A Formative Evaluation of "Humanities 101: A Lakehead University Community Initiative"

In the Fall of 2005, the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University implemented a twelve-week program aimed at providing non-traditional students an experience in higher education. The purpose of this study was to describe the perspective of the students on a) how well the program achieved its objectives, and b) how the program could be improved. Fourteen graduates were interviewed after completing the program. Results revealed that the objectives of the pilot program were accomplished. Recommendations for improvement included developing a pedagogy that is more appropriate for non-traditional learners and offering a genuine university-level experience by adjusting the expectations to better reflect the expectations of a true university course. Implications of results are discussed.