With the emergence of MOOCs, it becomes crucial to automate the process of a course design to accommodate the diverse learning demands of students. Modeling the relationships among educational topics is a fundamental first step for automating curriculum planning and course design. In this paper, we introduce "Topic Transition Map" (TTM),…

This paper offers a critique of elaboration theory (ET) based on recent cognitive research and offers suggestions for updating the model to reflect new knowledge. It begins by summarizing the basic strategies of this model for sequencing and organizing courses of instruction: (1) organizing structure; (2) simple-to-complex sequence; (3) sequencing…

Since engineering graduates and other technical students are frequently expected to document their projects as well as present such material orally, a Speech and Technical Writing course was designed at a New Hampshire college to prepare students for both technical writing tasks and oral presentations of their material. The course provides an…

In an attempt to serve underprepared students--students who are beginners in writing, reading, and logical thinking skills--the English department at Keene State College in New Hampshire has been evolving a developmental English composition course designed to enable these students to participate effectively in their subsequent general education…

The implicit assumption behind personal writing assignments given at the beginning of a writing course is that personal essays eliminate the writing apprehension of having nothing to say. However, college freshmen find it very difficult to write about themselves and their own opinions because this writing involves abstract mental processes and…

The first section of this two-part paper presents a brief discussion of the planning, pilot implementation, and benefits of Assessment and Advisement 100, a one-unit, self-paced, student development course offered at Mesa Community College. The course was designed to help entering students define why they are in college, determine what they want…