Abstract
Like their millennial counterparts, Gen Z students are digital natives, yet they prefer to learn independently with a more visual and hands-on learning style. The use of traditional power points is not an effective learning pedagogy for this tech-savvy population. Gen Z students typically have underdeveloped in-person social behaviors and poor communication skills. Nurse educators need to prepare these future nurses by utilizing effective teaching strategies and finding ways to improve necessary communication skills. Applying interactive technology such as Nearpod, Flip, Canva, TikTok, iMovie, and PowToon for classroom activities and discussions engages the students and facilitates a learning style that is effective to the student's needs. The presentation, which will be produced utilizing Nearpod, will demonstrate how applying these platforms can engage this generation of students while enhancing critical thinking and facilitating effective communication skills. Each platform will be reviewed with exemplars of activities that can be utilized in the classroom and online to facilitate the learning needs of Gen Z students.