College students do not study in isolated environments; rather, they encounter obstacles as they complete academic tasks. Using a qualitative approach, the present study explored the distractions and underlying causes students face as well as the strategies they use to control these distractions. Our findings suggested that students' distractions,…

While peer-assisted (PAL) learning strategies have been successful in K-12 programs, such practices are used less commonly at the college level. In addition, PAL programs are aimed largely at student populations who are struggling (for example, learning disabled students) or in topics where many students encounter difficulty (for example, math and…

Learning frameworks courses represent a recent manifestation of higher education's effort to support undergraduate students' learning success. These courses offer students the theoretical underpinnings of human learning and the application of learning strategies. This qualitative investigation at a 4-year university in the southwestern United…

This research documents educator responses while learning and implementing a new pedagogy. In our analysis of our own written reflections, we found the ten LASSI scales, normally used to look at student learning, became, for us, themes that emerged from faculty learning as well. The value of peer support for learning, and the balance of skill,…

Both community colleges and four-year institutions offer Student Success Courses (SSCs) to promote student engagement (self-regulated learning, SRL) and performance (grades, retention, and graduation). However, little work has been done to examine the holistic impact of SSC interventions or to determine which aspects of course curriculum most…

The Learning Center (TLC) at Mississippi State University (MSU) is an academic support unit designed to help students improve their academic performance. One of the programs offered by TLC is the Learning Skills Support Program (LSSP), which is designed for academically suspended students. The Center has traditionally used the Learning and Study…

The purpose of this study was to develop a way to measure students' abilities to think critically about concepts covered during academic support sessions. Tutors trained in a College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA)-certified program at the University of Louisville used a rubric based on the Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Model in order to…

The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether using an active learning technique, electronic highlighting, can eliminate the negative effects of pre-existing, poor highlighting on reading comprehension. Participants read passages containing no highlighting, appropriate highlighting, or inappropriate highlighting. We hypothesized…

Adult learners that enter today's higher education community bring learning styles and life experiences that may either be critical foundations for future success or deeply entrenched beliefs that hinder learning in the academic environment. As adult learners enroll in their entry level courses, college instructors will need to realize that these…