scholarly journals Profiles of Online Students and the Impact of Their University Experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Sánchez-Gelabert ◽  
Riccardo Valente ◽  
Josep M Duart
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Steady Growth ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Brick And Mortar ◽  
Student Profiles ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

In recent decades, there has been a steady growth in the population who enter higher education in both brick-and-mortar and, in particular, online universities. This has led to an increase in heterogeneous student profiles in a relatively short period of time. The purpose of this paper was to explore the student profiles at a university that gives all its courses online, namely the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), and analyse students’ perceptions of their university experience. With this goal in mind, we constructed a student typology based on their social conditions and backgrounds using multiple correspondence analysis. Subsequently, an analysis of variance (Kruskall-Wallis test) was run to detect whether there were any differences in students’ perceptions of the impact of their university experience (N = 1850). Although the prevailing profile of students in the online university continues to reflect students with responsibilities outside of the university (e.g., work and/or family), new profiles have been observed, made up of younger students without any work or family responsibilities. In turn, younger students’ distinct perceptions of their university experience has been observed, depending on student profiles, with older students having more intrinsic perceptions, focused on learning and the acquisition of theoretical knowledge.

“Listen to the Feedback of Students”: First-Generation College Students Voice Inequalities in Schooling Brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 152102512110663
Author(s):  
Cassandra R. Davis ◽  
Harriet Hartman ◽  
Milanika Turner ◽  
Terri Norton ◽  
Julie Sexton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Students First ◽  
Return To College ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

In March 2020, the higher-education community faced one of its largest disruptions to date with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing campuses to close their doors to thousands of students. The university-wide closures prompted a collaboration between researchers and college administrators to assess the impact of COVID-19 on First-Generation College Students (FGCS). The team surveyed 659 FGCS across five U.S. universities to assess the ways in which the pandemic exacerbated already existing inequalities students faced in their persistence to graduate from college. The team used the social cognitive career theory as a conceptual framework for analysis. Our findings revealed that when respondents compared their life before COVID-19 with their present state, FGCS were less likely to perceive they had enough money to return to college, felt overwhelmed and lonely by added stress, and were more likely to see an increase in family responsibilities.

scholarly journals The Transition Online: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Impact of COVID-19 on Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Laura E Mullins ◽  
Jennifer Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
World Health ◽  
Online Classroom ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Following the World Health Organization’s announcement of the global pandemic because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019, most Canadian universities transitioned to offering their courses exclusively online. One group affected by this transition was students with disabilities. Previous research has shown that the university experience for students with disabilities differs from those of their non-disabled peers. However, their unique needs are often not taken into consideration. As a result, students can become marginalized and alienated from the online classroom. In partnership with Student Accessibility Services, this research revealed the impact of the transition to online learning because of the pandemic for university students with disabilities. Students registered with Student Accessibility Services completed a survey about the effects of online learning during a pandemic on the students’ lives, education, and instructional and accommodation. It was clear from the results that online education during COVID-19 affected all aspects of the students’ lives, particularly to their mental health. This research provided a much-needed opportunity for students with disabilities to share the factors influencing their educational experience and identified recommendations instructors should consider when developing online courses to increase accessibility and improve engagement. 

scholarly journals The Culture of Couch Surfing Amongst Students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Denzel De Ruysscher
Keyword(s):  
Student Voice ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
Tertiary Student ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Couch Surfing ◽  
The Moment ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

<p>This thesis explores ‘couch surfing’ as it becomes more prevalent within the tertiary student experience. In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the availability of housing in all major cities in New Zealand. Rental accommodations been particularly hard hit with the number of properties available for occupation under increasing demand. Despite this shortage universities have continued to expand, offering an increased number of positions to students. This dichotomy has impacted university students looking for ‘affordable accommodation.’ This has led to a recent surge in students undertaking studies without fixed abodes for either short time periods or in some cases for the duration of the university trimesters or year, commonly referred to as ‘student homelessness.’ The students are faced with a new reality; a reality of relying on short term peer support for accommodation, known as couch-surfing. This research considers the impact of accommodation uncertainty within the tertiary student experience and specifically asks what impact the current global phenomenon of couch surfing is having on either alleviation or amplification of the physical and/or emotional stresses and strains associated with attending university. This study interviews students who have experienced uncertainty around their accommodation arrangements and as a result have engaged in couch surfing practices. The aim of this study is to gain a holistic overview of the impact this experience of uncertainty and temporary accommodation has on a student’s life and uses photography as a tool within human-centred and participatory design approaches to assist in the expression and interpretation of the couch surfing experience during university study.  At the outset, more portrait photography approaches such as model headshots are used to illustrate the student couch surfer and their accommodation experience and surroundings with the purpose of capturing the couch surfers in the moment in mind. Following on from this the study introduces the ethnographic method of Photovoice and asks the couch surfing student to record their own accommodation experience through the taking of more self-focused photos that include their surroundings and expressions of the experience. As a final experience, a workshop was designed and facilitated to synergise the student voice on the experiences of couch surfing. This experience was also documented through photography.  The culmination of these research approaches is a visual output in the form of a photobook that will showcase the overall narrative of the thesis. The main objective of the thesis and visual output is to explore the lifestyle and experiences of student couch surfers and to visually amplify a collective student voice that speaks to the emergent and unique phenomenon of couch surfing, that has had an impact on their university experience.</p>

