Tag: Online Learning

As part of the Collaborative’s efforts to foster and support students’ self-directed learning (SDL) in online courses, we have explored the research literature, consulted experts, collaborated with our college partners, and gathered perspectives from administrators, staff, and faculty.

Join us for the International Society for Self-Directed Learning’s annual symposium in Tampa, FL, for a discussion of the Collaborative’s efforts to support the development of self-directed learning skills in online college settings.

Join us at the AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success (CLASS), where we will discuss an ongoing empirical study of self-directed learning support in online courses at community colleges and broad-access universities.

In online courses, students are expected to take more ownership of planning their learning approaches and study methods, organizing their time, seeking help, and following through on coursework. In online STEM courses, these expectations are compounded by disciplinary cultures that have traditionally emphasized meritocracy and competitiveness.

As students increasingly enroll in online postsecondary STEM courses, instructors and students need new strategies to bolster academic success, particularly for students systemically marginalized in STEM and higher education.

With the huge growth in online courses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty are increasingly aware that they need to adapt their teaching to the new environment of online instruction. But they may not know how to adapt and, in particular, how to support students’ skills in managing their own learning in online courses.