In transition: Supporting competency attainment in Black and Latinx students

Abstract

Minority students, particularly those of the Black and Latinx communities, face daunting challenges-confronted with the recent pandemic, ongoing inequality, and increased financial uncertainty due to job loss and rising unemployment. With recent shifts to skill-based learning and remaining "work-ready," competency-based education (CBE) has never been more critical. CBE is outcome-focused, student-centered, and integrates instruction focusing on students mastering prerequisite content and skills to advance. However, many "in-person" programs primarily structure delivery around lecture-based delivery, often focus on the quantity of work versus behavioral outcomes, and fail to recognize the synergy of innovative delivery mechanisms. In a well-designed online program/course, faculty can anchor course objectives to competencies, implement innovative assessments, leverage components of Connectivism, and utilize just-in-time learning to help their students excel. This writing focuses on best practices for implementing components of Connectivism and just-in-time learning for programs/courses shifting to online delivery.

Course-Embedded Advising for International Students: Opportunities for Engagement Building

“…According to Richardson, et al (2022), small interactions, termed micro-advising, can significantly impact career preparation and progression of learners. Dennis, Fornero, Snelling, Thom, & Surles (2020) demonstrated positive student perceptions of engagement through the implementation of a formal courseembedded advising course in an online campus serving domestic and international students.…”