Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Spring 4-22-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

April 2026

Department

Educational Leadership and Research Methodology

College Granting Degree

College of Education

Department Granting Degree

Educational Leadership and Research Methodology

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Patricia Maslin-Ostrowski

Abstract

Among the challenges facing higher education (HE) today is the entrance of digital native students into the HE classroom. At the turn of the 21st century, the term “digital native” was popularized, along with the claim that the immersion of digital natives in the digital universe, through mobile phones and social media, would determinately alter the manner in which these students learned. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the learning experiences of nine digital native students attending a southeastern public research university, as well as the perspectives and/or teaching methods of five of their faculty. This study (one of the first qualitative studies of digital native students in higher education) included interviews, classroom observations, and a review of online professor rankings. Three major findings were obtained: a majority of the students indicated a preference for active engagement in in-person learning spaces; a majority of the students rated their overall experience in the classroom as positive; and, each of the faculty members had noticed changes in students’ learning preferences and adopted active learning teaching methods. This study leads to the conclusions that today’s digital native students are not fundamentally unique in their learning preferences, and that active learning instructional methods should be emphasized in practice and in policy by HE institutions.

Download

Share

COinS