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,…

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…

Theories of epistemological beliefs focus on individuals' perceptions about what knowledge is and where knowledge comes from. These beliefs are part of, and may in fact direct, the cognitive processes involved in learning. Research stemming from these theories offers varied explanations as to how beliefs relate to student learning and academic…

Notes that in order to help students with the rigors of the first year of college, many postsecondary institutions offer some form of academic assistance. Describes a program evaluation study, which aimed to determine if students changed in their personal beliefs about an academic discipline and if they changed in the strategic behavior they…