In this article the authors explore the notion of 'common good' in relation to adult education. They do this by drawing upon the experiences of working-class family members who were both social learners and autodidacts, and who engaged in learning for their own sake and for what they believed to be the common good. The authors use diaries, letters…

This paper documents the process and outcomes of redesigning an online research methods module for taught postgraduate students using Universal Design for Learning (UDL). It also explores the effectiveness of UDL-informed design and practice to support the development of social, cognitive and teacher presence as defined under the Community of…

The student experience with mathematical modelling has the potential to differ in nature to the experience of a typical mathematics student. The research reported in this paper forms part of a broader study looking into tertiary learning experiences for mathematical modelling. This paper reports on: What are the student experiences when learning…

This activity engages students with the concept of mathematics identity to expand conceptions of what mathematics is and therefore what doing mathematics and being mathematical can mean. By mathematics identity, we refer both to ways a learner sees themselves and participates in mathematics, and the ways that others speak about or treat that…

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence the completion of PhD degrees and identify obstacles to completion at a Hispanic Serving Institution. Low completion rates are a national and global problem predicted to generate a critical shortage of professionals needed by society. The researcher utilized a phenomenological…

Over the past decade, the preparation of student affairs professionals has evolved. Historically, curricular professional preparation existed solely at the graduate level. Today, there is a growing trend around designing and offering undergraduate student affairs coursework (UGSAC) packaged as stand-alone electives, minors, certificates, or…

Since 2010, gamification, a concept and practice, gained attention in academic research. Results of its effectiveness were mixed and often lacked the use of grounded models or frameworks. Dichev et al. (2019b) proposed the existence of demotivational factors and highlighted two distinct sets of motivational drivers--one linked to game elements and…

Background: Course-based research experiences (CBREs) are highly valued for science learning and research. Most are discipline-centered, but there is a great deal of interest in developing them to promote interdisciplinarity. Yet, we have much to learn about how CBREs work, and even more to learn about how disciplinary diversity operates as an…

In response to an invitation to integrate science and art pedagogy, science and dance students enrolled in specific disciplinary courses, collaboratively produced choreography based on scientific principles. This paper reports students' experience of this process. Science students reported an increased understanding of concepts, while dance…

Increasing numbers of international students bring their different cultures, languages, and educational backgrounds to higher education, and they expect their experiences and interactions with higher education institutions to be rewarding journeys. A key issue - the dynamic and multifaceted concept of student engagement as an important indicator…

Understanding how students engage with feedback is often reduced to a study of feedback messages that sheds little light on effects. Using the emerging notion of feedback encounters as an analytical lens, this study examines what characterizes productive feedback encounters when learning online. Drawing from a cross-national digital ethnographic…

This study of 12,851 students from 34 member institutions of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities examined the predictors of student thriving, as well as racial and ethnic differences in thriving and its predictors, within undergraduate, adult, and graduate student samples. Thriving was defined as being vitally engaged in the…

Although online learning has been widely used in higher education, its impact on students' academic performance has not been well described. This study surveyed 2963 college students, and used structural equation modelling to determine the impact of college students' online learning engagement on academic performance. The serial mediating effect…

There are ramifications for the educational loss that comes with student disengagement. Contemporary use of alternative high schools focuses on Tier III responses to intervention for disengaged students at comprehensive high schools. Alternative schools are affiliated with students disenfranchised by traditional educational institutions and are…

This qualitative study was an exploration of the lived experiences of adult learners (over age 24) enrolled in graduate teacher preparation programs and their distinct needs and expectations related to program entry, persistence, and completion. Five graduate teacher preparation degree-seeking study participants openly shared their respective…