Description
Online education has increased access to higher education for many populations of students. One group of students that has grown in this area are nontraditional students. A sub-population of this group that is absent from the research are nontraditional students of color. Using the conceptual frameworks of Adult Learning Theory and Equity- mindedness, this study employed semi-structured interviews to examine the experiences of eight nontraditional students of color who successfully completed an online developmental education course and the subsequent college-level course. Participants shared their experiences within the developmental education course, the subsequent college-level course, and other subject specific college-level courses as they navigated a pathway to their academic goals. Using a grounded theory approach for data analysis, the Academic Momentum for Online Nontraditional Students of Color (AMONSOC) model was developed to visualize the emergent themes. Themes from the research include Importance of Support Systems, Preparation for the Online Environment, Understanding Nontraditional Students, “Your student is a human being,” Colorblindness in the Online Environment, and “I am confident now.” Research findings can be used to support institutions in creating successful experiences in online developmental education that promote retention, persistence, and success for nontraditional students of color.
