The purpose of this exploratory, mixed-methods study was to investigate the relationship between nontraditional undergraduate students' curiosity and their experiences researching a topic. The author collected and analyzed survey data and annotated bibliography rubric scores from 59 students at a private, liberal arts university and conducted…

The majority of research related to community and state colleges is conducted by external individuals, primarily university faculty. This approach reinforces the hierarchical structure within higher education and lends to potential bias and exclusion of characteristics unique to such colleges. The purpose of this study was to utilize a democratic…

Undergraduate retention, graduation, and postgraduation success are greater when students engage in undergraduate research. This article describes a grassroots, faculty-initiated effort to increase the number of students who received research experiences at a large, urban institution. Peer course coaches, students who had previously taken a course…

A college class of non-science majors completed a metadata project in 15 weeks for a Women's History collection at a southern 4-year university. The class "First and Second Wave of Feminism" explored for the first time a scientific method of cataloguing while learning to promote, restore and preserve the history of women in the United…

The University of South Florida, a public research university, and the University Area Community Development Corporation Inc., a nonprofit organization, collaboratively developed a community-based global learning experience for undergraduate students. We present the results of a study exploring the impact of the experience on students who…

This article examines the nature and evolution of the term blended learning (BL), which encompasses numerous connotations, including its conception as a strategy, delivery mode, opportunity, educational shift, or pedagogical approach. Although much has been said in this field, very few studies examine the different types of blends behind their…

We describe two established STEM camps that went virtual following the outbreak of COVID-19 during the summer of 2020. Our Summer Research Opportunity (SRO) camp engages middle school science fair winners in a forensic research opportunity, while The Immokalee Foundation (TIF) camp introduces middle school students from historically…

A recent challenge for contemporary education has been to efficiently educate the increasingly diverse American population (Holley, 2013). Seeking to resolve the problems related to the education of a diverse student population, colleges and universities across the United States have begun to require students to enroll in diversity courses…

Sense-making theory involves a sociological/communications science approach to the need of students to make sense of their environment and the information they are seeking to find. With many digital resources to choose from, non-traditional students often have difficulty finding the best resource for their assignments, opting for the easiest path…

The specific problem addressed by this study was to understand those experiences well-prepared students undertake to become career ready as they position themselves for post-graduation employment. The majority of college students experience post-graduation employment challenges. The exception are those better prepared graduates with co-curricular…

College students in the United States today are failing to be academically engaged, and there is a critical need to analyze why this is occurring. The research conducted in this study was used to examine student engagement as a means to promote learning in higher education. Student engagement can lead to knowledge development and foster academic…

The main objective of this research was to use learning environment and attitude scales in evaluating online resource materials for supporting a traditional mathematics curriculum. The sample consisted of 914 middle-school students in 49 classes. A second research focus was the validation of the chosen learning environment questionnaire, the…

A report issued in 2012 by the United States Government Accountability Office (US Government Accountability Office, 2012) concluded that the United States is not producing enough graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to meet the demands of its economy. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics…

Research projects conducted by faculty in STEM departments served as the inspiration for a new curriculum of inquiry-based, multiweek laboratory modules in the general chemistry 1 course. The purpose of this curriculum redesign was to improve students' attitudes about chemistry as well as their self-efficacy and skills in performing inquiry…

The purpose of this mixed-method research study was to better understand community college students' engagement in global learning. The study, supported by the Florida Consortium for International Education, was conducted during the 2015-2016 academic year in Florida across nine community colleges drawing from a 55-question survey with an 11%…