Blended New Student Orientations Are Making a Difference: A Case-Study on Students' Experience with the Online Learning Activities
Saved in:
| Title: | Blended New Student Orientations Are Making a Difference: A Case-Study on Students' Experience with the Online Learning Activities |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Pamela P. Smalley, Richard E. West |
| Source: | Online Learning. 2026 30(1):423-455. |
| Availability: | Online Learning Consortium, Inc. P.O. Box 1238, Newburyport, MA 01950. Tel: 888-898-6209; Fax: 888-898-6209; e-mail: olj@onlinelearning-c.org; Web site: https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/index |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 33 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | School Transition, Student Adjustment, Blended Learning, School Orientation, Student Attitudes, Learning Modalities, College Freshmen, COVID-19, Pandemics, Student Experience, Electronic Learning, Peer Relationship, Student College Relationship, Sense of Belonging |
| ISSN: | 2472-5749 2472-5730 |
| Abstract: | Transitioning from high school to college is challenging for many students. The inability to make successful transitions can affect students' abilities to integrate into and graduate from college, especially for marginalized students. New student orientations were created to help students navigate their new academic environments. However, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person orientation activities defaulted to online formats. As institutions emerged from the pandemic, various blended new student orientation modalities were implemented. This case study focuses on how a university's new student orientation blended modality (consisting of both online and in-person activities) affected social connectedness as perceived by first-year students. Twenty students were interviewed, leading to three main findings regarding the impact of blended modalities: (a) they motivated these students to transition to college, (b) they helped these students develop a sense of connection to the institution before even stepping foot on campus, and (c) they showed that the combination of online and in-person orientation activities provided a holistic experience for these students. We discuss how blended modalities help build and strengthen connections and a sense of belonging between students and institutions. We conclude with suggestions on how current technology trends in education might be used to adapt blended modalities from their current state to one that could result in more engaging and personalized orientation experiences for first-year students. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1508144 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Transitioning from high school to college is challenging for many students. The inability to make successful transitions can affect students' abilities to integrate into and graduate from college, especially for marginalized students. New student orientations were created to help students navigate their new academic environments. However, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person orientation activities defaulted to online formats. As institutions emerged from the pandemic, various blended new student orientation modalities were implemented. This case study focuses on how a university's new student orientation blended modality (consisting of both online and in-person activities) affected social connectedness as perceived by first-year students. Twenty students were interviewed, leading to three main findings regarding the impact of blended modalities: (a) they motivated these students to transition to college, (b) they helped these students develop a sense of connection to the institution before even stepping foot on campus, and (c) they showed that the combination of online and in-person orientation activities provided a holistic experience for these students. We discuss how blended modalities help build and strengthen connections and a sense of belonging between students and institutions. We conclude with suggestions on how current technology trends in education might be used to adapt blended modalities from their current state to one that could result in more engaging and personalized orientation experiences for first-year students. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2472-5749 2472-5730 |
