ASSESSMENT OF ENTERING STUDENT WRITING SKILL IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE     

Margot A. Olson  Diane Martin 《Community College Journal of Research & Practice》2013,37(2):175-193

This article describes an assessment of writing skills (writing sample, objective test, and self‐assessment) made by one community college. Information was gathered to design an entry‐level assessment procedure for placement in English composition and developmental writing courses. Comparing the three approaches, each of which measured different aspects of writing ability, showed that the best predictor of grade in an English composition course was the objective test. However, the statistical results of the study form only one component of an entry‐level assessment program. It may be that a writing sample is needed as part of entry‐level assessment because it points out the value of writing skill in attempting college‐credit courses.  相似文献   

Exploring the Lived Experiences and Intersectionalities of Mexican Community College Transfer Students: Qualitative Insights Toward Expanding a Transfer Receptive Culture     

Erin L. Castro  Edén Cortez 《Community College Journal of Research & Practice》2013,37(2):77-92

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examines the experiences of six Mexican community college transfer students attending a research-intensive institution in the Pacific Northwest. Using semi-structured interviews, the objectives of this study were to 1) understand how Mexican students made meaning of their transfer experiences and 2) how those experiences could inform conceptual and practical thinking toward building a transfer receptive culture at the receiving institution. We use intersectionality as a site of material and discursive possibility to encourage predominantly White receiving institutions to recognize how they position Mexican community college transfer students on campus. Concluding are conceptual and practical recommendations that emphasize institutional and organizational responsibility in creating equitable environments for Mexican community college transfer students.  相似文献   

Causal Attributions for Success or Failure of Students in College Algebra     

Gina Cortés-Suárez 《Community College Journal of Research & Practice》2013,37(4-6):325-346

Research in the field of attribution theory and academic achievement suggests a relationship between a student's attributional style and achievement. Theorists and researchers contend that attributions influence individual reactions to success and failure. They also report that individuals use attributions to explain and justify their performance. Studies in mathematics education identify attribution theory as the theoretical orientation most suited to explain academic performance in mathematics. This study focused on the relationship among a high risk course, low success rates, and attribution by examining the difference in the attributions passing and failing students gave for their performance in College Algebra. Students from a large urban community college in South Florida (n = 410) self-reported their performance on an in-class test by providing open-ended attribution statements to explain the cause of their performance. They then attributed their performance along the dimensions of locus of causality, stability, personal controllability, and external controllability using the Causal Dimensions Scale (CDSII). The open-ended attribution statements were coded in relation to ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck and compared using a Pearson chi- square procedure. The quantitative data compared the passing and failing groups and their attributions for performance on the test using One-way ANOVA and Pearson chi-square procedures. The results of the quantitative data comparing passing and failing groups and their attributions along the dimensions measured by the CDSII indicated statistical significance in locus of causality, stability, and personal controllability. The results comparing the open-ended attribution statements indicated statistical significance in the categories of effort and task difficulty.  相似文献   

Experience and Interaction in Teaching Escalation     

Helana Scheepers  Urban Nuldén 《Interactive Learning Environments》2013,21(1):1-22

This paper explores the use and integration of experiential learning into the problem-based learning (PBL) approach enhanced by interactive multimedia in the teaching of project management. A specific emphasis is placed on failing situations and the way in which this should be taught to students. Experiential learning places the emphasis on active participation, interactive and applied learning in a real situation. PBL places the emphasis on a real-world problem that is presented as the starting-point for the learning experience. The combined effect these concepts have on the learning experience is outlined in a framework called PIE. The conclusions drawn in the paper are the following: the combination of PBL, interactive multimedia and experiential learning will support and enhance teaching about escalation situations.  相似文献   

Agents control in intelligent learning systems: The case of reactive characteristics     

Ana Lilia Laureano-Cruces  Javier Ramírez-Rodríguez  Fernando de Arriaga  Rafael Escarela-Pérez 《Interactive Learning Environments》2013,21(2):95-118

Intelligent learning systems (ILSs) have evolved in the last few years basically because of influences received from multi-agent architectures (MAs). Conflict resolution among agents has been a very important problem for multi-agent systems, with specific features in the case of ILSs. The literature shows that ILSs with cognitive or pedagogical agents are prone to arbitration methods, where as ILSs with reactive agents are much in favor of control mechanisms. For these kind of systems, different control types are proposed based on the different stimuli that these agents will receive. These stimuli are aspects to be evaluated during the teaching/learning process such as: (1) error analysis, (2) learning styles, (3) analogies, (4) social aspects, etc.

The paper reviews several ILSs, related to our work; different control mechanisms are proposed to solve the agents' intervention conflicts. Finally, the use of several mechanisms is exemplified by the results of a specific ILS.  相似文献   

A Study of the Use of Ontologies for Building Computer-Aided Control Engineering Self-Learning Educational Software     

Isaías García  Carmen Benavides  Héctor Alaiz  Angel Alonso 《Journal of Science Education and Technology》2013,22(4):589-601

This paper describes research on the use of knowledge models (ontologies) for building computer-aided educational software in the field of control engineering. Ontologies are able to represent in the computer a very rich conceptual model of a given domain. This model can be used later for a number of purposes in different software applications. In this study, domain ontology about the field of lead–lag compensator design has been built and used for automatic exercise generation, graphical user interface population and interaction with the user at any level of detail, including explanations about why things occur. An application called Onto-CELE (ontology-based control engineering learning environment) uses the ontology for implementing a learning environment that can be used for self and lifelong learning purposes. The experience has shown that the use of knowledge models as the basis for educational software applications is capable of showing students the whole complexity of the analysis and design processes at any level of detail. A practical experience with postgraduate students has shown the mentioned benefits and possibilities of the approach.  相似文献