To understand the mathematical concept of function, students must understand certain subconcepts, such as domain and range. Many researchers have studied students' understanding of functions, but no study has focused on how students come to understand the domain and range for the graphs of functions. In this study, we identified four common…

This is an extended conference proceedings report [Long Paper] based on a shorter contributed report at the same conference. A variety of computerized learning platforms exist. In mathematics, most include sets of problems to complete. Feedback to users ranges from a single word like "Correct!" to offers of hints and partially- to…

Seven teaching and learning tools, including course handouts, threaded discussion forums, and written assignments enhance learning in online courses by enabling students to deepen their understanding of course material and reduce anxiety about the online setting and their performance in the class. These tools have been used in 24 community college…

Discusses how David R. Kolb's methodology of identifying four types of student learning styles can be helpful in teaching introductory economics and gives two examples of how this is being done at Hazard Community College (Kentucky). Includes an appendix designed to present a step-by-step process for teachers using the Kolb method for the first…

A traditional world regional geography course inescapably entails a flow of information that many community college students find overwhelming. This paper delineates five strategies developed over 30 years of teaching to help students cope with this fundamental problem: (1) using study guides or a manual to help students understand assigned…

This report sets forth the rationale and guiding principles for a Student Success Model developed for the Maricopa Community Colleges. It incorporates the following stages: Outreach and Intake; Entry; Experience; and Completion/Assessment. It is recognized that students can and will enter at any stage. Each stage of the model also incorporates…

Community college students may be at-risk academically, socioeconomically, or because they are first-generation attendees. Recognizing the need for a strong support system, a study was conducted to determine whether students could be taught to incorporate information processing strategies into their personal inventory of strategies. It was…

To promote active student learning and improve student self-reliance, the Learning Center at Utah's Salt Lake Community College has designed several innovative training activities for peer tutors. In one activity, which seeks to demonstrate the importance of student feedback, peer tutors sit back to back while one in the role of "tutor"…

This case study investigated whether student talk and classroom discussion might help students find a voice in the academic community and pave the way for other forms of research and analysis that the academy expects of them. Participants were Bergen Community College (New Jersey) students (N=110) enrolled in a non-credit remedial English class.…

This report describes a curriculum reform project conducted at Spokane Community College (Washington), which has extensive vocational programs and a high percentage of non-traditional students. The purpose of the project was to develop and test a series of student Learning Activity Packets (LAPs), which introduce fundamental chemistry concepts by…

Students set in their ways are usually reluctant, as a general rule, to deal with open-ended investigative scenarios. In order to acquaint the student with the physical method and philosophical thought process of the discipline, the tone of the course must be set early on. The present study was conducted to develop scenarios and microbial model…

This study addressed the question: "What instructional techniques are most effective in helping students learn how to self-regulate their learning?" An integrated model based on current research in self-regulated learning (SRL) was used to explain changes in students' SRL. Five key instructional practices were identified and embedded…

Red Deer College's (RDC) efforts to integrate learning skills into the college curriculum are described in three papers. First, Glynis Wilson Boultbee defines learning skills (e.g., listening, viewing, reading, memorizing, asking questions, preparing for and writing exams, taking notes, researching, problem solving, and writing); attitudinal…

This paper reviews nine principles regarding the reading process, and six scaffolds for teaching students to read, and then suggests a specific developmental reading program for a learning center built upon this knowledge. It is generally accepted that four factors interact to form the reading/learning process: (1) Material; (2) Self; (3)…

Recent shifts toward collaborative learning and learner-centered language indicates that: (1) student diversity is increasing; (2) delivery, interaction, and assessment must occur across an expanding range of contexts, cultures, and knowledge parameters; and (3) learners must be empowered to accept responsibility for their learning and also to…