Paired, developmental learning communities: a case study of one institution

The purpose of this study was to examine a paired, developmental learning community to understand how it enhances learning at a selected community college---Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska. Learning communities are defined as purposeful restructuring of an undergraduate curriculum that thematically link or cluster courses together and enroll a common group of students (MacGregor & Smith, 2005). Thus, the research focused on students in a paired, developmental learning community. Developmental learning communities consist of two developmental classes that are linked with other courses at the college and enroll a common group of students;The primary focus was to view paired, developmental learning communities through the eyes of at-risk students who participated in them. To complement this part of the research, a persistence study was included in the findings that examined the percentage of students in a paired, developmental learning community who persisted to the next quarter;In addition, secondary quantitative data previously collected by Metro was utilized as a part of study to gain a deeper understanding of the paired, developmental learning communities. Secondary data included Likert scale assessment and open-ended surveys. In addition, focus groups, interviews, and observations were conducted by the researcher;The overall findings revealed that a higher level of comfort in the classroom was demonstrated by the students. Connections were developed between classes and topic; and student-linked subject matter from one class to the next. The study also revealed collaboration among faculty, a higher level of support and encouragement from fellow peers and faculty during the experience, and a strong sense of community and commitment from both the faculty and fellow students;Based on the themes identified in this study and the model for core practices in learning communities developed by Smith et al. (2000), a new model was proposed in this study for core practices in developmental learning communities. The model is a combination of attributes derived from the Likert survey, open-ended survey, observations, focus groups, informal interviews, literature review and the merged themes developed from this case study

Developing assessment procedures and assessing two models of escalation behavior among community college administrators

Escalation behavior occurs when individual decision-makersrepeatedly investtime, money, and other resources into a failing project. Aconceptual model of escalationbehavior based on project, organizational, social and psychological forces was developed,and a 75item measurement instrument was constructedto assess the various dimensions. Themodel was tested using data collected from a random sample of North Carolina CommunityCollegeadministrators. A LISREL measurement model analysis provided support for thefour escalation forces. Two structural modelswere tested, leading to support for amediational model for escalation behavior. The most important contributor to Escalation wasthe Psychological force

Can Self-determination Theory be Used to Increase College Student Retention?

This paper first introduces self-determination theory (SDT) to retention researchers and higher education professionals. Highlighted are the three basic psychological needs, that when met, are theorized to give rise to intrinsic motivation, which is associated with high levels of human performance. These are the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This theoretical overview is followed by a discussion of how this theory has been applied to understand the role of intrinsic motivation in fostering educational success. An outline of how SDT can be applied to increase college student retention is presented. The second part of the paper applies the understanding of self-determination theory to interpret and better understand the results of a focused literature review of 12 retention research articles. This interpretation suggests that meeting or failing to meet the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness proposed by SDT may explain the results of research reviewed. It is theorized that college environments that meet all three psychological needs postulated by SDT will increase student retention beyond what prior approaches have achieved

Community College Student Success Programs: A Synthesis, Critique, and Research Agenda

A narrative review was developed to add to the discussion and dissemination of research on community colleges. The review adds to existing work by synthesizing and critiquing the empirical research to date specific to three of the most prevalent programmatic efforts presently seen on community college campuses: (a) learning communities, (b) student success courses, and (c) supplemental instruction. Empirical investigations or evaluations of student success programs from academic journals, conference presentations, dissertations, unpublished policy reports, and book chapters were identified, summarized, and critiqued. The review concludes with a proposed research agenda to advance research on program effectiveness at community colleges and implications for practice

Can Self-determination Theory be Used to Increase College Student Retention?

This paper first introduces self-determination theory (SDT) to retention researchers and higher education professionals. Highlighted are the three basic psychological needs, that when met, are theorized to give rise to intrinsic motivation, which is associated with high levels of human performance. These are the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This theoretical overview is followed by a discussion of how this theory has been applied to understand the role of intrinsic motivation in fostering educational success. An outline of how SDT can be applied to increase college student retention is presented. The second part of the paper applies the understanding of self-determination theory to interpret and better understand the results of a focused literature review of 12 retention research articles. This interpretation suggests that meeting or failing to meet the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness proposed by SDT may explain the results of research reviewed. It is theorized that college environments that meet all three psychological needs postulated by SDT will increase student retention beyond what prior approaches have achieved

