Browsing by Subject "Nontraditional Students"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Experiences Of Undergraduate Reentry Males During Times Of Perceived Psychological Stress
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2004) West-Anderson, Elaine
    The research question that served as the basic guide for inquiry in this study was: How do undergraduate reentry males navigate through academic coursework, especially during times of perceived psychological stress? Using a semi-structured interview technique, eight Caucasian undergraduate male students, ages 43 – 52, were interviewed. Findings revealed three major themes: a) the psychological stress encountered did not emanate so much from the academic experience as it did from personal struggles, relationship and/or family obligations, and/or work demands; b) when discussing strategies utilized to facilitate engagement in academic coursework, the men reported use of goal setting/planning and seeking social assistance to regulate the academic environment to some extent and compartmentalization as a way of being able to focus on the learning task at hand; and c) for some men there was a perceived difference in self over time with regard to academic coursework. While it has been suggested (Home, 1997; Senter & Senter, 1998) that returning female students may experience more stress than do returning males, findings from this study have shown that some reentry men, report similar needs and concerns related to life demands while engaged in academic coursework.
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    Grounded Practice: Exploring Criticalities In A Job Re-Education Setting
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2003) Boxler, Heather M.
    The author uses an interpretive ethnographic method to study criticality as a classroom phenomenon within a job-reeducation program. Two central ideas used include criticality as multiple, intertwined criticalities and the notion of working in spaces. Focusing on critical reflection and ideology critique, the author examines spaces in which criticality can be fostered, forms it might take, and pedagogies that reflected classroom practices. Finally, she discusses the challenges involved with working in an institution, ethics, and the strategic nature of teaching for criticality.
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    How Developing Electronic Portfolios Impact Pre-Service Teachers’ Self Directedness And Computer Technology Skills
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2004) Huang, Y. Carole
    In order to have a better career opportunity or get a promotion, more people including both traditional and non-traditional students, enroll in colleges and universities. Even people with backgrounds outside of education are returning to school to become teachers. Thus, because of these diverse learners, teacher education programs cannot assess these future teachers’ abilities by simply looking at their academic performance (i.e., grades). Most teacher education programs use portfolios to assess preservice teachers’ performance. An E-portfolio can be used for assessment of students’ assignments and required artifacts. It allows preservice teachers to get feedback from their instructors and peers in a timely and efficient manner. Among other things, E-portfolios give users a sense of ownership, support collaboration and facilitate ongoing self-evaluation. This ability to change causes teachers to reflect more on their own work and thus engage in ongoing self-improvement. The purpose of this study is to discover the impact E-portfolio development has on self-directed learning (SDL) and computer technology skills (CTS). The research is framed by the concepts of self-directed learning theory and incidental learning as they occur in the use and development of E-portfolios.
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    The Lived Experience Of Re-Entry Women In Traditional Baccalaureate Nursing Education
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2004) Harrison, Pamela G.
    The critical shortage of nurses has resulted in the recruitment of an increased number of nontraditional students who frequently fill multiple roles in life. Limited research has been conducted with this population enrolled in a college environment designed for traditional students. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience and margin-in-life of re-entry women enrolled in two traditional baccalaureate nursing programs in central Indiana. The theoretical framework for the study was McClusky’s Power Load Margin Theory and the population consisted of ten re-entry nursing students who volunteered for participation. Simultaneous triangulation was employed applying quantitative and qualitative methods at the same time in order to enhance the understanding of the lived experience of the participants. Participants completed Stevenson’s Margin-in-Life Scale and demonstrated an average margin of 0.60492. Systematic phenomenological analysis inspired by the work of Max van Manen (1990) revealed five main themes entitled success, support, transitions, challenges, and relationships. In an attempt to present a visual image of the interaction between the five themes and the margin-in-life, the researcher conceptualized a model entitled the Margin-in-Life Model. Multiple recommendations for further research and for nursing education were identified focusing on the five themes identified.
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    Online Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Collaborative Instrument For Content Experts, Faculty, And Nontraditional Students
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2003) Martin, William A.
    Current and future adult students in nontraditional degree programs have concerns about the future of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) and the development of related policies and procedures within higher education. This paper documents my involvement in developing a PLA online course that was specifically geared toward the analyses of program development, organizational management, and leadership. The project included four universities in Illinois that collaboratively designed an online course that can be duplicated by other universities and organizations to provide students, faculty, and content experts with quality approaches to PLA and overall PLA program evaluation. The project also included starting a registry of PLA assessors that may be utilized by other PLA providers.
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    “Putting the Puzzle Together”: Reflection, Learning, and Transformation In an Integrated Liberal Arts Course
    (2006) Daly, Jacqueline
    Over fifty percent of students in higher education are non-traditional adult learners. Some institutions have developed and implemented integrative liberal arts courses enhancing effective study strategies with interactive methods of instruction, relative and practical content, and a learning environment encouraging a deep learning approach through reflection. As part of a larger exploratory qualitative research study, this paper reports on the contribution of an integrated liberal arts course, the Proseminar, on learning identity and the learning process of the adult student. The findings suggest that participants of the integrated liberal arts course experienced significant changes in their identities as learners and the learning process through reflective activities and self-exploration within a liberal arts breadth of knowledge: Increased confidence as a learner, awareness of varied perspectives, impact of life experiences on values, beliefs, and assumptions of self, and their role in the world.
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    Service Learning, Non-Traditional Students, And The Historic Black University: The Harris-Stowe Model
    (2006-10) Abbott, Mark; Beech, Richarlene
    The university traditionally has had three roles: a) student instruction, b) pure research, and c) community service. While these roles have become disconnected in the contemporary university, they have remained integrated in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Due to budgetary constraints and constituent expectations, HBCU faculty and students have pursued these roles simultaneously. In recent years, the concept of “service learning” has been used by HBCUs to further integrate traditional university roles. Service learning involves student performance of course competencies in a community setting. This pedagogical approach has been beneficial for HBCUs because a) student projects aid the community, b) data from student projects may form the basis for faculty research, and c) service learning has shown promise as an effective form of instruction for non-traditional students who are a large contingent of HBCU students. This paper describes how service learning has been used at one HBCU—Harris-Stowe State University—to assume the roles of a university as it transitions from being a college to a university.
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    University Policies That Increase And/Or Decrease Access For African-American Women Seeking Advanced Degrees
    (Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education, 2003) Bailey-Iddrisu, Vannetta
    The policies of most universities show a lack of dedication in addressing the needs of their non-traditional graduate students, particularly African-American women seeking advanced degrees. As African-American women return to the academy to pursue doctoral degrees,universities must address the issues facing women in general and African-American women in particular. The double-jeopardy that African-American women encounter in terms of race and sex is viewed by some Black feminists as a reason for conducting research specifically on Black women and their role contributions to American society (Brown, 2001).