The Impact of Socio-Demographic Factors on the Use of Digital Learning Platforms and Forms of Learning by Generation Z Engineering Students

The demands on higher education are increasing with the rise of generation Z. The emphasis is put on dynamism, a fast pace of teaching, dividing teaching into smaller blocks, alternating methods, digital tools, and using the possibilities of modern technologies. Educators must continually innovate and build improved pedagogical strategies in engineering to support student learning. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly innovate and build more sophisticated educational strategies with an impact on direct teaching and to support student learning. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of socio-demographic factors (gender, field of study, and form of study) on the use of digital platforms and preferred forms of learning among Czech generation Z university students. The study emphasizes the preferences of generation Z students in engineering degree programs compared to students in economics and humanities degree programs. This comparison results from differences in teaching delivery and learning styles or methods. Hypotheses are tested using the Chi-square test and Cramer’s V. Engineering students prefer videos with a deeper explanation of the problem, and they mainly use the MS Teams platform and platforms allowing formative assessment and expression of their attitude. The practical implication of the study for education is mainly the identification of the basic characteristics of an appropriate educational strategy reflecting the needs of generation Z representatives. The article discusses the use of experimental and laboratory teaching. Similarly, as in the Czech Republic, also in the international environment, the project method, e-learning, gamification, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), or videos in microlearning format are used in working with generation Z in engineering education. The study highlights the need to explore the influence of social factors and gamification elements in learning.