Time to think: AI, Gen Z, and the future of learning

The rapid evolution of generative AI (GenAI) and the unique educational experiences of Gen Z students took center stage during the March 21, 2025 “AI Power Hour” at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business. The featured speaker, Jim Barber, professor of higher education and senior associate dean at William & Mary’s School of Education, led a compelling session titled “The Students of Today: Leveraging AI as a Tool for Learning.”

Barber, a nationally recognized expert on college student development and the author of Facilitating the Integration of Learning: Five Research-Based Practices to Help College Students Connect Learning Across Disciplines and Lived Experience, shared insights with an audience of approximately 35 students, faculty, and executive partners attending both in person and online.

At the heart of his presentation was a call to rethink the way educators engage today’s students. Barber explained that Gen Z learners bring distinct expectations to the classroom, shaped by growing up in a digital-first world and enduring key educational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today’s first-year students were in middle school when COVID struck,” Barber noted. “Many missed out on a year or more of in-person learning. Seniors, on the other hand, lost critical milestones that traditionally define the high school experience.”

In addition to pandemic-related challenges, Barber emphasized the significance of what he termed “the app life.” Gen Z students have grown up with unprecedented access to information, real-time communication, and digital tools. Whether it’s voice-commanding their devices, navigating life via apps, or staying constantly connected with friends and family, these students interact with the world—and with learning—very differently than previous generations.

Barber challenged faculty to consider how this shift impacts teaching and learning, particularly in the age of AI. “As educators, we must build assignments that are complex enough to engage students, but ensure they are paired with the right tools and guidance so they can succeed.”

One key takeaway from the session was the idea that intentional opportunities for reflection on AI use must become an essential part of the classroom experience. “If you ask your students to go home and take 15 minutes to think seriously about what we did in class today, how many of them will really consider those things? But if you take the last 10 minutes of class time to reflect, students will do it.”

Barber acknowledged that making space for reflection may feel uncomfortable to faculty who are used to traditional modes of instruction. But in today’s dynamic educational landscape, he urged professors to rethink their roles and give themselves permission to adapt.

“Reframing learning to include time for thought is not only beneficial—it’s critical,” he said.

Mason School Dean Todd Mooradian closed the session by highlighting the value of cross-campus collaboration at William & Mary. “One of the hallmarks of our university is the willingness of faculty to share their expertise so generously,” he said. “Our undergraduate business program already reflects many of the principles Jim outlined—personalized learning pathways, a deeply supportive community, and opportunities for hands-on, applied learning.”

Barber, J. P. (2020). Facilitating the integration of learning: Five research-based practices to help college students connect learning across disciplines and lived experience. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003444770