Exploring the Potential for a First Year Experience Online with Learning Styles

Abstract

This research will fill a critical gap in the higher education field by reviewing learning styles in an online environment for a first year experience college success course. This is critical information for administrators and faculty as students are utilizing online platforms more than ever before in higher education. An increase in online education, demanding schedules, and preferences for online options drives many students toward online environments and it is crucial to understand what measures could be used to create success in online classrooms. This paper will be an inter-disciplinary review with a variety of concerns for a first year experience online with social science reviewing pedagogy, engagement, and technology. Science themes will then be incorporated relative to the various learning styles of individuals and how they learn as regarding the potential for an online first year experience and the methods of creating a first year experience online for the preferred learning styles of students. A first year experience can be created for the online environment if learning styles are effectively incorporated.