Influences of success for community college Black women in online learning experiences

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the influences of Black community college women learners' successful online learning experiences through their described observations, perceptions, and experiences. The drivers for a study about the successful online experiences of Black community college women were twofold. First, despite the substantial amount of research that exists about students and online learning experiences, the student voices of Black women in community college settings were mostly absent. Second, the online course success rates for Black women significantly lagged behind White women at the research site called for exploring and understanding what contributes to Black women's success in online learning experiences. The study's design focused on a success mindset rather than a deficit one, allowing the participants to identify what precisely contributed to their success in the online environment. The study's findings point to implications that may influence student services, course design, teaching methods, and institutional policies, processes, and procedures.