Student success in community-college online courses remains a topic of concern within higher-education research. Online courses offer flexibility and opportunities for students to learn anytime and anywhere. Students who are not prepared for the anytime-anywhere format struggle in online courses. As enrollment in online courses increases, the rate…

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…

This document details the goals and characteristics of the faculty Mentor Program at Cabrillo Community College (California). The program is designed to facilitate the orientation and adaptation of new faculty members to the role of community college instructor. Experienced faculty members act as mentors to new tenure-track faculty. Mentors are…

Asserts that well-designed course assignments are a critical component of effective teaching and learning processes. Discusses the Course Assignment Framework, which delineates 10 assignment categories, their rationales, and their advantages for faculty and students. States that the framework promotes combining tasks so that instructors can…

Discusses a study that assessed the learning styles of students age 25-83. Finds that (1) most adults favored a structured learning environment and were not self-directed; (2) African Americans preferred to work with more environmental sound than did white Americans; (3) Hispanics displayed a preference for greater food intake while learning; and…

Reports on a study of effects of teaching styles, student cognitive styles, matched and mismatched conditions, and student age and gender in relation to the course grades of 207 community college students. Indicates that concrete sequential teachers assigned the lowest grades and that students over 24 attained higher grades than younger students…

Describes the aim, preparation, and procedures of five cooperative learning activities for educating teachers of English as a foreign language. Reports that the activities integrate content and methodology, motivate student teachers, and maximize communication, reinforcement, and cognitive work. Documents the prospects and problems of…

Defines contextual learning, or presenting new information to students in familiar contexts. Argues that community colleges must be ready for an anticipated increase in contextual learners due to its use in tech prep programs. Describes elements of contextual learning, its application in the classroom, and ways that colleges can prepare for…

The Maricopa Community College District (MCCD) intends this document to serve as a starting point for focusing on the following major themes: (1) dialogue about learning, given that changes are occurring in and around the learning process; (2) a common understanding of learning as a complex process on order to provide a framework for dialogue; and…

This study evaluated two developmental learning communities, named the Integrated Studies Communities ISC, at Parkland College in Illinois. The primary purpose of the study was to compare the students in the ISC with similar underprepared students in the regular curriculum. The ISC offers four linked courses, and participating students take them…

In consecutive quarters, two studies were conducted at a two-year vocational/technical college to determine how different goal structures within the learning environment could influence student expectations, achievement, and perceptions of the causes of learning outcomes. The first study investigated three goal structures (i.e., cooperative,…

Instructors at two-year community colleges are faced with the challenge of helping students learn content knowledge and skills in an abbreviated period of time. In particular, developing students' critical thinking skills is an essential task. This paper reports on a study in which students in a Human Anatomy and Physiology class at a community…

A study was conducted of the effectiveness of summarization training as a means of improving reading comprehension and retention among developmental English students in a community college. A sample of 58 community college students in five developmental reading classes was randomly assigned to either a summarization treatment or control group. The…

The Road to Success (RtS) program was designed to introduce hard-to-employ adults with learning disabilities and other cognitive barriers to ways of learning that are will enable them to learn the skills and knowledge they will need as employees and in their everyday lives. Originally developed to serve welfare recipients in Kansas, RtS was…