An Investigation Of Characteristics And Differences Between Three Unique Groups Of Nontraditional Students At The Community College

Technology usage is increasing important for community college students, but whether nontraditional students differ from traditional students in technology usage and support was unclear. Further, it was not known whether Nontraditional and Traditional community college students feel equally connected to the college when using social networking software for school purposes. A large percentage of students attending community colleges have characteristics that may negatively influence their persistence in college. These at-risk characteristics include receiving a ged (General Education Development test) or not completing high school, delaying postsecondary enrollment, being financially independent of one's parents, being a single parent, having dependents other than a spouse, attending college part-time, and working full-time. Students who possess one or more of these characteristics are categorized as nontraditional students. However, nontraditional students cannot be lumped into one grouping. Using Horn's nontraditional definition, students are considered minimally nontraditional if they have one characteristic, moderate if they have two to three, and highly nontraditional if they have four or more. The more at-risk characteristics a student has, the less likely they will persist in college. Retention activities geared toward nontraditional students is extremely challenging. Emerging technologies in the form of social networking and course management tools may be a means to engage nontraditional students that are preoccupied with preexisting obligations and time constraints. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether traditional and nontraditional students use social networking and course management tools differently and explored group differences in student-faculty interaction and support for learners within the context of emerging technology usage. This study utilized the 2009 California subset of Community College Survey of Student Engagement (ccsse) and technology supplemental. Twelve Californian community colleges participated in the survey, totaling 9712 respondents. Data were analyzed with anova to contrast traditional and nontraditional groups, and using simple correlation to determine the relationship between technology use and both student-faculty interaction and support for learners. Differences and relationships were considered statistically significant at a threshold of p less than 0.05. The findings suggest that emerging technology usage differed between traditional and nontraditional students, such that highly nontraditional students use technology less overall and less for classroom use. Traditional students use course management significantly less than nontraditional students. Moreover, technology use was inversely related with student-faculty interaction, such that the higher the technology usage, the lower the student-faculty interaction. This pattern was evident across traditional and nontraditional student categories. Additionally, technology use was inversely related with support for learners, such that the higher the technology usage, the lower the student support. This pattern was evident across traditional and nontraditional student categories. Lastly, exploratory analyses suggest that when connected via social networking, traditional and nontraditional groups feel equally connected. Combined these findings suggest that emerging technologies in the form of social networking and course management tools may be a form of engagement that community colleges can utilize in the retention of nontraditional students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest llc. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.

This reader is designed for higher education programs and for institutions with planning and/or institutional research offices or staff that have a need for professional training and development. The articles in the reader were selected from a diverse range of sources that represent a wealth of well-know and respected scholars and practitioners in the field. Most of the selections were chosen for their significance as research based, conceptual or synthesis literature. The reader's editors have provided a well-rounded coverage which reflects the broad current models and approaches to planning and the roles of institutional research. In addition, an extensive and up-to-date Other Resources section includes "Related Higher Education Reference Books and Related Publication," as well as descriptions of relevant "Data Base Resources," "Periodic Data Reports," and "Related Professional Associations." Features include: Offers comprehensive coverage in the field of planning and institutional research Addresses significant and substantive issues Presents a well-focused overview on planning and instructional research in the introduction Contains useful selections for in-service and professional development Selections were chosen through an extensive literature search and review - primarily from higher education literature Provides extensive information on other related resources Includes a special section on "Using the Internet"