Through the Eyes of the Student Scholars

Through research seminars, collaborative projects, publications, and other scholarly activities, Student Scholars contribute their perspectives to research on how students learn. This page features research publications, blog posts, and reflections from CEL Student Scholars and their faculty and staff collaborators.

Peer Reviewed Articles and Chapters

CEL Student Scholars have contributed to peer-reviewed research on engaged learning, undergraduate research, student-faculty partnerships, and teaching and learning in higher education.

Blog Posts

Read reflections and research-informed writing from CEL Student Scholars and their faculty and staff partners. Posts explore topics including engaged learning, undergraduate research, student expertise, learning on location, equitable teaching and grading, and the role of students as partners in educational research.

White text on orange diagonal shape reads: "Allowing students to use multiple sources of evidence and a reflective process to self-assess their growth and performance in class has been hit or miss for me, to be honest...” with checkbox in background. Elon log bottom right corner.

Perspectives on Alternative Grading 

“Traditional” grading is a term used to describe the most common form of grading in an academic setting. In recent years, it has been seen that courses implementing this grading system “tend to be more oriented towards product over process,…

Quote in white text on a yellow rectangle is overlayed an image of people walking through a maze with wooden walls.

Why Is It So Different In College?: Individualized Education Plans vs. Accommodations 

A common point of confusion in the world of special education, with a shoutout to transitioning from a K-12 system to higher education in the US, are the differences between an individualized education plan (IEP) (often discussed alongside 504 plans), and…

Digital drawing of a female student with brown hair wearing a brown skirt and a blue backpack looking at a chalkboard that says "My CEL Experience by Kira Campagns"

CEL Student Summer Experiences 

This was my first summer participating in the Center for Engaged Learning student scholar experience. In late spring, I applied to be part of the CEL Student Scholar program. For those who may not know, the program consists of a…

White girl with long hair in a bun covers face with open book. Text set on a yellow background reads: "... regardless of the hours of hard work and dedication I put forth, I began to feel as if my success was impossible.”

Learning Disabilities, Meet Learned Helplessness

I am currently undertaking the course Educational Psychology here at Elon. While I was reading a section of my course textbook, I came across a statement that has been stuck in my head all week: “Students with learning disabilities might…

Black background with gray illustration of a brain. Opaque orange box sits behind white text that reads: "Before the seminar, I never would have considered that school policy, course curriculum, or even space design (I could go on) impacted my experiences. I had viewed my experiences and challenges as personal, and did not take a step back to look at the bigger picture."

Reflecting on my Experience as a Neurodivergent Learner 

I recently started my role as a CEL Student Scholar for the 2024–2026 Research Seminar on Affirming and Inclusive Engaged Learning for Neurodivergent Students. As a neurodivergent student myself, I was able to provide an important perspective for the participants,…

Woman sitting in an office behind translucent textured glass wall. Overlayed orange and dark brown diagonal shapes frame text that reads: "Each of us experiences life through unique intersections of our identities, which affect how we mentor and are mentored."

Building Trust in Mentoring Relationships

Mutual trust is widely recognized as a significant component of effective mentoring relationships because emotional and psychological safety allows both mentors and mentees to use their energy for learning and productivity rather than self-protection. Unfortunately, limited research exists on building…

Blue background with gold lines forming a border and leaves in two corners. Text reads, "After allowing myself to being pulled with the flow over sharp rocks and through slimy river weeds, splashing and struggling to keep my head above the current because I believed getting a lifejacket made me less of a swimmer, I finally saw the importance of reaching out and realizing my capabilities and where I needed support."

The Importance of Asking for Help

There is a saying that I’m sure many of you have heard, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” It means that in order to get what you need, you have to fight for it; it won’t simply be given to…

A gradient background with a text overlay: "I felt invisible as if nobody had heard or seen me... there is nothing more powerful than a voice in the world of education."

The Power of a Voice (as a Neurodivergent Learner)

There is nothing more powerful than a voice in the world of education. I was diagnosed with a learning disability, dyslexia, when I was in first grade. I was lucky in that they spotted my dyslexia at a young age….