Describes a study to develop a demographic profile of the 703 students enrolled in automotive mechanics courses at technical institutes in Georgia and to identify differences in the educational goals of different groups of automotive mechanics students (e.g., day/evening students, and different age, racial, and employment status groups). (MAB)

Discusses the etiology and characteristics of some of the emotional and social problems that learning-disabled college students might experience. Makes recommendations about possible treatments. Indicates that students with learning disabilities may exhibit psychosocial problems, in addition to academic deficiencies, related to their disabilities.…

Problems relating to existence of interval scales, dimensionality of a trait, and patterns of item response functions are approached through contrasting scaling methods: item response theory modeling and dual scaling. Similarity of the methods is established through a study of 326 female junior college students in Singapore completing a Likert…

Describes a study examining the effects of distance, motivation, satisfaction with course content, and satisfaction with an interactive television (ITV) system on student evaluation of community college courses. Indicates that satisfaction with the course and ITV system had the greatest effect on course evaluation, rather than distance or…

Describes the role of the community college in providing practical foreign language programs geared toward the needs of the business and emergency services communities rather than those of academia. Indicates that students need opportunities to develop sophisticated communicative abilities systematically in a short period of time. (MAB)

Describes a study of the impact of involvement in campus and learning activities on unit completion for 475 students entering a suburban community college immediately following high school. Reports that library research, transfer-related counseling, and participation in art, music, and theater activities contributed to unit completion. (DMM)

Urges community colleges to view transfer as a matter of student and organizational behavior, and as a matter of academic practice. Argues that increased attention to these transfer issues will facilitate better descriptions and analyses of the transfer function as well as students' baccalaureate attainment. (DMM)

Profiles the community college of the year 2000. Considers marketing complementary to community colleges' success. Addresses the following marketing issues: student as product; time, location, and circumstances of learning; costs; and promotion. In light of changes in the educational marketplace and needs, suggests ways of reinventing community…

Identifies the difficulties in establishing support services international students. Offers guidelines on the organization and coordination of services needed upon entry into the U.S. and arrival on campus, while the student pursues studies, and in preparation for returning home. Lists organizations that can assist in program development. (DMM)

Argues that the labels "basic" or "developmental" as applied to students often obscure the complexities of knowing who is underprepared for what, kinds of barriers that countermand mastery, and instructors' roles in helping construct these barriers. Views closely the behaviors by which four students in a developmental writing class presented…

Finds that the writing of the typical student enrolled in the community college composition class is qualitatively different from the writing of their four-year counterparts but that two-year college transfer students achieve the same level of writing competence as their nontransfer peers. Presents reactions of a two-year college instructor…

Describes research comparing faculty and student attitudes toward the mixed-age classroom. Indicates that while most faculty and students agree that professors do not favor older students over younger students, they also agree that professors tend to have friendlier relations with older students. Suggests that instructors be more sensitive to…

Describes a study that attempts to determine whether transfer students from community colleges are less successful than native students in a four-year university intermediate accounting class. Indicates that, despite significant differences in age and course load, there was no significant difference in final grade between the two groups. Includes…

Describes a study conducted to determine the reasons behind the high rate of student attrition at Mountain Empire Community College in Virginia. Work demands and family conflicts were found to be the primary causes of drop out, conclusions that led to the formation of a task force and a student retention plan to improve persistence. (KC)

Describes a study conducted by the College Board to examine what motivates adults to return to school and profile their patterns of learning as they enter and re-enter the educational system. Finds that most adults return to school to improve their careers. Forecasts the future of adult education and its implications for community colleges. (CJW)