning style inventory to determine their individual styles during the orientation program at my university. One semester, the majority of students were millennials; therefore, I incorporated games such as Kahoot! and Jeopardy! that they could play on their phones. YouTube videos related to lectures were also uploaded to the University's learning management system. Students provided positive feedback on these activities. In addition, faculty may use questionnaires to determine learning styles of both individual students and the group as a whole. Assignments that cater to different learning styles may include quizzes, creative assignments, presentations, online asynchronous discussion boards, offline response systems (clickers), and team-based learning.

Conclusion

Different learning styles contribute to communication gaps between students and faculty. For instance, if a faculty member gives a baby boomer feedback that is not actionable and specific, the student might not feel motivated, or if Generation Z students are provided with feedback that is too critical, they might be discouraged from seeking it again.2 Each generation has a communication style that others might not understand. As NP educators, we may need to diversify how we teach. Knowledge of NP students' learning styles can help faculty to employ various teaching strategies to accommodate generational needs.

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