“You haven’t gone out and done anything”: Exploring Disabled Veterans Experiences in Higher Education

Through the analysis of 24 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study explored the process through which disability affects veterans’ experiences in the university classroom and their social relations with traditional students. Using inductive-exploratory qualitative methods, this study builds upon the sociological understanding of veterans’ experiences in higher education. Findings from this study tentatively suggest that while disability related fear/hypervigilance, stigma, and anxiety significantly impact veterans’ comfort levels when engaging with traditional students, veterans also externalize the impact of their disability as a social artifact of their military service. More research is needed to determine if the interaction of disability and artifacts of service decreases veterans’ ability to integrate well with traditional students in classroom settings.

Is it a blessing? The impact of Covid-19 on non-traditional language learners’ satisfaction at Saudi Electronic University

This study examines non-traditional language learners’ interactions and satisfaction with online learning in the Saudi context during the pandemic. Saudi Electronic University (SEU) is unique in Saudi Arabia as it has adopted a blended mode of teaching and students’ completion of both online and class-based materials is mandatory. It enables non-traditional students to further their studies. In a quantitative study, 732 students completed a questionnaire which examines the online learning experiences of these learners. The survey assessed learners’ self-efficacy for completing an online course, interactions with content, instructor, other students, and overall satisfaction. The paper examines whether moving to entirely online learning during the pandemic has affected their life and study positively or negatively.

Listening to the Student Voice – Student Engagement in Professional Higher Education

The practical orientated education and training of professional higher education institutions attract a very diverse student body and more and more non-traditional students are finding their way to higher education institutions in Europe. In order to sufficiently address the different needs of this group, non-traditional students must be given opportunities for student engagement in student organisations and extracurricular activities outside of lectures. Furthermore, the diversity characteristics of non-traditional students within professional higher education institutions need to be analysed, as well as the barriers and challenges to student engagement. With the help of qualitative expert interviews and focus groups, five problem areas were defined and an outlook on possible improvements was given in order to sharpen the view of an inclusive university environment outside of the lecture hall.

Identity and the learning experience of non-traditional students undertaking the specialist practitioner qualification

This small qualitative study is an exploration of the concept of identity and its relationship to the learning experience of non-traditional students undertaking the Specialist Practitioner Qualification in District Nursing. Using a narrative inquiry approach, three participants were asked to recall their experiences 1 year after completing the SPQDN programme. Individual narratives were analysed, and central themes were extracted using NVivo coding. The findings indicated that feelings of academic self-doubt, the impact of past learning experiences and the connotations of being labelled as a student all had an influence on the participants' learning experience.

Experience of students in cooperative education – A case study of Singapore’s work-study degree programme

The increase in the number of adults returning to complete their university education as ‘non-traditional students’ brings more attention to the challenges of a standard degree format. This paper examines the experiences of seven non-traditional students undergoing a cooperative education programme in Singapore, where students would alternate spending a few days in a week at a university while working full-time for the remaining days, in relation to the challenges and opportunities of the programme. Using qualitative thematic analysis, we discovered four themes greatly affected by the programme design – motivations for enrolling, transferability of knowledge, work–study balance and coping mechanisms. Overall, some obstacles hindering adults from continuing education were addressed by this cooperative education programme. The strong integration of work and study roles ensured that adults did not need to leave their job before starting university, reducing time and money-related pressures while increasing their commitment level to education. Additionally, rigid institutional practices were mitigated by the flexibility given by teaching faculty and work supervisors. We suggested several improvements to better suit the rising number of adults wanting to attain a degree. With the research results and recommendations proposed herein, this paper is useful to various universities willing to adopt cooperative education.