In this paper, we address the achievements to date and the learnings from the development and ten-year implementation of the Iron Range Engineering (IRE) program while articulating its future directions. IRE uses research-based instructional strategies to implement a project-based learning (PBL) curriculum where authentic design sits at the heart…

Taking the distinction between the Institution of Apprenticeship, that is, the social partnership arrangements which underpin its organisation, and Apprenticeship as a Social Model of Learning, in other words, the configuration of pedagogic and occupational etc. dimensions which constitute the model, as its starting point the paper: (i) argues the…

Community college students vary greatly in their level of academic preparedness. Federal data indicates that 68 percent of community college students need to take at least one developmental education course (Jaggars & Stacey, 2014). Community colleges can support students' success by providing academic supports such as tutoring services for…

This study was designed to examine performance as a function of grade and course satisfaction in online undergraduate level courses, specifically students' self-efficacy for online technologies and self-regulated learning strategies. This research included a sample (N = 815) of community college students enrolled in liberal arts online courses…

This paper presents research, theory, and practice that indicate different cultures have different cognitive styles and that culturally diverse students become more successful learners when these differences are taken into account in the classroom. This theory of "culturally mediated education" enriches the conceptual basis of the…

In 1995, Cerritos College implemented a "Learning Community" approach with the intent of strengthening student academic success, especially among non-traditional, first generation college students. Thirty Learning Community clusters, seventy classes/instructors, and over four hundred students have been part of the learning communities…

Describes a study conducted to assess the effects of teaching a structured notetaking procedure to Calculus I students. Reports higher success rates among students who learned the technique than students taking the course the previous term, and increasingly positive attitudes toward the procedure over the course of the term. (DMM)

Implementing classroom strategies that demonstrate and encourage appropriate academic behaviors for at-risk students can improve their academic performance. Evaluates the implementation of four classroom strategies in developmental English, reading, and math classes at Schoolcraft College. Finds that student participation in the strategies was…

Studies a California community college that is implementing the learning paradigm--shifting from simply providing instruction to actively enhancing student learning. Suggests that community colleges undergoing this shift should examine ingrained perspectives of teaching and learning, create annual growth plans, provide inservice programs, and…

This study investigated the construct validity of an online version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) for use with community college students. The MSLQ which is an 81-item, self-report inventory which consists of 2 sections and 15 scales that assesses college students' motivational orientations and learning strategies.…

Working from a cognitive perspective, a range of studies have supported the relationship between study strategies and academic performance of college students (e.g., Peverly, Brobst, Graham, & Shaw, 2003). In particular, self-regulatory processes comprised of learner-directed activities geared toward promoting academic achievement have been…

Describes the use of a multi-part journal format, known as the synthesis journal, in academic assistance composition classes. The journal promotes students' abilities to synthesize ideas from four major sources--text, lecture, class discussion, and personal experience--and encourages higher-order thinking skills without shifting attention from the…

Explores the demographics of faculty who volunteer to teach using distance-education technologies and discusses incentives for this participation. Finds that faculty have an interest in teaching with technology as a component of student learning, and they see internal rewards as the dominant motivation for involvement. Contains 15 references. (VWC)

This paper identifies five difficulties in teaching the analysis of social problems, and proffers "mind maps," a concept that refers to the ways in which students create a visual representation of their thinking patterns, as a possible solution. In constructing mind maps, especially for a Social Problems course, the following four steps…

Gathers information from students and faculty in order to find ways to help community college students overcome their difficulties learning new concepts from content area readings. Research findings indicate that students' and instructors' responses indicated some agreement and some discrepancy between the students' perceptions of themselves as…