Nontraditional Student Preferences and Experiences: Implications for Virtual Synchronous Sessions

As online and blended formats expand in continuing higher education, instructors and program leaders must consider how virtual synchronous sessions support adult and nontraditional learners who balance coursework with work, caregiving, and other responsibilities. In this study, virtual synchronous sessions refer to scheduled live web-conferencing meetings embedded in online or blended courses. This mixed-methods survey study examined nontraditional undergraduate and graduate students’ preferences, experiences, and perceived barriers related to these sessions at a private university in the southeastern United States primarily serving adult learners. A total of 119 completed responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and descriptive thematic analysis of open-ended comments. Findings indicated that students generally viewed virtual synchronous sessions as valuable when they were concise, purpose-driven, and focused on clarification, instructor interaction, and guided support. Flexibility emerged as especially important, with students expressing strong preferences for optional or mixed participation models and access to recordings when live attendance was not feasible. Reported barriers included work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, technology limitations, and limited access to quiet learning environments. Implications are discussed for aligning synchronous design decisions with course modality, participation expectations, equitable access, and instructor presence.