One of the key commitments of the Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI's) STEM Transfer Partnership (STP) program is to transform STEM transfer pathways and improve outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds using student input. Student input is an essential element in institutional transformation for student success but the process…

We describe a semester-long project for an introductory statistics class that studies the broken windows theory of policing and the related issues of race, policing, and criminal justice. The most impactful feature of the project is the data-collection phase, in which students attend and observe a public arraignment court session. This "Court…

The results of educational research studies are only as accurate as the data used to produce them. Drawing on experiences conducting large-scale efficacy studies of classroom-based algebra interventions for community college and middle school students, I am developing practice-based data cleaning procedures to support scholars in conducting…

Research has shown that dialogic instruction is a desirable method of curriculum delivery. Dialogic instruction encourages students to integrate cognitive and behavioral processes, thus leading to a broader transferable skill set. This study presented an overview of dialogic instruction related to various accepted learning theories, an examination…

This dissertation presents a qualitative case study of students enrolled in online courses and how they perceived the orientation program they completed before starting these courses. The study was based on the perspectives of students enrolled in a fully online program at a small community college in western Maine. They were interviewed…

Open courses have received a lot of attention in the last two years; however, the question of whether they serve learners has yet to be determined. This paper explores the challenges and potential in assessing the impact of open educational initiatives, particularly those that produce and share Open Educational Resources (OER). We use a…

This study explored the problem of student attrition in beginning courses of an Intensive English Program (IEP) that may affect the sustainability of the IEP. The purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions of continuing students and the factors that influenced their motivation and engagement to persist studying in the IEP.…

The purpose of this study was to determine if students' perceptions of quality differed between Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) accredited and non JRCERT-accredited radiography programs using the quality dimensions of curriculum, faculty, facilities and equipment, integrity, student outcomes, and overall…

Each year, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement ("CCSSE") presents the results of its annual survey--and helps colleges use that information to improve student learning and persistence. "CCSSE" results give community colleges objective and relevant data about students' experiences at their colleges so they can better understand how…

Each year, the Community College Survey of Student Engagement ("CCSSE") presents the results of its annual survey--and helps colleges use that information to improve student learning and persistence. "CCSSE" results give community colleges objective and relevant data about students' experiences at their colleges so they can better understand how…