Engaging the Modern Learner: Learner Development

This course focuses solely on the central role within post-secondary institutions: the learner. In this seven- week, 100% online course, you will further your understanding of 21st century learners within the context of post-secondary institutions by examining their overall journey prior to, during, and beyond the post- secondary student lifecycle. Through inquiry, evidence-based, collaborative, and self-reflective learning practices, you will analyze the role of post-secondary professionals in encouraging the ongoing development of students’ 21st century competencies, and in supporting and enabling optimal conditions for learning. You will practice determining the needs of individual students by creating a student persona, which includes a holistic understanding of one student, comprised of their context, lived experiences, goals, and motivations for pursuing post-secondary studies. This course also includes an exploration of the diverse post-secondary student population; you will examine the student population at your institution, with specific focus on understanding diversity, equity, as well as the unique needs and inclusion of underrepresented students. By the end of this course, you will review the post-secondary student lifecycle at your institution, identifying potential barriers, gaps, and opportunities for improving student experience and conditions for learning. In reviewing your role and impact within the post-secondary student lifecycle, you will create an action plan to contribute to the improvement of one aspect of your institution’s student lifecycle.

Key topics:

• The 21st Century Learner
• The Post-Secondary Student Lifecycle
• The Diverse Post-Secondary Community
• Optimizing Student Experience to Enable Conditions for Learning

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:

• Identify opportunities for supporting students’ ongoing development of 21st century competencies, within the context of their experiences prior to and during the post-secondary student lifecycle.
• Create a student persona that demonstrates consideration for a student’s context, motivations and lived experiences, and that could support their individual needs to optimize their learning experience.
• Propose a plan to improve one aspect of the student lifecycle at your post-secondary institution, as it relates to your role and your impact on students’ experiences.

Applies Towards the Following Certificate of Completion

• Serving Students in Higher Education: Mandatory Course