scholarly journals The Culture of Couch Surfing Amongst Students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Denzel De Ruysscher
Keyword(s):  
Student Voice ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
Tertiary Student ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
Couch Surfing ◽  
The Moment ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

<p>This thesis explores ‘couch surfing’ as it becomes more prevalent within the tertiary student experience. In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the availability of housing in all major cities in New Zealand. Rental accommodations been particularly hard hit with the number of properties available for occupation under increasing demand. Despite this shortage universities have continued to expand, offering an increased number of positions to students. This dichotomy has impacted university students looking for ‘affordable accommodation.’ This has led to a recent surge in students undertaking studies without fixed abodes for either short time periods or in some cases for the duration of the university trimesters or year, commonly referred to as ‘student homelessness.’ The students are faced with a new reality; a reality of relying on short term peer support for accommodation, known as couch-surfing. This research considers the impact of accommodation uncertainty within the tertiary student experience and specifically asks what impact the current global phenomenon of couch surfing is having on either alleviation or amplification of the physical and/or emotional stresses and strains associated with attending university. This study interviews students who have experienced uncertainty around their accommodation arrangements and as a result have engaged in couch surfing practices. The aim of this study is to gain a holistic overview of the impact this experience of uncertainty and temporary accommodation has on a student’s life and uses photography as a tool within human-centred and participatory design approaches to assist in the expression and interpretation of the couch surfing experience during university study.  At the outset, more portrait photography approaches such as model headshots are used to illustrate the student couch surfer and their accommodation experience and surroundings with the purpose of capturing the couch surfers in the moment in mind. Following on from this the study introduces the ethnographic method of Photovoice and asks the couch surfing student to record their own accommodation experience through the taking of more self-focused photos that include their surroundings and expressions of the experience. As a final experience, a workshop was designed and facilitated to synergise the student voice on the experiences of couch surfing. This experience was also documented through photography.  The culmination of these research approaches is a visual output in the form of a photobook that will showcase the overall narrative of the thesis. The main objective of the thesis and visual output is to explore the lifestyle and experiences of student couch surfers and to visually amplify a collective student voice that speaks to the emergent and unique phenomenon of couch surfing, that has had an impact on their university experience.</p>

scholarly journals The Impact of a University Experience Program on Rural and Regional Secondary School Students: Keeping the Flame Burning

10.28945/3693 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 035-048
Author(s):  
Joy Penman ◽  
Jyothi Thalluri
Keyword(s):  
Social Issues ◽  
School Staff ◽  
University Campus ◽  
School Students ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Regional University ◽  
Regional Universities ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Aim/Purpose: The uptake of university by regional students has been problematic for various reasons. This paper discusses a program, initiated by a South Australian regional university campus, aimed at attracting regional students into higher education. Background: A qualitative descriptive approach to study was used to determine the value of the program on participating students and school staff. Year 10 students from Roxby Downs, Port Augusta and Port Lincoln high schools were invited to participate in a two-day regionally-focussed school-university engagement program that linked students with the university campus and local employers. Methodology: A survey was administered to determine the impact of the program. Perceptions about the program by school staff were gathered using a modified One-Minute Harvard questionnaire. While 38 Year 10 students and 5 school staff members participated, 37 students and 3 staff evaluated the program. Findings: The findings revealed that the majority of the students would like to attend university, but financial and social issues were important barriers. The students learned about the regional university, what it can offer in terms of programs and support, and the employment prospect following university. The school staff benefited by developing a closer relationship with students and becoming better informed about the regional university. Recommendation for Practitioners: One way by which university uptake may be increased is to provide similar immersion programs featuring engagement with employers, our recommendation to other regional universities. In increasing the levels of education, individuals, communities and the society in general are benefited.

scholarly journals Students as colleagues: The impact of working on campus on students and their attitudes towards the university experience.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49
Author(s):  
Luke Millard
Keyword(s):  
University Staff ◽  
Primary Motivation ◽  
Student Workers ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Wide Population ◽  
Student Confidence ◽  
Motivation To Work

