Nontraditional Students Research Articles

Institutional Readiness to Digital Education: Championing 10 years of Student and Faculty Success

Around the world, educational institutions continue to grapple with the need for change compounded by the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been well forecasted that higher education institutions must change to cater to and better serve the modern learner's needs. Learners have many expectations about their educational institutions: agility, dynamism, new ways of learning, digital learning, flexibility, and new business models. At the heart of this, an institution has embraced these expectations through an online campus. This article discusses the success of the TCC Connect Campus, conceptualized as a centralized online eLearning campus in Texas, which has embraced many of these tenets. The author will communicate the strategies employed to grow and scale academic offerings, student services, quality, and rigor and develop best practices to satisfy the needs of non-traditional students in a completely online campus. The campus will be celebrating its 10th year of operation in 2024.

Comparison of Online and Onsite Student Learning of Physiology Core Concepts

We have recently introduced the physiology Core Concepts into our introductory anatomy and physiology lecture classes, both online and onsite. In each of two sequential terms of anatomy and physiology our students are working through disease descriptions to learn about the Core Concepts. Both online and onsite classes are using common disease descriptions, although they are being deployed in different manners in the two formats; the disease descriptions are embedded in the discussion boards for online classes while they are used for groupwork and discussion in onsite classes. The students in both formats of these courses are also being evaluated using the same set of assessment questions. A comparison between the two formats of the understanding of the Core Concepts as demonstrated through the assessments, as well as information on challenges and successes in deploying this strategy with our nontraditional students, is provided. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence 3 Award enables our part-time faculty to travel to the American Physiology Summit. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Equal opportunities for non-traditional students? Dropout at a private German distance university of applied sciences

Student dropout represents a significant challenge in distance higher education. To better understand this issue, a comprehensive analysis of institutional data, spanning several years from a private German distance learning university of applied sciences, was conducted. The primary objectives were twofold: (1) to pinpoint institutional factors serving as predictors for student dropout and (2) to analyze the underlying psychological mechanisms. The findings indicate that part-time enrollment, age, interruptions, and overdue payments predicted dropout. Conversely, a good match between a student’s occupation and the study program, as well as employer reimbursement of study fees, predicted degree completion. Further results suggest that students who recommend the program to others are more likely to succeed. However, those referred by friends are at a higher risk of dropping out. Additionally, poor grades and late submission of the first assignment were identified as predictors of dropout. A noteworthy finding was the interaction between these factors and the student’s qualification for studying. Vocationally qualified students tend to submit their first assignment earlier but perform worse academically compared to academically qualified students. Generally, the influence of socio-demographic factors such as the educational background, gender, or nationality was low. This suggests that some of the disadvantages that non-traditional students might face at traditional universities in Germany might cease to exist at private distance universities of applied sciences. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Improving assessment equity using Interactive Oral Assessments

Equity in assessment has been a major issue plaguing the higher education sector for a long time and although efforts have been made to implement a variety of assessments to address this issue, the assessment design tends to ignore the increasingly diverse student population. This article assesses the equity of Interactive Oral Assessments (IOAs) based on the principles of the McCES framework: match, comprehensible, challenge, elicit, and scaffold. Accordingly, the process of designing and administering IOAs is compared with each of the five principles and shows that the assessment environment for students from equity backgrounds is significantly improved. To do this, the data collected from teaching staff and students from a two-year mixed methods research project at a regional university in Australia is used to evaluate the claim. The findings demonstrate that IOAs offer an opportunity to assess students’ learning and clarify their ability to achieve learning outcomes which aligns with the McCES framework; therefore, it is argued that IOAs are an equitable assessment approach. The implications of the findings for academics, students, and educational institutions are significant. For academics, they can be confident that their assessment approach is equitable. For non-traditional students, the chances of succeeding in assessments and improvement in learning are enhanced. For educational institutions, a direct impact on reducing the gap between the performance of mainstream students and non-traditional students in relation to retention, attrition, and successful completions is expected.

