Two graphs shown. The graph on left is default produced by Excel (cluttered and unattractive), graph on right is re-designed following 4 steps discussed in this blog post

Four Steps to Better Data Visualizations

If you’ve collected data in your higher education research on engaged learning, chances are you’d like to present it to your readers in an effective, visually pleasing, and impactful way. The problem is that data visualization is a complex topic,…

"Mentoring as a Constellation" on photo of stars in constellation

Mentoring for Learner Success: Conceptualizing Constellations

In their recent book, Relationship-Rich Education, Elon colleagues Drs. Peter Felten and Leo Lambert weave together dozens of stories emphasizing the importance of meaningful connections for successful learning and well-being in higher education. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, they offer extensive evidence of the power of relationships between learners and peers, staff, and faculty, asserting that all students should “create webs…

Collaboration and Memory

When Does Collaboration Hurt Memory?

Take six people and give them all a list of words to commit to memory individually. Next, have three of those people work as a group to recall as many words as they can. Have the other three people try…

Elon Statement on Capstone Experiences

From 2018 to 2020, twenty-two scholars participated in the Center for Engaged Learning research seminar on Capstone Experiences, co-led by Caroline Ketcham (Elon University), Jillian Kinzie (Indiana University), and Tony Weaver (Elon University). The seminar fostered international, multi-institutional research on capstone…