Book Description
The research team interviewed 15 students who were identified by their college as having been enrolled fully online during the prior academic year. A phenomenological interview approach was used to gain a better understanding of how students gather information, what sources were most useful, and the alternatives considered. Consistent with the rational choice framework, some students tend to gather only enough information to support their decision, while others conduct a more comprehensive search shaped by the extent to which needed information is readily available. These findings suggest that students are aware of the availability of online classes and make the choice to attend based on convenience, finances, and familiarity with the college. Colleges think carefully about how information and support are provided to those students wishing to complete classes and find creative ways to engage students and provide campus resources virtually. Taken together, these studies will expand our understanding of non-traditional students and the pathways they utilize to complete postsecondary goals. A significant majority of all postsecondary students in the United States are “non-traditional” (Radford et al., 2015; United States Department of Education, n.d.). Nontraditional students are over-represented in open-access public and private institutions offering accelerated and technology-mediated programs (Ross-Gordon, 2011). Increases in the proportion of nontraditional students show no signs of abating, suggesting that it is more important than ever to understand the educational needs, trajectories, and experiences of the students who, though called nontraditional, are the new normal in U.S. colleges and universities.
