SoTL Commons Conference Presenters
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PS-7: Student Learning Experiences: Comparing Individualists and Collectivists
Kelly Ellenburg (University of Tennessee): kellenb@utk.edu
Whether a person is an individualist or a collectivist determines a large part of how they function in society, including how they learn. Collectivists are motivated to achieve in order to serve or give back to an in-group, and may behave differently and make different choices than individualists, who are motivated by service to self. The differences in these students' learning experiences can be compounded in the context of public research and predominantly white institutions, which are deeply grounded in individualism (such institutions focus on outcomes such as critical thinking and persuasion, both values of individualism). This study delves into the “discovery” aspect of SOTL by detailing the learning experiences of extreme individualists and collectivists at a large research PWI. The poster compares these students' learning experiences, and suggests ways that faculty can facilitate rich learning experiences for individualists and collectivists through perspective-taking and intentional choices about curriculum and pedagogy.