Poster Session
Factors That Matter: Ensuring Success and Retention for Diverse Online Scholars
Poster Session Leila Romeo, J. Scott Self, Jennifer Butcher, Sandra Cleveland, Jesiah Brock, Cicely Ward
As online education becomes increasingly prevalent, understanding critical factors influencing the retention and success of diverse online students in higher education is paramount. This research delves into this pressing issue through a comprehensive examination of various factors that impact the journey of students from diverse backgrounds in higher education online learning environments. This study aims to understand diverse online students' multifaceted challenges and opportunities in a mixed-method, qualitative and quantitative approach. Quantitative analysis involves examining retention data and identifying student persistence and progress trends. Qualitative methods, such as interviews and surveys, explore the lived experiences of diverse online students, shedding light on their unique needs, perceptions, and strategies for success. Critical factors explored in this research include socio-economic status, cultural background, access to college readiness support, engagement strategies, and faculty roles in facilitating student success. This study analyzes these factors and determine their influence on retention rates and academic achievement in online higher education settings. The findings of this research may yield actionable insights for all educational stakeholders. By gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by diverse online students and the support structures that can enhance their educational experiences, institutions can develop targeted interventions to improve retention rates and foster academic success among a broad spectrum of students. Ultimately, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse surrounding online education, promoting inclusivity and equity in higher education by addressing the specific needs of diverse online learners.
Environment and Sustainability in Language Courses: Sustainability Across the Curriculum Grant
Poster Session Suzanne Wali
The University of Southern California (USC) has integrated sustainability into its educational framework to foster global citizens who will fight climate change. In alignment with the university's mission, I've designed this course with a specific emphasis on subjects like climate change, energy, and the water crisis. These topics align with the interests and self-driven learning pursuits of the current generation of students. The new course has received USC's Sustainability Across the Curriculum Grant and is taught as an Advanced Arabic course. The course aims to complement and enrich student’s existing studies by providing the chance to investigate sources from a diverse region and in a different language, thereby broadening and intensifying their comprehension of the subject matter. Although the readings focus on the Middle East, the readings are utilized as a starting point to give students the opportunity to discuss, analyze, and debate their ideas about climate change ramifications in different regions in the world. The idea of this course can be assimilated in advanced foreign language courses.
Centering Students of the Global Majority in United States Community College Critical Internationalization Programming View Digital Media
Poster Session Jen Westmoreland
In 2020, students categorized as Black, Hispanic, Asian, and two or more races comprised over 50% of community college enrollment nationwide (Dembicki, 2022). However, current internationalization models in community colleges are rarely intentionally designed for and with students of the global majority. This study addresses a gap in the research by exploring the priorities of students of the global majority regarding content and engagement in community college global education programming. I interviewed six students representing a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds, ages, and genders. Using van Manen’s lifeworld existentials (1990), I analyzed and interpreted the data in the interview transcripts. The students’ priorities regarding content and engagement in global education programs at their college can be summarized as interacting with diverse peers, nuanced and accurate representations of culture and history, curious and caring relationships with instructors and other adults on campus, and opportunities to engage with global realities beyond the classroom. These categories align with deBie et al.’s (2021) pedagogical partnership approach, specifically the concepts of epistemic, affective, and ontological justice, a framework critical internationalization practitioners can use to enact emancipatory practices.
