Research Question Literature Review Literature Review Literature ...

Non-traditional Graduate
Student Definition
A non-traditional graduate student at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is someone who satisfies
at least ONE of the following criteria:
• is over the age of 24,
The Issues and Challenges Encountered by
Non-Traditional Graduate Students
at the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign
• pursues graduate studies on a non-continuous basis,
Text
or on a continuous basis via non-traditional avenues,
and/or
• has life concerns outside of the university that take
precedence over their academic needs in times of
crisis.
Co-authors
Shad Comboy & Kindra Cotton
Research Question
Literature Review
What the literature says about Non-traditional students:
What are the issues Text and challenges
encountered by non-traditional
graduate students enrolled in online
Text
degree programs at the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign?
• They have come to make
Text
up an increasing share of
the total student population on campus.
• They have unique challenges and needs; some
challenges faced tend to be gender-specific.
• They tend to be more settled and mature.
• They Text tend to have difficulties balancing the
demands of multiple roles (i.e. student, employee,
family/community member).
• Institutions have been slow to adapt to the needs of
this growing population.
• Distance education provides them with a viable
option for completing advanced studies, though
difficulties can arise as a result of the instructional
medium.
Literature Review
Literature Review
What the literature says about Online Degree Seeking
Students:
Text
• They tend to be working professionals seeking
professional development.
› However this trend is shifting as more online programs are
introduced and as a younger generation, that is accustomed
to the Internet, are willing to integrate it into their daily lives.
• They tend to be self-motivated and are able of
managing time well.
• They often feel isolated and tend to take issue with
the impersonal communication associated with
online learning.
What the literature says about Online Degree Programs:
Text
• They can be a challenge with different learning styles
(i.e. visual & auditory learners).
• They tend to be costly for the student.
• Socialization:
› Course design – a social presence should be
initiated in the actual design of an online course.
› Instructors play a significant role in establishing
social presence for online environments.
› Participants need to assume responsibility for
creating positive learning environments for
themselves and others.

Sample
Research Design
Name
Sex
Age
Marital
Status
Ethnicity
Student
Status
Employment
Status
Family
Commitments
Area of Study
• Data Collection Analysis:
Brenda
Kelly
Donna
F
F
F
27
44
47
M
M
M
White
Caucasian
Caucasian
PT
PT
PT
FT
FT
FT
1 child
1 child
3 Children
Human Resource
Education
Human Resource
Education
Human Resource
Education
› Data was collected through online questionnaires.
Analysis of the data began with taking each
question with non-quantifiable data (i.e. text) from
the instrument, and analyzing the responses for
common themes that emerged from the question.
Andrea
Brandon
Valerie
Dylan
F
M
F
M
42
35
26
32
M
M
S
M
White, Non-
Hispanic
Asian
Filipino
Asian
PT
PT
PT
PT
FT
FT
FT
FT
2 Children
2 Children
None
1 Child
Human Resource
Education
Human Resource
Education
Human Resource
Education
Human Resource
Education
› Content analysis was used to determine the
presence of common themes, where we analyzed
the presence, meaning, and relationship of the
themes, then makes inferences about the
messages within the text (Palmquist, M. E.,
Carley, K.M., & Dale, T.A., 1997).
Issues/Challenges*
Findings
Time
Management
•Personal
•Family
•Relationships
•Work
Balancing
Priorities
•Work
•Family
•School
Support
•Communities
•Support
Groups
•Institutional
•Family
Other
Barriers
•Technology
•Financial
•Age
•Transitioning
•Communication
•Personal
• Consistent with the literature, most of our respondents
indicated that:
› They returned to school for professional
development purposes.
› They felt “disconnected” or missed “face-to-face”
interaction.
› They were organized and felt capable of managing
their priorities.
• Participants also noted:
› One of their biggest challenges was finding time for
their studies.
*From our original study.
› There is an issue with a perception of inferiority from
those with traditional degrees.
Limitations
• Lack of central definition.
• Lack of research and literature focused
on non-traditional graduate students.
• Limited research and literature focused
on online degree-seeking students.
• Information collection method (i.e.
online questionnaires).
• Time constraints of researchers and
subjects.
Question/Comments?
THANK YOU!

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