Online Learning for First-Generation and Underrepresented Minoritized Students: A Literature Review Using a Model of Student Engagement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i1.3392Keywords:
online learning, first-generation students, underrepresented minoritized students, student engagement, literature reviewAbstract
First-generation and underrepresented minoritized(URM) studentsmay have greater challenges in online learning than other students. Communities of support can help these highly motivated students be more engaged and successful in the remote learning environment. In this scoping literature review, we identified fifteen categories of first-generation and URM student challenges in online learning as found in peer-reviewed research of the last ten years. We placed these challenges within the Student Engagement model and found them to be barriers of student engagement. The results of our analysis may help guide practitioners and educators in the continuance or creation of theoretically grounded interventions for student support.References
Armstrong, V. O., Tudor, T. R., & Hughes, G. D. (2021). Course retention in community colleges: Demographics, motivation, learning style, and locus of control. American Journal of Distance Education, 35(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1825893
Banerjee, M. (2020). An exploratory study of online equity: Differential levels of technological access and technological efficacy among underserved and underrepresented student populations in higher education. Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning, 16, 093–121. https://doi.org/10.28945/4664
Barber, P. H., Shapiro, C., Jacobs, M. S., Avilez, L., Brenner, K. I., Cabral, C., ... & Levis-Fitzgerald, M. (2021). Disparities in remote learning faced by first-generation and underrepresented minority students during COVID-19: Insights and opportunities from a remote research experience. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 22(1), ev22i1–2457. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v22i1.2457
Ben-Eliyahu, A., Moore, D., Dorph, R., & Schunn, C. D. (2018). Investigating the multidimensionality of engagement: Affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement across science activities and contexts. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 53, 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.01.002
Borup, J., Graham, C. R., West, R. E., Archambault, L., & Spring, K. J. (2020). Academic communities of engagement: An expansive lens for examining support structures in blended and online learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(2), 807–832. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09744-x
Brubacher, M. R., & Silinda, F. T. (2021). First-generation students in distance education program: Family resources and academic outcomes. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 22(1), 135–147. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v22i1.4872
Calma, J. (2020, August 19). Going remote makes it harder for colleges to reach first-generation students. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/21372574/colleges-online-remote-learning-first-generation-students.
Center for First-Generation Student Success. (n.d.). Journal & Research. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://firstgen.naspa.org/journal-and-research?types=cmScholarlyArticle&category=all&topic=all
Chávez, A. F., Ke, F., & Herrera, F. A. (2012). Clan, sage, and sky: Indigenous, Hispano, and Mestizo narratives of learning in New Mexico context. American Educational Research Journal, 49(4), 775–806. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831212441498
Chen, R. T. H., & Bennett, S. (2012). When Chinese learners meet constructivist pedagogy online. Higher Education, 64(5), 677–691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-012-9520-9
Cochrane, J. E., & Maposa, S. (2018). How to ensure academic success of indigenous students who “learn where they live.” International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education, 33(2).
Cotten, S. R., Davison, E. L., Shank, D. B., & Ward, B. W. (2014). Gradations of disappearing digital divides among racially diverse middle school students (pp. 25-54). In Communication and information technologies annual. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Covarrubias, R., Landa, I., & Gallimore, R. (2020). Developing a family achievement guilt scale grounded in first-generation college student voices. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(11), 1553–1566. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167220908382
Cox, C. T., Stepovich, N., Bennion, A., Fauconier, J., & Izquierdo, N. (2021). Motivation and sense of belonging in the large enrollment introductory general and organic chemistry remote courses. Education Sciences, 11(9), 549. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090549
De La Cruz, M., Guerrero, B., Pace, L., & Ramos, S. (2021) First generation college students in a virtual world: challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Education and Human Developments, 7(1).
DeRossett, T., Marler, E. K., & Hatch, H. A. (2021). The role of identification, generational status, and COVID-19 in academic success. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000293
Douglas, J. (2019, August 13). The challenges and privileges of being a first-generation college student. Alliance for Excellent Education. https://all4ed.org/the-challenges-and-privileges-of-being-a-first-generation-college-student/
Ellison, S. (2019). Counter-storytelling vs. Deficit thinking around African American children and families, digital literacies, race, and the digital divide. Research in the Teaching of English, 53(3), 223–244.
Eugene, W., & Clark, K. (2012). E-Learning, engineering and learners of African descent: A needs analysis. Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, 13(2).
