Abstract:

There are new challenges in our universities with the arrival of Z Generation students. In Mexico, there are more than 33 million young men and women borned since 1995, and they have grown up in a digital environment, used to living their lives with a great variety of technological devices and gadgets. These challenges are emerging, now that they are in university classrooms, for teachers, as well as directives, that belong to prior generations like Baby Boomers, X Generation or Millennials. They have to adjust their teaching-learning process and methods, as well as the new young students. These young students show great curiosity and a utilitarian vision, that most of the times will be fulfilled with a Google search, a tutorial or social media; they look at university education, as a tool, which will allow them to enter into a job market with better possibilities.

In order to incorporate these two big areas, that seem to go in opposite directions, two research studies were made in Universidad Panamericana. In the first one, participated more than 500 professors in our three campus, using quantitative and qualitative techniques, and the data obtained showed the needs, that the academics have to improve their experience with students in classrooms.

In the other hand, more than 900 new students in the 2018-2022 cycle, participated in a survey about life style and learning methods. These allowed us to know their habits and studying techniques, and their expectations about university life. It showed opportunity areas to work soft skills, in parallel with their study programs in their university career.

The data obtained in both of the studies was statistically analyzed using SPSS. The results are being used to evaluate and develop new courses and improving existing ones, offered by CIE, Educational innovation Center that focus in the formation of professors and SMART CENTER, a space designed to improve abilities and ideas through courses, seminars and international meetings, in order to create a more gratifying and satisfactory experience. Not only talking about hard skills, but with soft skills that will help them have a better professional development.

Keywords:

Soft skills, Z Generation, digital environment, university challenges, 21st century educational challenges.