The mission of a community college is distinct from a research one university, where empirical research is valued over investigation of discipline-based teaching and learning. The open-access, affordable, workforce, and transfer emphasis that serves many non-traditional community college students is a rich, meaningful environment for fostering the…

The second annual implementation report for the Accelerating Opportunity (AO) initiative in four states finds that: (1) colleges aligned pathways and supports with local needs; (2) students were satisfied with AO; (3) AO instructors grew more adept at team teaching; (4) colleges struggled to recruit adult education students; (5) states and…

Drawing from a literature review and experiences at Moraine Valley Community College, this paper examines the role of the community college honors program in meeting the special needs of superior students; analyzes the characteristics of effective and innovative programs and curricula; and discusses how an honors program can become…

Provides an update on community college responses to the new student majority who lack the skills to succeed in college-level work. Defines "at-risk students," identifies college responses to literacy problems, describes promising instructional strategies, and highlights problems in evaluating programs for at-risk students. (DMM)

Describes a program developed by Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, Florida) to diagnose preferred learning styles and generate cognitive maps for each student specifying recommended learning strategies. The impact of the program after three years of operation is discussed in terms of student retention and academic achievement. (JP)

This study reports an attempt to measure differences in learners caused by audio tape and lecture procedures in a social science course. The sample consisted of only two classes, both taught by the same teacher. Three measures were used in evaluation of the two procedures: (1) scores on the Allport-Vernon-Lindsey Study of Values; (2) scores on the…

In fall 1992, a study was performed at Evergreen Valley College, in San Jose, California, to determine whether the presence of full-time instructional aides and part-time matriculation aides in four specific courses (English 321, 322, 330, and Math 12) led to increases in student success. Success was defined as receipt of a grade of…

This report is the last in a four-part series of Strategies for Change. It offers examples for comparing the effectiveness of different instructional systems and of instructional evaluation in general. The first evaluation, on remedial English procedures, compares the effectiveness of instruction in English 1A freshman composition in terms of…

In 1988, a study was conducted to examine student assessment and related remedial/developmental programs in Michigan's 29 community colleges. Administrators or instructors with direct responsibility for developmental education programs were surveyed regarding the existence of an institutional definition of and mission statement for remedial…

Questionnaires were sent to 337 transfer graduates from Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) to solicit information on their perceptions of MVCC strengths and weaknesses, the most and least effective instructional methods, principal activities since graduating, reasons for not initially attending a four-year college, suggestions for improving…

A study evaluated a faculty presentation skills training program for effectiveness in improving achievement and satisfaction of community college students. Nine female instructors and 352 students participated in the project. A quasi-experimental research design was used. Data from faculty and students were collected prior to and following the…

Showcasing 12 community college programs recognized as successful in serving the needs of at-risk students, this book reviews the impact of limited resources and a growing high-risk student population on community colleges, examines successful programs and strategies, discusses faculty selection, and reviews program evaluation criteria and…

Out of a need for students to find a sense of belonging, Bainbridge College (Georgia) has started a peer-tutoring program, which recruits, trains and retains tutors of quality. The program has been in place for four years and has been very successful. Not only do tutors get the chance to help others with schoolwork, they also achieve personal…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of individual conferences on the performance of students in a junior college composition program. A review of the literature on conferencing led to the hypothesis that students who had individual conferences would improve their writing significantly more than those students who did not. In both…

Describes the individualized audiovisual approach to teaching beginning accounting at a Wisconsin technical college. Discusses how it began as a remedial lab, its theories of individualized instruction, how the pilot project worked, and why this method is used. (CT)