Engaged learning during distraction: a case study of successful working moms in distance education

Abstract

Adult learners are a significant proportion of distance learners and many of these students are working mothers. Several instructional design models center the learner, and this requires understanding the learner needs, strengths, and context. There is a gap in the literature describing the experience of modern working mother students in distance education. To understand this experience, the researchers interviewed and observed six academically high-achieving working mother students as they participated in their distance education courses during the pandemic. A discourse analysis approach was utilized to analyze the data. This extreme sample revealed several strategies that these students used to be successful despite their challenges. The findings suggest that understanding the experiences of distance learners as they study in the home are important for effective course design. More specifically, working mothers face significant distractions in their study environments, but the cognitive load can be reduced by making use of their prior knowledge, scaffolding instruction, and encouraging social presence. Additional strategies from the literature that address these constructs are provided for instructors and instructional designers.

Non-Traditional Adult Learners After COVID-19: Applying National Standards for Online Teaching in Human Service Education

“…These responsibilities in conjunction with the demands of coursework can lead to burn out and feeling overwhelmed (Rabourn et al, 2018). NAL, particularly female learners, may struggle to balance online coursework with the demands of family, which may contribute to high drop-out rates for NAL in online programs (Fensie et al, 2023;Kara et al, 2019;Rabourn et al, 2018). These difficulties were exacerbated by COVID due to the closures of childcare and/or remote school experienced by many parents.…”