Publications
Formative Education Online:
Teaching the Whole Person during the Global COVID-19 Pandemic
When courses moved online, could professors still teach the whole person? This study highlights best practices from faculty recognized for their formative education work. Through empathy, reflection, and adaptability, these professors showed how online classrooms can nurture students’ growth, well-being, and holistic development—offering insights readers can learn from.
Kim, D., Wortham, S., Borowiec, K., Yatsu, D. K., Ha, S., Carroll, S., Wang, L., & Kim, J. (2021). Formative education online: Teaching the whole person during the global COVID‑19 pandemic. AERA Open, 7, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584211015229
Formative Education Online:
Cultivating Wholeness, Purpose, and Community in Virtual Environments
A companion piece to the study on Formative Education Online.This practice guide brings professors’ voices and practices to life through vignettes, practical suggestions, and reflection questions. It expands on the research by showing how faculty cultivate wholeness, purpose, and community in virtual classrooms.
Kim, D., Wortham, S., Borowiec, K., Yatsu, D. K., Ha, S., Carroll, S., Wang, L., & Kim, J. (2021). Formative education online: Cultivating wholeness, purpose, and community in virtual environments. Lynch School of Education and Human Development.
Educating for Comprehensive Well-Being
Buzzwords like “well-being” and “the whole child” are gaining traction in education circles—but behind them lie distinct visions of human development. This article maps 11 approaches and distills four essential questions every framework beyond academics should address, offering clarity amid growing enthusiasm and debate.
Wortham, S., Love-Jones, R., Peters, W., Morris, S., & García-Huidobro, J. C. (2020). Educating for comprehensive well-being. ECNU Review of Education, 3(3), 406-436. https://doi.org/10.1177/2096531120928448
Publications by Affiliated Scholars
- Faculty Engagement Patterns in Online Formative or Whole Person Education: Characteristics of Highly Engaged Faculty
Borowiec, K., Wortham, S., Kim, D., & Barsotti, E., (2025) - Undeclared: A Philosophy of Formative Higher Education
Higgins, C (2024) - Measuring Faculty Engagement in Online Formative or Whole-Person Education: A Revised Instrument and Item Response Theory Model
Wortham, S., Borowiec, K., & Kim, D. (2023). - Supporting Holistic Student Development through Online Community Building
Borowiec K., Kim, D., Wang, L., Kim, J., & Wortham, S. (2021) - Wholeness as a Developmental Goal
Wortham, S., Ha, S. & Alexander, J. (2021).
- The Development of Critical Consciousness and its Relation to Academic Achievement in Adolescents of Color
Seider, S., Clark, S., & Graves, D. (2020)