Universities And Gen Z: An Experiment On How To Craft Contents And Tools For A “Fit-For-Purpose” Course

This paper proposes a framework for designing university courses that are tailored to the needs and preferences of Generation Z students. Traditional approaches to course design are often criticized for being overly theoretical and detached from reality, which is exacerbated by the unique characteristics of Generation Z. To address these issues, the proposed framework reverses the traditional training cycle by starting with an analysis of the needs and preferences of Generation Z students. The framework emphasizes the importance of enhancing the student experience by using a multimodal approach that includes ad- hoc content, flipped classes, massive open online courses (MOOCs), gamification, simulating reality in a trading room, and chatbots like ChatGPT to engage students and fill in knowledge gaps. The paper also presents a case study of a finance course designed using this framework, which resulted in positive reactions from students, increased interest in the subject matter, and changes in behavior.