Understanding Online Education from a Situated Perspective: Community College Students' Narratives on Educational Values and Learning Experiences

• In Event: 33.078 - Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: 33.078-15 - Online Teaching and Learning SIG Roundtable Session 3

Abstract

This study aims to gain a better understanding of the promises/concerns surrounding online education in community college contexts from students’ perspectives and raise questions for future research and practice. Community colleges have been utilizing various forms of distance education in the past and have, in many ways, led other segments of higher education in this front (Dalziel, 2003). We situate online learning within, not apart from, what is considered as the traditional college education. By doing so, we provide an alternative angle of examining the issues pertaining to online teaching and learning. By exploring student narratives about their learning experiences, our initial findings shed light on students’ motivations and values as they navigate through their college education systems.

Author

• Jenna Joo, University of California - Santa Barbara