Finding Effective Ways to Teach Non-traditional Students: A Different Model of Teaching and Learning

As the education landscape continues to evolve, non-traditional students are becoming a growing number in the demographics of college graduates. Many of these students, including working professionals, adult learners, and first generation college goers, start their education at a community college and later transfer to a four-year institution to finish their bachelor's degree. Juggling multiple commitments such as jobs and family obligations, lack of access to resources and role models, and a K-12 education that often does not reflect a solid foundation, collectively result in a learning experience that does not align or mirror the standard "college experience" of a traditional student. Yet teaching and instruction techniques have remained the same for this population. In this paper, we will share our experience over the past four years in running a bachelor's degree completion program for such non-traditional students. We will address some of the challenges faced by this group and also some of the innovative ways that we have constructed a curriculum that could connect, inspire, and motivate our students. Our long-term goal is to construct a pedagogical methodology that would better be suited for non-traditional students and to provide a support system that ensures their success.