Teaching Generation Z: The Pedagogical Innovation Pentagon For Hybrid Introductory Marketing Education

This study examines how pedagogical innovation can support Generation Z students in post-COVID marketing education, where hybrid learning and artificial intelligence are reshaping course design. It introduces the Pedagogical Innovation Pentagon, an evidence-informed model organized around five interrelated dimensions: hybridization, digitalization, artificial intelligence, responsibility, and harmonization. The model was developed and evaluated through a mixed-methods exploratory study conducted with first-year students enrolled in a bilingual introductory marketing course within a multi-campus business program. The model was implemented through an Instructional Capsule, a structured learning environment combining bilingual content development, guided activities, feedback mechanisms, sustainability-focused case studies, and shared assessment practices across campuses. Student self-reports and course analytics were used to explore how this instructional approach supported engagement, clarity, feedback, ethical awareness, and coherence in students’ learning experiences. Findings suggest that effective innovation in marketing education depends less on technological sophistication than on the meaningful integration of digital tools within a human-centered and ethically intentional learning environment. The study contributes to marketing education by offering a transferable approach for integrating digital transformation, AI, and responsible pedagogy into course design and continuous improvement.