Teaching Social Justice and Engaging Gen Z Students in Digital Classrooms During COVID-19

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 disrupted the lives of people on all fronts, but especially the traditional education system. Now dependent on online learning during a global pandemic, political unrest, and a contentious presidential election, many school educators were forced to transition to virtual instruction amid the ongoing health crises posed by COVID-19 and the ever-present issue of racism. We gathered and analyzed the teaching experiences of instructors at an historically Black college or university as they addressed social justice issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of college-age students today are from Generation Z (Gen Z), the “digital native” generation. They are living in a time in which recent social justice movements have called them to the frontlines. To teach Gen-Z students, faculty should create courses that fit their needs and consider innovative teaching strategies to engage them in classrooms. We discuss three classroom activities that showcase instructors’ pedagogical efforts during such unprecedented times.

Mental Health of HBCU College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: This study investigated rates and predictors of mental health issues (e.g., depression and anxiety) in a sample of college students currently attending a historically Black college/university (HBCU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants/Methods: 98 undergraduate students (81 female and 17 male) completed an online survey containing questions about demographics, socioeconomic status, academic characteristics, and pandemic-related concerns. The survey also included PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires to evaluate depression and anxiety, respectively. Results: 49% of students met the clinical cutoff for depression, 39% for anxiety, and 52% for depression and/or anxiety. Significant predictors of meeting the cutoffs included parental job loss/hour reduction, being a senior, and feeling that the pandemic negatively impacted daily life, among other factors. Demographic variables (age, gender, etc.) had no effect. Conclusion: HBCU students show high rates of depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be predicted based on the student's academic, socioeconomic, and pandemic-related concerns.