Tag: Self-directed Learning

Tony Perez is a professor in the Department of STEM Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University in Virginia and director of the university’s Motivation, Identity, and Learning Lab (MilLab). In his work, Perez focuses on how STEM instructors can support adaptive, positive forms of motivation by shifting away from a competitive, performance-focused classroom environment to one that provides various social supports and underscores the personal value and relevance of STEM courses.

Join us for a public webinar where we explore student experiences in online courses and new evidence-based strategies to address challenges students encounter in online formats.

The Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative shared promising strategies for improving student outcomes in online courses to a standing-room-only audience at the 2025 annual DREAM conference in Philadelphia in February.

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 Achieving the Dream’s annual flagship event, DREAM, for a discussion of technology-enabled instructional strategies designed to grow students’ self-directed learning in online STEM courses.

Online courses have become an increasingly common feature of the higher education landscape, expanding access and offering flexibility for students.

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.