Student Learning or the Student Experience: The Shift from Traditional to Non-Traditional Faculty in Higher Education

Dr. Pamela Allen

Title: Student Learning or the Student Experience: The Shift from Traditional to Non-Traditional Faculty in Higher Education

Abstract:

Trends in higher education indicate transformations from teachers to facilitators, mentors, or coaches. New classroom management requires diverse teaching methods for a changing population. Non-traditional students require non-traditional faculty. Higher education operates similar to a traditional corporation, but competes for students, faculty, and funding to sustain daily operations and improve academic ranking among peers (Pak, 2013). This growing phenomenon suggests the need for faculty to transform the existing educational culture, ensuring the ability to attract and retain students. Transitions from student learning to the student experience and increasing student satisfaction scores are influencing facilitation in the classroom. On-line facilitation methods are transforming to include teamwork, interactive tutorials, and media, and are extending beyond group discussion. Faculty should be required to provide more facilitation, coaching, and mentoring with the shifting roles resulting in transitions from traditional faculty to faculty-coach and faculty-mentor. The non-traditional adult student may require a more hands on guidance approach and may not be as self-directed as the adult learning theory proposes. This topic is important to individuals that support creation of new knowledge related to non-traditional adult learning models.

Link to Research: http://www.tecnologia-ciencia-educacion.com/index.php/TCE/article/view/98

Reference: Revista Tecnología, Ciencia y Educación. Nº. 5 Septiembre-Diciembre 2016
Revista Tecnología, Ciencia y Educación ISSN: 2444-250X / ISSN-e: 2444-2887

Author Bio:

Dr. Pamela Allen, DM, CLC, ACF, is an Executive Life Coach who provides professional consultation related to leadership, teamwork, dissertation support, and organizational development. As a research associate in the Center for Leadership and Education Research she continues active research from national and global perspectives regarding non-traditional adult students and faculty, non-traditional face-to-face learning, blended learning, online learning, advances in educational technology, and diversity and inclusion. Following these research themes, from March to June 2016, Dr. Allen was recently involved in professional presentations at the Western Academy of Management, Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs, and the International Guide Conference in Madrid, Spain. The following article, “Student Learning or the Student Experience: The Shift from Traditional to Non-Traditional Faculty in Higher Education” was published in an international journal Revista Tecnología, Ciencia y Educación in September 2016. Dr. Allen received multiple honorarium awards, a research scholarship award from the School for Advanced Studies, and a Publication Research Award in November 2016. She also received Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Phoenix in 2016.

Copyrighted materials used with researcher's permission.