Effects of DynEd Reading Course on Students’ Reading Proficiency and Reading Motivation

Dynamic Education (DynEd) International Inc. is a leading provider of Interactive Language Program designed to enhance learners’ English communication skills. This study aimed to determine the effect of the DynEd’s Reading course on reading proficiency and reading motivation of the students in Mindanao State University-Maguindanao during 2nd Semester of A.Y. 2017-2018. The study was conducted with the college students taking Job Enabling English Proficiency (JEEP) Start 2 courses. Sixty students were randomly selected among the eligible students to take Reading for Success course of the DynEd courseware. In this study, single group experimental with pretest and posttest design was used. The reading section of a TOEFL and Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) by Wang and Guthrie (2004) were used as research instruments. The results showed that before DynEd Reading course was introduced, the students’ reading proficiency level was described as low. However, after the 8-week long intervention using courseware, the students’ reading proficiency level increased to intermediate level. Moreover, the students’ intrinsic and extrinsic reading motivation level before and after the intervention were all found out to be in “motivated” level. It was also found out that comparison between the pretest and posttest in reading proficiency and intrinsic reading motivation were significant. It was then concluded that the DynEd Reading course is effective in improving the reading proficiency level and intrinsic reading motivation of the college students. The result implies that DynEd courseware is an effective tool to enhance the reading skills of the students.

A Systematic Review of Technological Impact on Math Literacy in the Postsecondary Classrooms

The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate contemporary literature related to the impact of technology on student success for postsecondary mathematics courses. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive understanding of the extant literature concerning’s student success in mathematics for higher-education students. A series of seven databases were accessed across the past five years, which resulted in fourteen key studies. The findings of this study demonstrate the current knowledge and recommendations for future researchers. Technology was elucidated as a meaningful approach for increasing student success, course grades, and retention. However, a critical need for future empirical assessments was elucidated.

What Works: Learning Outcomes Due to Design Variations in Community College Student Success Courses

Background/Context Based on well-established evidence that certain student success skills and college knowledge are closely associated with academic achievement, persistence, and completion, community colleges increasingly implement various types of first-year student success courses and programs. However, by looking only at the distal impact of program participation, the question of whether these programs actually influence those mediating skills of college success has scarcely been investigated in the higher education literature, let alone which program features may be determining factors. Purpose/Objective This study examined the scope and design of community college student success courses to address which program features relate to learning objectives of student success skills, college knowledge, and engagement. Population/Participants/Subjects Participants were students and instructors drawn from 47 student success course sections at 42 public community colleges in 24 states, representing all U.S. geographic regions. Research Design The study adopted a multimodal research design, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods while primarily relying on quantitative analysis. Data Collection and Analysis Students in selected student success course sections completed a pre- and postsurvey. Instructors participated in a structured interview and provided course syllabi. Course design information was quantitized and merged with student-level data to model variation in learning outcomes as a function of course features, according to an activity theory conceptual framework. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Conclusions Findings from this research point to several recommendations for practice by highlighting the reality that one term may be too little to learn some student success skills and that particular features of course designs may result in unintended adverse effects. Results indicate that structural elements are the most impactful features and that the skills-based curricular features that receive the most attention may be in fact the least influential features in realizing desired skills and knowledge outcomes. The study points to methodological ways forward to further explore and unpack the relationship between success course design features and educational outcomes.

The effects on student retention by implementing contextualised, program-specific learning modules in an online student success course

This practice report examines the results of inserting program-specific, contextualised modules and instructors into an online student success course in a two-year college environment. The results of multiple semesters of pre-contextualised instruction (Northern Hemisphere Spring and Fall 2015) and post-contextualisation instruction (Northern Hemisphere Fall 2016 and Spring 2017), showed an increase in next semester retention. Additionally, ten student success course instructors were interviewed to determine critical elements of the course. Instructors revealed that time management, stress management, and program-specific assignments were the most beneficial components of the course.

The Development of GENE 101 – A ‘Strategies and Skills for Academic Success’ Course for First Year Engineering Students at Waterloo

As a way to help ease the struggles thatstudents face in the transition from high school intouniversity, the Engineering Faculty at the University ofWaterloo started a reduced load program in 2010. Duringtheir first term at Waterloo, engineering students who arein academic jeopardy after midterms can drop twoprescribed courses to give the students an opportunity tofinish the term on a successful note. The two droppedcourses are taken during the following spring term alongwith a third course, GENE 101 – Strategies and Skills forAcademic Success. After successfully completing thereduced load terms, the students return to a full load.GENE 101 is considered a foundational success course.This paper will look at the curriculum and structure of thecourse and the impact it has had on engineering students.At the time of this writing, two groups of students who tookGENE 101 and the reduced load program have graduatedfrom Waterloo as engineers.

Learning How to Learn: A Student Success Course for At Risk Students

It is well known that university students with ineffective learning strategies and low motivation are at risk for lowered grades and stress. Given the needs of these students, Mount St. Vincent University developed the Student Success Course (SSC), a 14-week intervention that offers instruction in learning strategies, self-management, and motivation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSC for 100 undergraduates on academic probation. From pre- to post-test, participants reported a significant increase in cognitive strategies, study skills, and motivation as well as a significant decrease in test anxiety and procrastination (ps < .05). Over time, participants also demonstrated a significantly improved GPA (p < .0001). These results support the hypothesis that the SSC is an effective intervention, at least in the short-term, for improving learning and motivational strategies in at risk students. Il est reconnu que les étudiants d’université dont les stratégies d’apprentissage sont inefficaces et qui ont une faible motivation risquent de souffrir de stress et d’obtenir de mauvaises notes. Au vu des besoins de ces étudiants, Mount St. Vincent University a mis en place un cours pour faciliter la réussite des étudiants (Student Success Course - SSC). Il s’agit d’une intervention de 14 semaines au cours de laquelle on enseigne des stratégies d’apprentissage, de gestion autonome et de motivation. L’objectif de cette étude est d’évaluer l’efficacité de ce cours dans le cas de 100 étudiants de premier cycle placés en probation. Les participants ont rapporté, avant et après le test, une augmentation significative de leurs stratégies cognitives, de leurs compétences en matière d’apprentissage et de leur motivation, ainsi qu’une baisse importante de leur anxiété face aux examens et de leur procrastination (ps < .05). Avec le temps, les participants ont également démontré une augmentation de leur moyenne pondérée cumulative (p < .0001). Ces résultats soutiennent l’hypothèse selon laquelle le cours en question représente une intervention efficace, tout au moins à court terme, pour améliorer les stratégies d’apprentissage et de motivation chez les étudiants à risque.

Librarians Applying Information Literacy Standards as Evaluators of Peer-to-Peer Course Content in a First-Year College Success Course

Information literacy is a crucial skill in library science. As experts in information literacy, librarians are able to both use and promote techniques relevant to finding, evaluating, and presenting information. They are relied on by end users to provide the most pertinent resources, and are expected to do so as part of their jobs. This study describes how librarians applied their professional background in the evaluation of student peer-to-peer material in order to provide the most appropriate content for an introductory college success course.