Promoting Partnerships for Student Success: Lessons from the SSPIRE Initiative

The Student Support Partnership Integrating Resources and Education (SSPIRE) initiative aimed to increase the success of young, low-income, and academically underprepared California community college students by helping colleges strengthen their support services and better integrate these services with academic instruction. This report describes what the nine participating community colleges did to meet the goals of SSPIRE and offers lessons for other institutions drawn from MDRC's research on the initiative

Aggregate-then-Curate: How digital learning champions help communities nurture online content

Informational resources are essential for communities, rooting them in their own history, helping them learn and solve problems, giving them a voice in decision-making and so on. For digital inclusion – and inclusion in the informational and democratic processes of society more generally – it is essential that communities retain the skills, awareness and motivation to create and manage their own informational resources.This article explores a model for the creation of online content that incorporates the different ways in which the quality and relevance of information can be assured. This model, “Aggregate-then-Curate” (A/C), was developed from earlier work concerning digital inclusion in UK online centres, models of informal e-learning and ecologies of resources. A/C shows how creating online content can be viewed as a 7-step process, initiated by individuals but bringing in “digital learning champions”, other community members and formal educational institutions at different stages. A/C can be used to design training to help build the capacity to manage community informational resources in an inclusive way. The article then discusses and evaluates MOSI-ALONG, a Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) funded project founded on these ideas, which illustrates how A/C can be used to design training to help build the capacity to manage community informational resources in an inclusive way. This conclusion is supported by evaluations of the work done so far in MOSI-ALONG

The Impact of Learning Communities on the Experiences of Developmental Students in Community College: A Qualitative Study

This study explores the impact of a first-semester learning community (LC) program on the experiences of developmental students in community college. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, students shared four central benefits of beginning their college careers in an LC program, including: 1) access to a supportive social and intellectual community, 2) opportunities for interdisciplinary thinking, 3) changes in perceptions of remediation and enhanced self-efficacy, and 4) the occasion to experience a more active and engaging pedagogy. Students also articulated what they experienced as drawbacks of their LC experience, underscoring a perceived lack of opportunity to connect with the larger college community and hyperbonding among peers. I consider the implications of these findings for future research and practice in providing developmental students in community college LC programs with quality learning experiences

Making Connections: Dimensions of Student Engagement

Table of Contents: Forewords (p. 2) -- Build Connections, Build Success: The Connected College (p. 3) -- Characteristics of Community College Students (p. 5) -- Cultivating Connections: Connections in Virtual Space, Connections in the Classroom, Connections on Campus, Connections Beyond the Campus (p. 7) -- The Connection Gap: Part-Time Isn't Just About Students, Closing the Connection Gap (p. 18) -- Challenges in Making Connections: Is Your College a Connected College? (p. 21) -- Overview of the 2009 CCSSE Cohort (p. 23) -- CCSSE National Advisory Board (p. 24)Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE

The Influences of Interaction on the Satisfaction, Achievement, and Retention of Developmental Community College Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social and academic interaction, demographic characteristics, social and academic adjustment, and learning communities on the satisfaction, achievement, and retention of developmental English community college students. The literature presented discusses the retention theories of Tinto, Astin, and Bean and their overlapping ideas on persistence. A common thread among these theories is the role of academic and social interaction on the personal development, satisfaction, achievement, and retention of students. Learning communities represent one academic structure that has proven effective in increasing the level of academic and social interaction. Unfortunately, the existing literature provides little information to guide retention programs for underprepared community college learners. The study was a quantitative nonexperimental correlational design with participants from nine purposefully selected developmental English classes at Virginia Western Community College. Of the 120 students that completed the survey, 50 students were learning community participants and 70 students were non-learning community participants. The survey combined several measures including a demographic information sheet, the Institutional Integration Scale, the Classroom Environment Scale, the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, a satisfaction and goals information sheet, registration data, and achievement and retention information from transcript data. The study concluded that learning community participants had higher perceived levels and types of interaction than non-learning community participants; that demographic characteristics influenced individual\u27s levels and types of interaction; that academic achievement was influenced by satisfaction, with all other predictors having a weak relationship to achievement; and that all of the predictors studied had a weak influence on retention. The results of the study, some of which support and some of which contradict existing literature, suggest finding an especially strong relationship between any single influence and retention may be difficult due to the diverse individual characteristics and experiences learners bring to two-year institutions. As a result, although learning communities appear to increase involvement, they are just one of many strategies probably needed to increase the retention of underprepared community college students. More research on retention is needed with underprepared students, in particular