This recently completed study examined whether attribution theory can explain helping behavior in an interdependent classroom environment that utilized a cooperative-learning model. The study focused on student participants enrolled in 6 community college communication classes taught by the same instructor. Three levels of cooperative-learning…

The references in this document provide an overview of empirical and conceptual scholarship on the application of learning theories in community college classrooms. Specific theories discussed in the citations include: active learning, cooperative learning, multiple intelligences, problem-based learning, and self-regulated learning. In addition to…

This article describes an experimental pilot study begun in 1994 in the Glendale Community College (Glendale, Arizona) psychology department. The faculty-driven idea incorporated Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory (MI) into a new paradigm--one where creative forms of learning resulted in real understanding. The pilot study, Multiple…

Redefining the community college's historical commitment to open access requires an analysis of the community college within the larger system of higher education. In 2002, Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Massachusetts (MCC) was selected as one of 12 leaders nationwide to head a cluster group of colleges. A total of 7 diverse institutions…

In Fall 1996, Alabama Southern Community College formally created its Teaching/Learning Initiative. This was done by implementing bold new efforts that would lead ultimately to its focus to "customize learning" for every student based upon learning styles and preferences. The 1996 efforts included the following commitments: (1) To assess…

Energy production is an essential part of American society and the economy. In the best tradition of community colleges, Bismarck State College (BSC) in North Dakota has responded to the specialized training needs of industry for over 25 years by forming various collaborative efforts with the energy industry. This article presents an example of…

Practical information on the necessity for community colleges, instructors, and students to understand and abide by the copyright laws is essential. Whether developing, structuring, maintaining, or presenting courses, or instructing students on the development of their own papers, one must be knowledgeable about plagiarism, the Fair Use Act, and…

In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the U.S. Supreme Court emphatically affirmed the value of diversity, and argued that the state has a compelling interest to promote diversity on college campuses. The nature of the Supreme Court's argument in the majority decision clearly acknowledged that there remains important work still left to do. The court…

Some of the key elements that have brought success in Community College of Philadelphia's first 4 decades may not be as effective in the coming 40 years. Due to substantial funding decreases and changes in enrollment patterns, the college's operating context has fundamentally changed. This is so even as the institutional leadership holds fast to a…

This study investigated the learning styles of adult English as a second language (ESL) students in Northwest Arkansas. Learning style differences by age, gender, and country of origin were explored. A total of 69 northwest Arkansas adult ESL students attending 7 adult-education centers were administered the VARK Learning Styles Questionnaire.…

Implicit in the open-door mission of the community college is the mandate that every learning experience should offer full equity and inclusion for all learners, including those of diverse cultural backgrounds. This mission is paramount, given the cultural diversity represented among learners served by the globalized community college. This paper…

We have inherited an educational architecture that, ironically, often gets in the way of its reason for being--to improve and expand learning. Organizational theorists call this classic trait of bureaucracies "goal displacement." (O'Banion and Milliron in College Conversations on Learning; League of Innovation Learning Abstract)

Community college leaders face new and diverse challenges, often requiring different orientations to leadership than were effective previously. Yet, focusing on leadership as a series of career stages through which particular skills and techniques are learned often leaves leaders without the capacity to do the adaptive work required of their…

For more than 6 years, Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has demonstrated its ability to redefine the community college commitment to open access for high school graduates. This article describes how, through the Career Edge Academies and The Workplace Learning Connection, high school students participate in a quality system of…

The references presented in this bibliography provide an overview of contemporary scholarship on community college assessment. The citations were selected for the breadth and depth of information they provide on effective assessment practices as well as diverse approaches to the assessment of student learning. In addition to describing practical…