Innovative multimodal Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) supervision practices for master’s and doctoral candidates

Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) is on the rise to cater to non-traditional students. However, the surge in master's and doctoral students opting for ODeL raises concerns about the quality and timely completion of degrees. Existing literature on student attrition in higher education indicates that both student-related factors and institutional variables significantly impact completion rates. Factors such as students' sense of connection or isolation, as well as institutional aspects like supervisor responsiveness to feedback and feedforward, contribute to student persistence. To address this early attrition and extended stays in postgraduate studies, a community of practice (CoP), comprising lecturers and master’s and doctoral students was formed. The CoP employed the Social Learning Theory (SLT) approach to initiate collaborative partnerships designed to promote a research culture and explore alternative approaches to curb master’s and doctoral late completion and attrition. This paper reports on a study undertaken to explore the experiences, perceptions and insights of master’s and doctoral candidates regarding the implementation of innovative multimodal Open Distance e-Learning supervision practices. Grounded in SLT, the exploratory case study employed an open-ended questionnaire to gather data from the students participating in the support programme. The findings revealed the positive impact of innovative practices on candidates' academic development and overall research experience. The findings further demonstrated that virtual communication tools have significantly enhanced collaboration between candidates and supervisors, breaking down geographical barriers and facilitating real-time feedback and guidance. The innovative multimodal OdeL supervision practices gave master’s and doctoral candidates flexibility and increased their learning engagement.

Educating the “Middle”: Public Library Support of Nontraditional Students and SDG 4

Educating the “Middle”: Public Library Support of Nontraditional Students and SDG 4

Reimagining doctoral success for "non-traditional students": A phenomenological inquiry into the experiences of emerging researchers

Against the backdrop of a transforming doctoral education landscape and the emergence of non-traditional doctoral students, this article investigates strategies to promote the success of students balancing academic studies and their careers. Prevailing discussions on doctoral success strategies have often centred on “traditional” doctoral students. This article examines the doctoral success challenges confronted by “non-traditional” doctoral candidates who pursue higher education at different stages of their lives, often juggling such with work and family or other responsibilities. The study was informed by Ward and Brennan’s model to analyse the compatibility of student-doctoral education. This framework introduces the concept of student-doctoral fit that asserts that non-traditional students achieve optimal success when there is alignment between the student’s values and those upheld by their organization and social structure. Therefore, doctoral success for non-traditional students lies in the alignment of three main spheres, namely, the 1) student-doctoral environment, 2) student vocation, and 3) the student-doctoral culture. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 non-traditional doctoral students employed by a research organization. The findings underscore the intricacies of balancing academic and professional demands, shedding light on the challenges arising from the lack of integration between academic work and doctoral pursuits. They highlight the need to challenge the conventional separation of these facets. Notably, participants highlighted that they received more substantial academic training and support from the research organization and work mentors, emphasizing the variable nature of support by university supervisors. Given that the majority of challenges reported revolve around the fit between the student-doctoral culture and environment, it is recommended that research organizations and universities collaborate and establish robust support structures. This collaborative approach is essential to ensure academic success and facilitate non-traditional doctoral students’ smoother transition into professional careers

Smart choice with smart device: the use of apps in accelerated online education for nontraditional students

PurposeBased on student responses to a set of customized questionnaires, this study aims to present evidence that while student evaluations of instructors and courses remain consistent, a designated mobile app enhances perceived online learning experience.Design/methodology/approachThis study addresses quality assurance issues in accelerated online graduate-level education by identifying factors that influence nontraditional adult student preferences for using mobile applications (apps).FindingsIt is evident that affordability and functionality are the two most important determinants of nontraditional student preferences for app-based learning, followed by mobility and ease of purchase.Originality/valueThese findings underscore the potential of app learning to bolster positive perceptions of online education. Findings of this study imply that integrating additional app learning tools can be used as a quality assurance mechanism and enhance nontraditional students’ satisfaction through improving their perceived online learning experience.

