Given the emphasis placed on laboratory reform and student engagement in authentic science practice, this manuscript outlines the development of a hybrid project-based laboratory (HPBL) curriculum centered around specific instructor goals and provides examples on how those goals were met by the experiments and how the change in curriculum affected…

The Texas Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE) is the program administered through the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants. The Texas ACE Foundation Communities Cycle 9 program is composed of a compilation of activities at 3 AISD campuses that provide a comprehensive range of…

What delivery modality is most effective in teaching undergraduate, political science research methods? Using systematically collected data from two academic terms and employing a quasi-experimental design, this paper explores variation in learning outcomes between face-to-face and distance-hybrid course offerings. Variation in the dependent…

A simplistic definition of metacognition is "thinking about thinking." It involves taking time to analyze and delve into the various ways the mind receives and retains information. It is not a new concept but metacognition is evolving as a new word for successful learners. It is stimulating much conversation and excitement in academia as…

Between 2012 and 2018, the California Community Colleges system underwent significant changes in policy and practice to address student success rates; this article chronicles policies affecting ESL students and how ESL faculty worked to ensure equitable, appropriate implementation for students enrolled in credit ESL courses. The 2018 California…

This is the technical appendix for the report: "Social-Emotional Learning and Academic Growth: Insights from an Innovative Research-Practice Partnership." Contents of the appendix include: (1) Sample; (2) The Student Success Network (SSN) Survey; and (3) Analytic Framework and Estimates. [For the full report, see ED615830.]

The handyman has a tool for everything, but the admissions dean is not so lucky: He must make do with just a few. Every year, presidents and professors expect freshmen who are curious, determined, and hungry for challenges. The traditional metrics of merit, however, can't reveal such qualities. Standardized-test scores may or may not predict a…

As some colleges and universities experience low rates of student success, many point to the large number of students who are placed into and fail to complete developmental education courses. Research examining the efficacy of course placement tests has suggested that success rates would increase if students were placed more accurately. A recent…

The Department of Physics at EKU [Eastern Kentucky University] with support from the National Science Foundations Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program has successfully converted our entire introductory physics sequence, both algebra-based and calculus-based courses, to an activity-based format where laboratory activities,…

Twenty years ago, in response to an existing vacuum in the literature, a national study of MBA internships at programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) was published (P. H. McCaskey, 1988). The descriptive article was written to aid educators and administrators in their decision making…

President Obama's first address to Congress signaled a shift in educational priorities. He committed his administration to ending the dropout crisis in the nation's public high schools and ensuring that by 2020 America would once again lead the world in the proportion of its population with college degrees. What has not been talked about is that a…

Experiential learning describes structured educational opportunities that allow students to physically interact with the course material. This pedagogical technique promotes critical thinking, decision making, problem solving, and increases the retention of knowledge. Given that experiential learning can be employed in a variety of learning spaces…

Use of the community college as preparation for transfer to four-year institutions and bachelor degree attainment continues to be a critical means of access to higher learning for students from diverse backgrounds. What variables distinguish community college transfers to four-year institutions who earn a bachelor degree from transfers who do not…

A scholarship program offers enrichment, support, higher recruitment and retention, improved professional development towards employment, and increased graduate opportunities for underrepresented groups. In this paper, it is postulated that the development of a successful and competitive scholarship program is dependent on several variables…

The current trend in First Year Experience (FYE) courses is to add critical thinking through reading and writing. Research now suggests this design for a learning strategy based FYE course improves retention rates. This paper provides methods of incorporating critical thinking through reading and learning into the FYE course curriculum through a…