ENGAGING COLLEGE STUDENTS USING STORY-STRUCTURED LESSONS: IN SEARCH OF “EVIDENCE”

I REALIZED VERY QUICKLY IN my teaching career that understanding student culture is critical. College students today, sometimes referred to as Generation Z, are typically tech-savvy “digital natives.” They grew up in the digital age, and most have never known life without smartphones. Having taught Generation Z students for several years now, I’ve come to realize that, although they know how to access the vast information storehouse at their fingertips, they struggle to engage in a face-to-face class for longer than five minutes before checking their phones. A typical day in my classroom involves students being bombarded with the ever-buzzing