PERSPECTIVES OF SAUDI ARABIAN NON-TRADITIONAL MEN AND WOMEN LEARNERS TOWARDS THE BENEFITS OF DISTANCE LEARNING

<p>Distance learning provides many positive aspects, including meeting the needs and goals of nontraditional students with responsibilities to career and family that keep them from taking regular college courses. This new method presents a new source of learning and training realm for the adult population. The overall increase in technology necessitates that community organizations, institutions, schools and universities, and agencies that employ and train workers adopt distance training and learning programs. The purpose of this study is to know the perspectives of a group of nontraditional Saudi men and women learners, about the benefits of distance learning programs to adult learners and non-traditional students.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0758/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Predicting Transfer of Generic Information Literacy Competencies by Non-Traditional Students to Their Study and Work Contexts: A Longitudinal Perspective

Rapid developments in contemporary societies not only ask for lifelong learning but increasingly also for training in generic competencies suitable for multiple contexts and life stages. An indicator of training success is the transfer or application of new learning, a longitudinal process influenced by various theory- and evidence-based factors. The present study combined a multi-contextual and longitudinal approach by investigating non-traditional distance education students’ intention to transfer newly acquired generic information literacy competencies to their study and work contexts before, directly after, and three months after training. Three surveys, using a combination of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior and Holton et al.’s Learning Transfer System Inventory model, measured the influence of performance outcomes expectations, organizational openness to change, and performance self-efficacy on intention to transfer and transfer behaviour. The participants were 82 adult educational professionals enrolled in an online information literacy course at the Open University. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) confirmed the value of employing a multi-contextual and longitudinal approach within this specific setting. Furthermore, notably, self-efficacy appeared to predict pre-training intention in both study and work contexts and transfer behaviour in the work context. Educational implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Flexibility in Outreach

When COVID-19 shut down college libraries across the country, Central Oregon Community College (COCC) was no exception. In the ensuing scramble to close all in-person services and spaces during finals week, COCC library staff also were faced with closing the doors on a location that had not yet opened: a space that was almost 10 years in the making on an auxiliary campus. COVID taught librarians a lot about how flexible we can be and the value of delivering highly accessible remote service options. We also learned the value of our physical spaces and that an open door can literally and figuratively guide students to our services, especially on an outlying community college campus where nontraditional students already experience significant barriers finding, navigating, and using library resources. This article chronicles the development of the library space on one of COCC’s satellite campuses, how that development stalled and evolved in the wake of COVID, and the role this space plays in COCC library’s strategic outreach efforts moving forward.

Virtually isolated: social identity threat predicts social approach motivation via sense of belonging in computer-supported collaborative learning.

Collaboration improves multiple academic and social outcomes. Accordingly, computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) can be beneficial in distance education contexts to overcome the issues specific to online learning (e.g., underperformance, low identification with university). Distance universities often attract a substantial number of non-traditional students (e.g., students with disability, students with migration background). Despite their representation, non-traditional students face negative stereotypes and associated social consequences, including social identity threat, diminished sense of belonging, and less motivation for social interactions. In the context of online learning, where there is little individuating information, social categories like socio-demographic group memberships become salient, activating stereotypes. Consequently, socio-demographic group memberships can have detrimental consequences for the integration of non-traditional students. The purpose of the present study was to (a) determine the extent of social identity threat for students in higher distance education, (b) explore the social consequences of this threat in the same context, (c) validate these findings through longitudinal analyses embedded in a CSCL task, and (d) use learning analytics to test behavioral outcomes. In a longitudinal study with three measurement occasions over 8 weeks (N = 1,210), we conducted path analyses for cross-sectional associations and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models for longitudinal predictions. The results showed that non-traditional students mostly reported higher social identity threat than traditional students. While the expected longitudinal within-person effects could not be demonstrated, we found stable between-person effects: students who reported higher levels of social identity threat also reported lower sense of belonging and lower social approach motivation. Exploratory analyses of actual online collaboration during CSCL offer potential avenues for future research. We conclude that social identity threat and its social consequences play an important role in higher distance education and should therefore be considered for successful CSCL.

