Although feedback from interface agents has recently attracted increasing research attention, most studies emphasize the cognitive influences. Thus, the effect of each feedback type on student perception remains unclear. This study focuses on three types of feedback from interface agents to clarify student perception of single feedback and…

It is not uncommon to walk into a college classroom and find all heads bowed down to a flashing screen and the room . . . silent. While digital devices can certainly support learning, what about when they are a distraction? This study explored this 21st-century phenomenon from two perspectives: Does the use of a device for nonacademic purposes…

U.S. community colleges are considered historical sites of educational access and opportunity for social mobility for nontraditional students. Theoretically framed in Acker's theory of gendered organizations, this qualitative study explores low-income pregnant and parenting student mothers' experiences with community colleges, spaces that are…

Concept inventory (CI) tests are typically used to measure students' general knowledge before and after instruction. We find issue with the current format of these tests, which some researchers claim, measure students' misconceptions, since the answers choices given to students do not consider their prior knowledge. We particularly analyze Force…

The increase in the number of students enrolling in online courses (Allen & Seaman, 2013; Bennett, Evans, & Riedle, 2007; Seide, 2016) and students' concern of the level of instructor presence in the predominately online course (Jaggars, 2014; Queiros and de Villiers, 2016; Tichavsky, Hunt, Driscoll, & Jicha, 2015) are reasons this…

This chapter describes the ways that the trauma of childhood frames the academic, social, and personal lives of many foster youth as they navigate higher education. In particular, we focus on the role of homelessness, social network fragmentation, and abuse and neglect.

Problem was the community college recognized a decline in student retention rates from 2009 to 2012 in the School of Nursing. Purpose of this program evaluation was to evaluate a faculty advising program (FAP) in the School of Nursing at a community college in regard to students' satisfaction and retention. Evaluation period was from Fall 2012 to…

While there has been research on the effects of utilizing Peer Mentors within Learning Communities with regards to retention data, little research has been done to show the effects that Peer Mentoring has on learning outcomes within a Learning Community. Using anecdotal evidence from peer mentors working within a Learning Community at an urban…

This chapter provides practical suggestions from community college students and faculty--in their own words--about how to prevent academic dishonesty and what to do if it happens. Both new and veteran professors can benefit from the wide variety of ideas that are enlightening and innovative.

Part-time learners have had a history of campus isolation, fewer opportunities to engage on campus, and much higher attrition rates than their full-time peers (Jacoby, 2015; Rajasekhara & Hirsch, 2000). As a result, this study sought to uncover effective ways of enhancing the academic and social experiences of part-time learners and, in turn,…

The current national community college redesign effort, Guided Pathways, focuses on the need for "clearer, more educationally coherent programs of study that simplify students' choices without limiting their options." In "Redesigning America's Community Colleges," the authors Thomas Bailey, Shanna Jaggars, and Davis Jenkins…

In 2016, a leadership conference for community college students was initiated. The impetus for the undertaking was a perception that community college students may not have access to activities focused on social capital and the soft skills of leadership. Community college students are diverse based on age, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic…

The purpose of this mixed-methods research study was to determine if the chosen format, online or traditional, of anatomy and physiology courses impacted the retention of the anatomy and physiology knowledge base in the Associate Degree Nursing program at a large-sized, urban community college within the North Carolina Community College System.…

This quantitative study compares the course grades earned by adult learners enrolled in college algebra amid different delivery formats to determine if one option is more viable than the other at a southeastern community college in the United States. Presented as a Dissertation in Practice (DiP), three manuscripts are incorporated in this study.…

The problem was online students tend to perceive feedback as less effective when it does not align with their feedback preferences. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to investigate whether relationships exist among cognitive styles, feedback preferences, and motivation for online students in one Washington community college.…