Purpose: With the increasing number of institutions offering online degree programs, there is a growing need to understand the requirements for interactions and the challenges present in online learning environments. Consequently, this qualitative study aims to explore aspects of nontraditional students, typically defined as older than traditional college age, employed full-time or with family responsibilities. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a qualitative approach, conducting in-depth interviews with nine nontraditional students. Grounded in social presence theory, this study analyzed the experiences and viewpoints of nontraditional students in the online learning environment, utilizing thematic analysis. Findings: Thematic analysis unveiled two major themes: interactions in online learning and challenges in online learning. Four sub-themes emerged from interactions in online learning (interaction with instructors, interaction with peers, content interaction and interface interaction). In addition, three sub-themes emerged from challenges in online learning (timing inflexibility, tools and technological barriers and diverse learning modes). The findings of this suggest that nontraditional students derived benefits from online learning, yet they faced limitations in peer interaction and experienced technological barriers. Originality/value: This study is based on primary data collected from nontraditional students, offering valuable insights into the needs and challenges they face in higher education while engaged in online learning.

This article presents the concept and principles of digital technology for community development and community developers. An approach for creating no-code mobile applications for community developers’ fieldwork surveys is also proposed to organize a digital technology skill training program focused on no-code mobile application development for community developers. The training program consists of a two-day hands-on workshop in no-code mobile application development with 50 community developers participating in its development. A 70% increase in participants’ knowledge of utilizing digital technology for local community development was observed, with all participants (100%) successfully developing no-code mobile applications for surveying data on their communities. Additionally, the participants expressed high satisfaction with the training format and content, with an average score of 4.80. Digital technology knowledge is essential for contemporary community development efforts. Empowering community developers, especially those engaged in fieldwork, to independently acquire mobile app development skills or access continuous learning resources significantly enhances their professional capacity. This empowerment leads to more effective and efficient community development practices, particularly in community data collection.