Students’ Motivation for Honors Programs in the Netherlands

This study aimed to examine student motivation for honors programs using two types of motivation (autonomous and controlled) of Dutch traditional students, Dutch non-traditional students, and international students. Data were collected using Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A). K-means cluster analysis with autonomous and controlled motivation was conducted to identify the various types of motivation clusters. Subsequently, motivational profiles were compared using Analysis of Variance between Dutch traditional students, non-traditional students, and international students. Furthermore, associations between background variables and relative autonomous motivation of students to participate in the honors program were conducted. The response rate was 33.25% ( n = 399). Four motivational profiles were identified: (1) HAMC (High Autonomous and Moderate Controlled), (2) HALC (High Autonomous and Low Controlled), (3) MALC (Moderate Autonomous and Low Controlled), (4) and MAMC (Moderate Autonomous and Moderate Controlled). Most of the honors program students in this study were represented in the good quality-HALC motivational profile. The findings also showed higher proportions of males ( n = 71, 48%) and females ( n = 120, 49.4%) in the good quality-HALC motivation profiles. Almost half of the students were found in the good quality cluster.

Addressing Student Attrition in An Open Distance E-Learning Undergraduate Program: The Case of The University of The Philippines Open University Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies Program

Student attrition is indicative of how the educational system of academic institutions fairs. Addressing student attrition is a greater challenge for academic institutions solely focused on delivering Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) education. A plethora of studies have found that attrition rates in the ODeL set-ups are higher compared to the conventional face-to-face physical arrangement (Moore et al., 2017; Rotar, 2022; Shaw et al., 2016; Muljana et al., 2019). This high rate of online attrition is rooted in the clamor of non-traditional students for more online courses that have significantly changed the course of growth of online learning. To address this attrition issue, this study aims to describe and examine the student attrition in the University of the Philippines Open University Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) Program during the academic years covering 2018 to 2023. Based on available data, the primary reasons for student withdrawal in the BAMS Program is transferring to another university. This holds for all the academic years within the five-year coverage of this study. Other factors contributing to withdrawal include financial constraints, conflict in schedules, mental health issues, migration, exceeding residency limits, and adaptation challenges to nontraditional distance learning environments. Generally, the results of this study showed that there was a low attrition rate among the BAMS students. Thus, this study advances further study that would delve deeper into the reasons behind student withdrawals from the BAMS Program by using qualitative methods. Additionally, incorporating statistical analysis can reveal associations among variables, helping identify root causes of attrition. The study’s limitation lies in its focus solely on students withdrawing from the program rather than those shifting within the university, which could offer further insights for program enhancement.

Resource Needs of Caregivers and Parents as Students in University Settings Resource Needs of Caregivers and Parents as Students in University Settings

Background Currently there are over five million students attending higher education while also providing care for an adult with a disability or other health condition. This number does not include those who care for a family member under 18 or parents. The increasing volume of student caregivers and parents evokes the need for each university to not only understand what resources are needed and the prevalence of these populations but also provide resources for them to succeed. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with university students across a large Mountain West university. This survey aimed to address the impacts of being a caregiver or parent on perceived academic success and resources needed. Results A sample of 1503 students was collected, with 393 (26.1%) of them identifying as a parent or caregiver to someone who was ill during the past three months or taking care of someone under the age of 18. Over 65% of the caregivers and parents reported they worried about their academic success during the semester and that additional resources are needed. Discussion There are many considerations when looking at how to better support parents and caregivers in a university setting. The sample identified a need for financial support, policies around absences, and navigation to resources in the community. There are multiple key programs at universities highlighting navigation programs and there is much room for growth around these types of initiatives. Conclusion Caregivers and parents face many challenges when trying to complete higher education. The findings discussed in this article identify that there are multiple places where institutions may be able to impact the outcomes of these nontraditional students to support their success.

