At Montgomery College (MC), in Maryland, a survey of first-time students entering the college in fall 1990 was conducted to collect data on student attitudes, enrollment behavior, and educational goals. The survey was part of a 6-year longitudinal study seeking to identify factors related to student success and non-success, particularly among…

This paper describes a classification scheme developed to examine the effects of extensive reading on primary and second language vocabulary acquisition and reports on an experiment undertaken to test the model scheme. The classification scheme represents a hypothesized hierarchy of the degree and type of mental processing required by various…

Users of the reference library at Blackhawk Community College (Illinois) were surveyed to determine user satisfaction and the total number of transactions. The survey's objective was to pinpoint problem areas, supply objective information, develop guidelines and standards, and support needed improvements or the continued maintenance of good…

Although a basic premise of higher education is that students must take the primary responsibility for their own learning, problems arise when the focus throughout elementary and secondary schooling is on passive, rote learning with the student totally dependent on the teacher and text, as in Islamic schools. The educational shock experienced in…

An argument is put forth for restructuring the community college curriculum around recurring constructs common to all disciplines. First, introductory comments review various perceptions of essential learning, offering support for the position of constructivists and proponents of writing across the curriculum that learning is an activity and a…

Described is a computer-based tool, SemNet, which can be used by good and poor students to facilitate, extend, and polish their learning skills. Emphasized are skills associated with meaningful or deep-level learning. The components, use, and theoretical background of the software are discussed. (CW)

Since its inception in 1969, Burlington County College (New Jersey) has been dedicated to implementing a systematically designed approach to instruction and student learning. The core elements of the approach are as follows: (1) development of a basic college philosophy; (2) specification of general institutional objectives; (3) selection of…

Basic reference tools for the selection of educational materials are listed, along with reference works for students and teachers. Over 2500 annotated entries are arranged under 54 headings. The first two sections describe 182 tools for locating and selecting and evaluating media; acquisition tools cover the whole spectrum of media. Next, a…

Developing an effective and functional student union on the junior college campus requires the consideration of a variety of factors. First, the diverse characteristics, interests, and abilities of the facility's future users--especially students--must be determined. After this, students, faculty, staff, and community leaders should be involved in…

In winter 1993, Chaffey College (CC) in California experienced a 44% drop, over the previous quarter, in enrollments of students holding baccalaureate degrees. This decline coincided with the introduction statewide of a $33 per quarter unit differential fee for baccalaureate-holding students. Previously, there had been a $10 per quarter unit fee.…

Examined was the possibility that the language teachers use to communicate science content may provide the context in which students formulate a world view of science. Results are presented and the implications of these results for teacher education programs are discussed. (Author/CW)

This paper outlines research procedures designed to approach systematically the junior college remedial problem--the remedial student's lack of success. The procedure is based on a theory of motivation (need achievement) and is designed to provide data for the following questions: (1) Are remedial students less motivated than non-remedial…

To investigate the validity of language usage as an indicator of identification with the Mexican American subculture, this study hypothesized that greater use of Spanish than English would be correlated with characteristics consistent with the ideal, typical, Mexican American family in terms of family of orientation and aspirations for future…

At Tacoma Community College (Washington) a chemistry course was taught using instructional objectives. This document describes the course in terms of writing the objectives, instructional procedures and student attitudes. The instructor's overall conclusions were: (1) student reaction to the use of instructional objectives was very favorable; (2)…

Based on the premise that effective community relations planning must include an assessment of local needs, a response to these needs, evaluation of program effectiveness, and reports back to the public, this community relations plan for Michigan's Macomb Community College (MCC) recognizes and records ongoing activities and suggests appropriate…