Fariña, M. D. M., Kim, S. H., Watson, J., & Dyson, Y. D. (2021). COVID-19 and structural racial inequity: Lessons learned for social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 57(sup1), 238–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2021.1935370
Fischer, C., Xu, D., Rodriguez, F., Denaro, K., & Warschauer, M. (2020). Effects of course modality in summer session: Enrollment patterns and student performance in face-to-face and online classes. The Internet and Higher Education, 45, 100710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2019.100710
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
Garrison, R. (2009). Implications of online learning for the conceptual development and practice of distance education. Journal of Distance Education, 23(2), 93–104.
Gill, B., Walsh, L., Wulsin, C. S., Matulewicz, H., Severn, V., Grau, E., . . . Kerwin, T. (2015). Inside online charter schools: A report of the national study of online charter schools. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
Gillis, A., & Krull, L. M. (2020). COVID-19 remote learning transition in Spring 2020: Class structures, student perceptions, and inequality in college courses. Teaching Sociology, 48(4), 283–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X20954263
Gloria, A. M., & Castellanos, J. (2012). Desafíos y bendiciones: A multiperspective examination of the educational experiences and coping responses of first-generation college Latina students. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 11(1), 82–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192711430382
Gregory, C. B. (2016). Community college student success in online versus equivalent face-to-face courses (Paper 3007.) [Doctoral Dissertation, East Tennessee State University]. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3007
Guerrero, S., Atherton, A., Rushall, A., & Daugherty, R. (2020). Does a modified math emporium work for all students? International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 8(3), 233–244.
Halverson, L. R., & Graham, C. R. (2019). Learner engagement in blended learning
environments: A conceptual framework. Online Learning, 23(2), 145–178.
https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i2.1481
Haney, D. (2020, November 6). Supporting first-generation students’ spirit of engagement. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/11/06/colleges-should-tap-first-generation-students-spirit-academic-and-civic-engagement.
Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause Review, 27 March. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
Holcombe, E. M., & Kezar, A. (2021). Exploring the organizational value of integrated transition programs for underrepresented college students. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 58(1), 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2020.1726358
Howard, T. O., Winkelmes, M. A., & Shegog, M. (2020). Transparency teaching in the virtual classroom: Assessing the opportunities and challenges of integrating transparency teaching methods with online learning. Journal of Political Science Education, 16(2), 198–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2018.1550420
Institutional Research. (2019, December). Underrepresented minority (URM) and First Generation: Defining Terms. California State University Chico. https://www.csuchico.edu/ir/by-the-numbers/urm-first-generation-definitions.shtml#:~:text=Defining%20Terms&text=Underrepresented%20Minority%20(URM)%20%2D%20is,Minority%20(Non%2DURM)
Jett, C. C. (2021). The qualms and quarrels with online undergraduate mathematics: The experiences of African American male STEM majors. Investigations in Mathematics Learning, 13(1), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/19477503.2020.1827663
Johnson, J. B., Reddy, P., Chand, R., & Naiker, M. (2021). Attitudes and awareness of regional Pacific Island students towards e-learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00248-z
Joosten, T., & Cusatis, R. (2019). A cross-institutional study of instructional characteristics and student outcomes: Are quality indicators of online courses able to predict student success? Online Learning, 23(4), 354–378. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i4.1432
Joosten, T., & Cusatis, R. (2020). Online learning readiness. American Journal of Distance Education, 34(3), 180–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1726167
Kawalilak, C., Wells, N., Connell, L., & Beamer, K. (2012). E-learning access, opportunities, and challenges for Aboriginal adult learners located in rural communities. College Quarterly, 15(2), n2.
Killham, J. E., Estanga, L., Ekpe, L., & Mejia, B. (2022). The strength of a tigress: An examination of Latina first-generation college students’ tenacity during the rapid shift to remote learning. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 54(sup1), S253–S272. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1962450
Kimble-Hill, A. C., Rivera-Figueroa, A., Chan, B. C., Lawal, W. A., Gonzalez, S., Adams, M. R., ... & Fiore-Walker, B. (2020). Insights gained into marginalized students access challenges during the COVID-19 academic response. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 3391–3395. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00774
Kuo, Y. C., & Belland, B. R. (2019). Exploring the relationship between African American adult learners’ computer, Internet, and academic self-efficacy, and attitude variables in technology-supported environments. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 31(3), 626–642. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-019-09212-3
Martin, F., Stamper, B., & Flowers, C. (2020). Examining student perception of readiness for online learning: Importance and confidence. Online Learning, 24(2), 38–58. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i2.2053
McCarty, C., Bennett, D., & Carter, S. (2013). Teaching college microeconomics: Online vs. traditional classroom instruction. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 11.
