This study reports the findings of a survey of students enrolled in a distance education English course at Cambrian College. In fall 1999, the college began a trial delivery of freshman English using WebCT software. The trial involved six classes ranging from seven to twenty-one students, with a total of 76 students. The instructor had several…

This paper reports on a comparative study of the use of asynchronous (bulletin board) and synchronous (chat) discussion on three learning units based on the cognitive maps developed by the learners. Cognitive maps have been found to be an effective tool for learners for discussion in a distributed learning environment. Cognitive maps provided…

This paper examines whether Hispanic Americans are more likely than Anglo Americans to view college education as a major component in job attainment. The study reviewed data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and surveyed 86 undergraduate students at Texas A&M University. The college sample was fairly representative of the student…

The British Columbia (B.C.) Council on Admissions and Transfer commissioned this report to investigate the admissions and transfer-related experiences of former students who had attended a B.C. college, institute, university college, or the Open Learning Agency. The analysis presented here is based on data collected through the 2002 B.C. College…

Recent studies have shown that school self-esteem is one of the greatest contributors to overall self-esteem among adolescents in grades 7-12. Research suggests that middle schools play a significant role in the development and socialization of early adolescents. The first purpose of this study was to examine the relations between school…

This report describes a program for increasing academic growth through motivating students to read. The targeted population includes kindergarten, first, third, and high school special education students. The lack of motivation in reading was documented through data revealed by pre-surveys and post-surveys of students' interest in books. Analysis…

This action research paper describes a program initiated by teacher researchers to improve academic achievement and interest in social studies. The targeted group consisted of fifth graders in a lower middle class community in the Midwest. Analysis of the problem-causes data show three main factors: curriculum, attitude, and effect. In regard to…

At the administration of the Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) science and social studies tests in 2000, a questionnaire survey was given to students in grades 4 and 6. Survey questions were developed in three categories: (1) Opportunity To Learn; (2) Science; and (3) Social Studies. Student responses were analyzed by test, grade, gender,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the types of interactions that students perceived to be important for online learning. The interaction attributes investigated included content interaction, conversation and collaboration, intrapersonal/metacognitive skills, and need for support. Also investigated were reasons why learners were taking…

This document reports on a voluntary survey designed to compare responses of adolescents in corrections with adolescents in public schools in 1998. Findings are highlighted in sections entitled: (1) "Youth, Their Families, and Their Environment"; (2) "Psychological Distress"; (3) "Sexual Activity"; (4) "School…

This study investigated the attitudes and opinions of 970 students with and without learning disabilities regarding the use of computers for school-related work. Using a quasi-experimental design with three non-equivalent groups, within and between subjects effects were studied using a survey instrument. The students in grades 5 through 12 at…

This paper describes a project in the Department of Economics at Southeast Missouri State University undertaken to assess the actual and perceived impact of the World Wide Web upon student learning. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to students in "user" (i.e., instructors who incorporate the Web at least eight times in class and…

Research clearly supports the efficacy of self-directed teams in the learning of information systems (IS) skills. This paper proposes that the use of self-directed teams demands a considerable amount of direction on the part of the instructor. Students in two sections of an introductory IS class were surveyed with explicit questions about their…

This paper reports on the language learning beliefs of beginning-level English as a foreign language (EFL) students in a Mexican university, part of a larger study to find out why so many Mexican EFL at-risk academic learners fail. The at-risk learners beliefs about foreign language learning are compared with those of English proficient beginning…

Eleven classes from the San Jacinto campus and ten classes from the Menifee Valley campus of Mount San Jacinto College (MSJC) (California) participated in a survey designed to obtain students' preferences for an alternative 16-6-16-6 academic calendar. Stratified random sampling techniques were used to obtain representative courses from across the…