Dynamic Becomings in the Transition to University: Experiences of Non-traditional Students across Contexts and Writing Practices

Dynamic Becomings in the Transition to University: Experiences of Non-traditional Students across Contexts and Writing Practices

Student engagement in a higher education course: A multidimensional scale for different course modalities

In higher education courses, student engagement has the potential to influence many outcomes, such as learning, retention, satisfaction, and academic success. Measuring student engagement in a course based on a multidimensional perspective provides important information for researchers, teachers, or even students, looking to target potential actions or improvements. This study presents an upgraded version of the Multidimensional Scale of Student Engagement in a Higher Education Course (MSSEC) resulting in a four-factor structure: emotional-cognitive, social, agentic, and behavioral. Engagement measures for a sample of university students (n = 465) were collected across different modalities (e.g., face-to-face, blended, online), at various faculties and university levels. Validity evidence was obtained through confirmatory factor analyses, internal consistency, and invariance of the measure using multi-group comparison. A first-order model with four correlated factors best fits the data, with good internal consistency for each factor of student engagement. Furthermore, multi-group confirmatory factor analyses support the scale's partial invariance across gender, age (traditional vs. non-traditional students), university levels (undergraduate vs. graduate), and course modalities (face-to-face vs. blended and online courses). From a multidimensional psychological perspective, the improved version of the MSSEC provides a sound scale to measure student engagement in a higher education course and thus obtain detailed and rich information for researchers, teachers, and students alike.

“If I were young…”: Increased Dropout Risk of Older University Students

Dropout from higher education is a worldwide phenomenon with negative consequences for students, families, institutions, and society. As student numbers increase, students become more heterogeneous in terms of academic competencies, motivation, and trajectories, creating new challenges for promoting student persistence. Higher education can pose difficulties for students, increasing their vulnerability and risk of underachievement or dropout. This study involved 2843 first-year students of a Portuguese public university. The aim was to identify the variables that predict the decision to persist or drop out, using the regression tree method. The results show a good model that classifies students into four groups and reveals that the decision to drop out is different for traditional and non-traditional students, suggesting higher vulnerability of older students. Some reflections are offered about institutional practices.

Charismatic Teaching: Cultivating Motivation in Community College Classrooms

There are over six million community college students in the United States. Many non-traditional students face unique obstacles as they balance work, school, and familial responsibilities. As a result, community college students can become unmotivated in their classes, and this lack of internal drive can negatively impact their success and longevity in school. Therefore, college faculty must learn new strategies to cultivate motivation in their classrooms, whether in person or online. One technique instructors can utilize is charismatic teaching, which includes teachers’ professional knowledge, positive character traits, sense of humor, and quality teaching techniques. This quantitative predictive correlational study examined if, and to what extent, a predictive relationship existed between charismatic teaching and students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in community colleges in the Northwest United States. The results indicated that the global score of charismatic teaching (professional knowledge, positive character traits, sense of humor, and quality instruction techniques) was the highest predictor of intrinsic motivation (R2=.51). Educators can cultivate intrinsic motivation in community college classes, whether in person or online, through charismatic teaching techniques. However, charismatic teaching did not significantly predict students’ extrinsic motivation. College faculty may consider employing charismatic teaching techniques to improve community college students’ intrinsic motivation in their classes.

‘The people, the spaces, the talking!’ Igniting community-based higher education

In the context of rapid economic, social, and demographic change, fostering equity and inclusion in third level education is a prerequisite for adaptability, social cohesion, and human development. Community-university collaborations demonstrate significant potential to widen participation in Higher Education (HE). In the following article, we examine community-based HE through the lens of a single case study. An Cosán is a community education centre, working in the heart of the communities of Tallaght in West Dublin, Ireland. An Cosán is a Linked Provider of the South East Technological University (SETU). Initiated in 2008, Linked Provision has enabled over 1,000 non-traditional students to achieve a third level award to date. They comprise of those ‘priority groups’ most under-represented in traditional university settings. The present mixed-method research draws on learner voices and practitioner reporting to analyse what works and why. We present new findings from An Cosán’s recent Certificate in Personal and Professional Development programme. Drawing on feminist and Freirean theory, the article highlights the important enabling role of flexibility, wraparound support, and transformative education. Community-based HE supports adult learners’ capacity to meet the level of critical challenge presented by tertiary education while enhancing self-esteem, empathy, and intercultural understanding.