“I Have a Lot of ‘I'm Doing It’ Moments”: Improving the Success of Non-Traditional Students Through the Southern Cross Model

Does online engagement matter? The impact of interactive learning modules and synchronous class attendance on student achievement in an immersive delivery model

“…Students consistently linked the "usefulness" of the online modules to the achievement of their learning goals and indicated that the alignment between modules and classes deepened their understanding of concepts and skills they considered important and valuable. This builds upon earlier research concluding that constructive alignment is an important factor underpinning the learning and performance of pathways students in an immersive model (Goode et al, 2021) and that authentic and contextualised activities in online modules promote engagement and deep learning (Sugden et al, 2021).…”

“…However, cognitive load theory suggests that human cognitive processes are constrained by a finite capacity to engage in multiple tasks or tasks of high complexity and it follows that overloading this capacity can diminish cognitive performance and academic achievement (Mason et al, 2016;Sweller, 1988). Thus, other sources argue that immersive learning reduces the interference effects caused by competing cognitive demands, resulting in a more manageable cognitive load and an enhanced sense of focus (Goode et al, 2021;Richmond et al, 2015). This can better support students from a range of backgrounds to achieve academic success alongside other life commitments (McCluskey et al, 2019;Nieuwoudt & Stimpson, 2021;Zhang & Cetinich, 2022).…”

“…Evidence indicates that the introduction of online learning modules that guide students through interactive, mediarich materials can increase knowledge and skill acquisition as well as academic performance (Herbert et al, 2017;Moradi et al, 2018;Wong et al, 2020). Furthermore, synchronous classes drawing on active learning pedagogies have been found to enhance students' confidence and independence (Goode et al, 2021;Syme et al, 2021) as well as motivation, participation and performance (Rincon-Flores & Santos-Guevara, 2021;Tirado-Olivares et al, 2021). It follows then that an important approach to assessing the effectiveness of applying active learning principles is to explore students' engagement with core curriculum elements designed to promote active learning.…”

Improving the Academic Performance and Mental Health of Non-Traditional University Students Through a Shorter Delivery Model: Exploring the Impact of the Southern Cross Model

“…Findings from recent studies regarding academic performance in SDMs and TDMs are conflicting. Some studies found no differences between SDMs and TDMs in terms of academic performance (Ho & Polonsky, 2009;Simunich, 2016), while other studies indicate that SDMs may lead to increased academic performance (Goode et al, 2021;McCluskey et al, 2020;Samarawickrema & Cleary, 2021;Walsh et al, 2019). It appears that the increased academic performance in SDMs may be facilitated by the implementation of active learning pedagogy (Goode et al, 2022;Lee & Horsfall, 2010).…”

“…It appears that the increased academic performance in SDMs may be facilitated by the implementation of active learning pedagogy (Goode et al, 2022;Lee & Horsfall, 2010). Some researchers argue that SDMs reduces cognitive load compared to TDMs, as the competing demands from multiple cognitive demands are reduced in SDMs where students focus on less subjects/tasks/assessments (Goode et al, 2021). Recent Australian studies reported improved academic performance of non-traditional students including first-in-family, low socio-economic status, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and non-English-speaking background students in SDMs (McCluskey et al, 2020;Samarawickrema & Cleary, 2021).…”