Means, B., & Neisler, J. (2021). Teaching and learning in the time of COVID: The student perspective. Online Learning, 25(1), 8–27. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i1.2496
Milner, A., & Jumbe, S. (2020). Using the right words to address racial disparities in COVID-19. The Lancet. Public Health, 5(8), e419. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30162-6
Moore, R., Vitale, D., & Stawinoga, N. (2018). The digital divide and educational equity: A look at students with very limited access to electronic devices at home. Insights in Education and Work. ACT, Inc.
Moreno, R. (2021). The guilt of success: Looking at Latino first-generation college students’ experience of leaving home. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 20(2), 213–231.
Nguyen, Q., Rienties, B., & Richardson, J. T. (2020). Learning analytics to uncover inequality in behavioural engagement and academic attainment in a distance learning setting. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 45(4), 594–606. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1679088
Palacios, A. M., & Wood, J. L. (2016). Is online learning the silver bullet for men of color? An institutional-level analysis of the California community college system. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 40(8), 643–655.
Postsecondary National Policy Institute (2021, February 1). Factsheets: First-generation students. PNPI. https://pnpi.org/first-generation-students/
Reschly, A. L., & Christenson, S. L. (2012). Jingle, jangle, and conceptual haziness: Evolution and future directions of the engagement construct. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 3–19). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_1
Rovai, A. P. (2003). In search of higher persistence rates in distance education online programs. The Internet and Higher Education, 6(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(02)00158-6.
Salvo, S., Shelton, K., & Welch, B. (2017). African American males and online education: A review of the literature. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 20(4).
Salvo, S. G., Shelton, K., & Welch, B. (2019). African American males learning online: Promoting academic achievement in higher education. Online Learning, 23(1), 22–36. https:/doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i1.1390
Shapiro, M., Solano, D. M., Bergkamp, J. J., Gebauer, A., Gillian, E., Lopez, K. M., ... & Talbert, L. E. (2020). Impacts of converting courses to virtual instruction midsemester at a Hispanic-serving institution. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 2526–2533. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00788
Shea, P., & Bidjerano, T. (2019). Effects of online course load on degree completion, transfer, and dropout among community college students of the State University of New York. Online Learning, 23(4), 6–22. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i4.1364
Soria, K. M., Horgos, B., Chirikov, I., & Jones-White, D. (2020). First-generation students’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Libraries Digital Conservancy. https://hdl.handle.net/11299/214934
Stone, C., O'Shea, S., May, J., Delahunty, J., & Partington, Z. (2016). Opportunity through online learning: Experiences of first-in-family students in online open-entry higher education. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 56(2), 146–169. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.198122827614037
USC Dornsife. (n.d.). First-gen & common struggles. USC University of Southern California. https://dornsife.usc.edu/first-generation-college-students-at-usc/what-are-first-gen-common-struggles/
Vielma, K., & Brey, E. M. (2021). Using evaluative data to assess virtual learning experiences for students during COVID-19. Biomedical Engineering Education, 1(1), 139–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43683-020-00027-8
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Walton, P., Byrne, R., Clark, N., Pidgeon, M., Arnouse, M., & Hamilton, K. (2020). Online indigenous university student supports, barriers, and learning preferences. International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education, 35(2), 1–45. https://doi.org/10.7275/dsep-4220
Warring, S. (2013). A model of independent learning applied to the online context. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 14(1), 25.
Willems, J. (2012). Educational resilience as a quadripartite responsibility: Indigenous peoples participating in higher education via distance education. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 16(1), 14–27. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.383642487440090
Williams, J. R. (2020). Designing for the margins: addressing inequities in digital learning starts with hearing and engaging the student voice. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 53(1), 26–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2021.1850118
Wladis, C., Conway, K. M., & Hachey, A. C. (2015). The online STEM classroom—Who succeeds? An exploration of the impact of ethnicity, gender, and non-traditional student characteristics in the community college context. Community College Review, 43(2), 142–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091552115571729
Xu, D., & Jaggars, S. S. (2014). Performance gaps between online and face-to-face courses: Differences across types of students and academic subject areas. The Journal of Higher Education, 85(5), 633–659. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2014.11777343
Yeboah, A. K., & Smith, P. (2016). Relationships between minority students online learning experiences and academic performance. Online Learning, 20(4), n4.
Zalaznick, M. (2020, August 24). Covid challenges hit first-generation students harder. University Business. https://universitybusiness.com/covid-challenges-hit-first-generation-college-students-harder/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
As a condition of publication, the author agrees to apply the Creative Commons – Attribution International 4.0 (CC-BY) License to OLJ articles. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
This licence allows anyone to reproduce OLJ articles at no cost and without further permission as long as they attribute the author and the journal. This permission includes printing, sharing and other forms of distribution.
Author(s) hold copyright in their work, and retain publishing rights without restrictions
