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and willing to continue working and serving as long as they feel they bring value
and experience to programs (Aaron & Levenberg, 2014). Gen-Xers (Generation X)
are junior and mid-level faculty members. They value knowledge and continuous
learning. Their top priority is family and work-life balance, and they prefer not to
have a rigid work schedule. They are also interested in frequent feedback (Aaron &
Levenberg, 2014). Millennials (also known as Generation Y) are currently enrolled
students. This group of individuals was raised with close parental involvement (so-
called “helicopter parents”) and showered with constant praise, so these students Dr. Xi Lin is an
might be overly confident (Aaron & Levenberg, 2014). They are team-oriented assistant professor
in the Department
and like to work in groups. They are also safety-oriented, optimistic, civic-minded, of Interdisciplinary
and determined to make the world a better place. Last, those in Generation Z, also Professions, College of
known as “iGen” (Plochocki, 2020), are becoming the predominant generation Education, East Carolina
in universities. Students in this generation desire to develop their own course of University, Greenville,
study. Hernandez-de-Menendez et al. (2020) noted that Generation Z learners need North Carolina. Her
research focuses on
to be connected to technology networks and are quick in solving problems using student engagement and
technology. These young students prefer learning through images, video, and audio interaction in online and
instead of text-based resources, and they are culturally inclusive and interactive distance learning and
learners (Cretu, 2020). international students
Accordingly, each generation has its own unique teaching and learning styles and faculty in the United
States. linxi18@ecu.edu
(Hopkins et al., 2017). Understanding what is expected of instructors across
generations is crucial to helping faculty understand students’ needs and develop an
engaging learning environment.

Characteristics of Ideal Instructors in Both Face-to-Face and Online
Courses
Several researchers have identified various significant characteristics of ideal
instructors, such as being approachable (Millares, 2019), confident (Ford, 2020),
authoritative (Raufelder et al., 2016), creative, and engaging (Heo et al., 2020).
Other characteristics include being encouraging and caring for students (Johnson &
LaBelle, 2017), being an effective communicator (Said, 2018), being enthusiastic
about teaching (Trammell & Aldrich, 2016), being flexible and open-minded, and
being a good listener (Perera et al., 2020). In terms of being excellent online instructors,
one crucial characteristic is the ability to provide a variety of ways for students to
learn (Keetch, 2014). For example, online instructors should use technology such as
videos to enrich students’ visual learning and ability to learn at their convenience.
The online instructors should also engage and involve students with different
learning styles in much the same way as would occur in a face-to-face classroom,
such as arranging breaks that include physical activities (e.g., standing up, stretching)
during the learning process (Keetch, 2014). Another important characteristic of the
online instructors is being able to provide opportunities for students to engage in
higher-order thinking (Kentnor, 2015). Specifically, the online instructors should
motivate students by encouraging “critical, reflective, metacognitive, creative, and
logical thinking” (King et al., 1998, p. 1). They should also provide timely feedback
to develop a sense of online classroom community and offer sufficient technical,
resource, and administrative support (Borel, 2013), which is essential for online
learning.
In reviewing the significant characteristics of ideal instructors, it is important
to understand that the members of each generation bring their own characteristics

Schools Fostering a More Equitable World 7