Effects of a First-Semester Learning Community on Nontraditional Technical Students |
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| Authors: | Barbara Goldberg Martin Finkelstein |
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| Institution: | (1) DeVry College of Technology, North Brunswick, New Jersey;(2) Seton Hall University, USA |
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| Abstract: | The study consisted of 25 full-time Electronic Technician Certificate students with 16 randomly assigned to an experimental group registered in a team-taught learning community and with nine randomly assigned to a control group registered for individually taught unlinked classes. We hypothesized that the experimental group would have significantly better academic and social integration and more positive perceptions of their experiences than the control class as well as higher course grades and grade point averages, more contact with classmates and instructors, and greater commitment to college and second semester persistence. Both student self-reported surveys and institutional data were analyzed. Results indicated that the team-taught learning community did make a difference to its students and yielded quantitative and qualitative support for hypotheses dealing with student perceptions of academic and social integration. Findings failed to support hypotheses dealing with behavioral outcomes except for strong support for commitment to college. |
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| Keywords: | learning community team-teaching technical nontraditional commuting students |
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