The professor of communication design recently authored two peer-reviewed articles examining immersive learning and global service-learning collaboration.
Phillip Motley, professor of communication design and director of graduate programs in Elon University’s School of Communications, recently published two scholarly articles that underscore his interest in immersive, community-engaged learning. Together, the works highlight how educators are rethinking high-impact practices – both in the classroom and through global partnerships – to support student learning across today’s higher education landscape.
Motley’s article “Defining Immersive Learning,” published in Teaching and Learning Inquiry, was recently recognized with the journal’s prestigious Nancy Chick Article of the Year Award. Co-authored with colleagues from the United States, Canada and Australia, the study examines how immersive learning is practiced and understood across institutions. The research team conducted a large-scale survey and more than 50 one-on-one interviews with faculty and staff from four countries, offering one of the field’s most comprehensive examinations of immersive learning to date.
That breadth of inquiry – and the collaborative approach behind it – earned the study the journal’s top honor. The Nancy Chick Article of the Year Award, presented annually at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning conference, recognizes scholarship that reflects Teaching & Learning Inquiry’s commitment to methodological diversity, interdisciplinary perspectives, and international authorship.
The “Defining Immersive Learning” research has also sparked future scholarship: Motley and co-authors Beth Archer-Kuhn (University of Calgary) and Michelle Eady (University of Wollongong) are now co-editing a forthcoming book on immersive learning, with additional chapters contributed by members of the research team.
Motley’s second recent publication – “The International Service-Learning Network: A Community of Practice Designed for a Pandemic” – appears in the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. Co-authored with colleagues from the U.S. and U.K., the article traces the creation of the International Service-Learning Network, a cross-institutional community of practice that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The group convened faculty and staff committed to sustaining community engagement at a time when traditional service-learning models were disrupted. The article highlights the network’s ongoing work and includes significant examples of Elon’s own community-engaged initiatives.