Non-traditional students may feel like a paradox for universities looking to maximize their working professional students. On one hand, they are students in every sense of the word and have the responsibilities of traditional students. However, their age, work experience and busy lifestyles separate them from the rest of campus and mean non-traditional students might never actually interact with the campus at large. Institutions of higher education who want to support their non-traditional students are thus increasingly recognizing just how distinct the issues and concerns of non-traditional students are.
Their educational background and familiarity with the working world means they’re more prepared for their study. Their time spent in the workforce or in the military have trained them well and they’re ready for their coursework. Any instructor who has taught a non-traditional student course knows that it’s worlds away from an undergraduate course in terms of composition and understanding of subject matter.
Still, while institutions might not need to invest as many resources into non-traditional students, it is imperative that institutions of higher education properly structure their non-traditional programs. Failure to do so dramatically increases the odds of faculty member burnout and less-than-impactful programs for non-traditional students.
To help support non-traditional students, institutions of higher education are turning to Academic Coaches AKA virtual TAs for maximum results. The right Academic Coaching model improves academic outcomes for non-traditional students by equipping faculty members and freeing up instructor time. Read on to learn how the Instructional Connections Academic Coach Model helps support non-traditional students.
Networking Opportunities
Non-traditional students often return to university to pursue a specific work-related course of study. They tend to have more work experience and, thus, are likely to have some familiarity with the subject at hand. However, many non-traditional students understand that networking is a key factor in success in the working world and often are much more interested in networking than traditional students. After all, their time in the working world has shown them just how crucial industry connections are. Non-traditional students are thus likely to be interested in any networking opportunities or knowledge about their industry their faculty instructor can provide outside of coursework.
Flexibility
Few college students have an abundance of time, but non-traditional students, in particular, struggle to balance their responsibilities. Research has determined that non-traditional students particularly benefit from self-guided learning. Video resources and recording of lectures are two great examples of this. Non-traditional students can regulate their pace when engaging with course materials and can watch online lectures anytime, whether at 5 AM or 5 PM. Empowering your faculty to use self-guided online pedagogical tools is a great way to support non-traditional students.
Support Through Hybrid Or Distance Learning
Distance learning has made a huge splash on the education stage, but it has become incredibly popular among nontraditional students, who are much likelier to learn remotely. Many non-traditional students find remote learning more conducive to their busy lives and packed schedules, as most balance school with work, marriage, and other responsibilities.
However, remote education comes with its own challenges, and non-traditional students are not exempt. Many non-traditional students struggle with the isolation of remote learning. Others may not comprehend the material as well as they would in person and may see their performance struggle while attending a distance learning program. The nature of non-traditional learning means that few students will ever be in a physical classroom to ask questions or stay after to clarify a subject. Many programs for non-traditional students see larger enrollments, due to the lack of physical constraints. Between the nature of distance learning, the size of a non-traditional remote program, and the business of professional life outside of class, many non-traditional students can get lost in the shuffle.
While distance learning has many benefits, universities need to intentionally provide resources that help streamline the distance learning or hybrid learning experience for optimal student outcomes.
Support Non-Traditional Students With Instructional Connections
Many institutions of higher education leverage Academic Coaches or Virtual Teaching Assistants to help assist faculty members of record when supporting non-traditional students. These Virtual TAs help empower faculty members by grading assignments, posting approved announcements, and helping with day-to-day management tasks. This frees up faculty member time to focus on student empowerment and improving student outcomes, leading to great results. In many graduate programs, our Academic Coaches assist in seeing retention rates over 80%!
Our Academic Coaches have at least a Master’s Degree and an average of 14 years of experience in their field, which helps them relate with non-traditional students. Many of our IC Academic Coaches are also potential networking opportunities and industry knowledge resources for non-traditional students. Consequently, our Academic Coaches are able to help students learn about their industry, streamline distance learning, and aid faculty members through their instructor-assigned duties.
The Instructional Connections Academic Coach Model is simple. We start by understanding the needs of our university partner fully. The better we understand their goals and unique situation, the better equipped we are for our next step. We recruit, screen, and vet an Academic Coach for the unique situation of our university partner, pending the partner’s approval. From there, we train our Academic Coaches or Virtual TAs on the system, programs, and processes they need to know to be impactful. This reduces the administrative costs on our partner’s side and empowers our Virtual TAs to be the best they possibly can be. Instructional Connections also provides continuous support throughout the semester for our university partners, resulting in better student outcomes, increased employee and faculty satisfaction, and higher retention rates.
Supporting non-traditional students can differ greatly from supporting traditional students, but the right Academic Coach or Virtual TA can aid immensely. Contact Instructional Connections to learn more!