This paper considers research that engaged with a university wide population of students who were employed on campus to better understand why they chose to work alongside their studies; how this impacted upon their attitudes to study and the university, and the benefits for those students.  This paper reveals that the primary motivation to work on campus is the development of skills; considers the nature of those skills and behaviours; discovers the changing relationship between student workers and university staff; and discusses how engagement leads to an enhanced sense of student confidence and belonging.  The paper concludes by considering the implications for the university and sector and how the outcomes might be best deployed for impact on those students who would most benefit. 

scholarly journals Students as colleagues: The impact of working on campus on students and their attitudes towards the university experience.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49
Author(s):  
Luke Millard
Keyword(s):  
University Staff ◽  
Primary Motivation ◽  
Student Workers ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Wide Population ◽  
Student Confidence ◽  
Motivation To Work

This paper considers research that engaged with a university wide population of students who were employed on campus to better understand why they chose to work alongside their studies; how this impacted upon their attitudes to study and the university, and the benefits for those students.  This paper reveals that the primary motivation to work on campus is the development of skills; considers the nature of those skills and behaviours; discovers the changing relationship between student workers and university staff; and discusses how engagement leads to an enhanced sense of student confidence and belonging.  The paper concludes by considering the implications for the university and sector and how the outcomes might be best deployed for impact on those students who would most benefit.

scholarly journals Nursing Practicum Equity for a Changing Nurse Student Demographic: a Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley Andrew ◽  
Julie Dare ◽  
Ken Robinson ◽  
Leesa Costello
Keyword(s):  
Women Students ◽  
Nursing Student ◽  
Nurse Education ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Nurse Student ◽  
Practicum Experience ◽  
Nurse Students ◽  
Developed Nations ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background:The nursing practicum (clinical practice) is an essential but often highly stressful aspect of the nursing degree. A review of the published literature reveals a strong focus on the stressors that originate within the practicum environment, rather than the student’s life outside the university and practice setting. This article reports on an Australian study, completed before the COVID-19 pandemic, of the university experiences of undergraduate women nurse students with family responsibilities. The findings reveal the importance of factors outside the university on the women students’ practicum experience and their ability to engage and achieve.Methods:The study was qualitative, guided by Gadamer’s hermeneutic philosophy. Twenty-nine women students with family responsibilities (partners and children) were interviewed at two stages of their degree journey. Over 50 hours of data were thematically analysed.Findings:The themes ‘family pressure’ and ‘practicum poverty’ describe the impact of domestic work, family finances and practicum organisation on student stress, wellbeing, achievement, thoughts of attrition, and family tension. These findings are particularly pertinent to Australia and other developed nations where the nurse student demographic continues to age. An interpretation of these findings against the recent impact of COVID-19 on nurse education and women’s life choices reveals the likelihood that these difficulties have intensified for women students with family responsibilities since the pandemic began.Conclusions and Recommendations:Many developed nations, including Australia, are increasingly reliant on older women nurse students to maintain the future graduate nursing workforce. This change in nurse student demographic to the mature-age student requires a revision of the organisation of the nursing practicum. Recommendations to nurse education to improve practicum accessibility for women students who have family responsibilities include the application of a flexible and collaborative approach to practicum organisation and communication. Wider recommendations to Government include a revision of the way the nursing student is financially supported during the practicum. Further research that explores the practicum experience for women nurse students during and following the COVID-19 pandemic is also recommended.

scholarly journals The Impact of a University Experience Program on Rural and Regional Secondary School Students: Keeping the Flame Burning

10.28945/3654 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy Penman ◽  
Jyothi Thalluri
Keyword(s):  
Social Issues ◽  
School Staff ◽  
University Campus ◽  
School Students ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Regional University ◽  
Regional Universities ◽  
University Experience ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

[This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the journal Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology] Aim/Purpose : The uptake of university by regional students has been problematic for various reasons. This paper discusses a program, initiated by a South Australian regional university campus, aimed at attracting regional students into higher education. Background: A qualitative descriptive approach to study was used to determine the value of the program on participating students and school staff. Year 10 students from Roxby Downs, Port Augusta and Port Lincoln high schools were invited to participate in a two-day regionally-focussed school-university engagement program that linked students with the university campus and local employers. Methodology: A survey was administered to determine the impact of the program. Perceptions about the program by school staff were gathered using a modified One-Minute Harvard questionnaire. While 38 Year 10 students and 5 school staff members participated, 37 students and 3 staff evaluated the program. Findings: The findings revealed that the majority of the students would like to attend university, but financial and social issues were important barriers. The students learned about the regional university, what it can offer in terms of programs and support, and the employment prospect following university. The school staff benefited by developing a closer relationship with students and becoming better informed about the regional university. Recommendation for Practitioners: One way by which university uptake may be increased is to provide similar immersion programs featuring engagement with employers, our recommendation to other regional universities. In increasing the levels of education, individuals, communities and the society in general are benefited.

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