About

z-tec@eng.uminho.pt

Z-Tec – Preparing Generation Z Beyond Technologies is an interdisciplinary elective course at the University of Minho that transforms employability development into a service-learning experience. Instead of treating employability as a short career-skills module, Z-Tec places students in multidisciplinary teams working with external organisations on real social challenges, including informal care, inclusive campuses and sustainable urban/community spaces. Students engage with stakeholders, analyse needs, design proposals, communicate results publicly and reflect on their learning. The course combines active learning, project work, team-role awareness, AI-supported ideation, ethical reflection, LinkedIn/CV/interview preparation and public presentations to community partners. Its innovation lies in connecting future-work competencies – communication, teamwork, adaptability, empathy, initiative and responsible use of technology – with measurable academic engagement and community value.

Since 2023, Z-Tec has been implemented across several cohorts and programmes, with documented student satisfaction, 100% approval in the reported engineering editions, external recognition through the EPIC UMinho Pedagogical Innovation Award, and dissemination through international conference outputs.

Partners

Associação de Cuidadores, Familiares e Amigos de Braga (ACFAB), Association of Caregivers, Family Members and Friends of Braga

Associação dos Antigos Alunos da Escola Industrial e Comercial de Braga (AAAEICB), Association of Former Students of the Industrial and Commercial School of Braga

Laboratório da Paisagem – Landscape Laboratory

Escola de Engenharia – School of Engineering

Z-Tec Editions and Student Outputs – Evidence Summary

Since 2023/24, Z-Tec – Preparing Generation Z Beyond Technologies has been implemented as an interdisciplinary elective course at the University of Minho, connecting undergraduate students with real community challenges through Service-Learning, responsible technology use, teamwork, reflection and public dissemination. Across its editions, students have worked with community and institutional partners to co-create solutions addressing informal caregiving, urban sustainability, inclusion, accessibility, intergenerational engagement and communication with Generation Z.

Publications

  1. Leão, C., Alves, A. C., Soares, F., & Silva, V. (2022, October 30). Preparing Generation Z: Beyond Technologies. Volume 7: Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2022-95513
  2. Leão, C. P., Silva, V., & Alves, A. C. (2024). Preparing Generation Z for the future: a Challenge-Based Learning approach in Higher Education. International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2024-145501
  3. Leão, C. P., Alves, A. C., Silva, V., Carvalho, F., & Ribeiro, C. A. (2025, November 16). Empowering Students, Transforming Communities: The Role of Service-Learning in Urban Green Spaces. Volume 7: Engineering Education; Fluids Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2025-166435  (Artigo apresentado em congresso internacional ASME-IMECE2025 com a descrição da edição em colaboração com o Laboratório da Paisagem)
  4. Leão, C. P., Alves, A. C., Silva, V., Soares, F., Meireles, A. C., Pinheiro, E. D., & Oliveira, D. (2025). Rethinking Engineering Education: Service-Learning as a Tool for Social Innovation. SEFI 53rd Annual Conference (SEFI 2025), Tampere, Finland. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17631855 (Artigo apresentado em congresso internacional SEFI2025 com a descrição da edição em colaboração com ACFAB e com a apresentação de algumas reflexões dos estudantes)
  5. Leão, C. P., Alves, A. C., Araújo, S., & Soares, F. (2025). Critical Minds in Action: AI-Enhanced Service-Learning and CBL in Engineering. In Williams, B., et al. (Eds.), Emerging trends in engineering education: Adapting to a changing world, Book of abstracts of the 6th International Conference of the Portuguese Society for Engineering Education, 2025, Setúbal, July 16–18 (pp. 76–77).
  6. Leão, C. P., Soares, F., Silva, V., Alves, A. C., & Araújo, S. (2026a). From Practice to Design: Driving Social Innovation through Service Learning and AI Readiness at UMinho. International Symposium on Project Approaches in Engineering Education Volume 16 (PAEE_ALE2026). (accepted for publication)
  7. Leão, C. P., Soares, F., Silva, V., Alves, A. C., & Araújo, S. (2026b). From Reflection to Action: Integrating AI into Service-Learning with the MIRA-AI Framework. Workshop, International Symposium on Project Approaches in Engineering Education Volume 16 (PAEE_ALE2026). (accepted for publication)