Abstract
Teaching and learning environments are continually changing, and thus pedagogy must adapt to meet the contextual needs of the learner. Learners hail from diverse backgrounds and come to learning communities in higher education with varied needs and skills and expectations. The creation of engaging educational contexts is key for the successful advancement of all students (Darling Hammond & Friedlander, 2008). For decades, scholars have presented varied strategies for good teaching and effective approaches for motivating and inspiring students in both virtual and face-to-face higher education learning environments (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Dixon, 2010; Pontius & Harper, 2006; Kuh, 2016; Kuh et al., 2011). These approaches often embrace the integration of new technologies and include high expectations, academic support, active learning, and respect for diverse learning styles and skills. As such, faculty members must consider the use of varied innovative strategies to develop and sustain robust courses. This inquiry highlights strategies used in the instructional design of a dissertation preparation course, the pedagogical practices used to engage students, and the practical lessons learned. This research details an intervention that provides recommended strategies for inspiring and motivating adult learners in hybrid or online courses.
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Robinson, D.V., Robinson, T., Ogundimu, A. (2021). Strategies for Creating Engaging Learning Communities to Inspire and Motivate Adult Learners. In: Hokanson, B., Exter, M., Grincewicz, A., Schmidt, M., Tawfik, A.A. (eds) Learning: Design, Engagement and Definition. Educational Communications and Technology: Issues and Innovations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85078-4_21
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