Innovation

Graduating high school students across the nation are faced with deciding whether to continue their education or enter the workforce. Many seek higher education in order to improve career opportunities and gain economic prosperity and social mobility (Blackwell & Pinder, 2014). The College Board claims that the average annual income for individuals who have a baccalaureate degree is $53,976. The unemployment rate among these graduates is 4.7 percent, which is lower than the U.S. unemployment rate of 6.7 percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). While these statistics look promising, the...

Barriers to Academic Success: A Qualitative Study of African American and Latino Male Students

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June 2016

Students of color, males in particular, face significant challenges in higher education. African American male students, on average, are less successful than other racial/ethnic groups, including African American women. Compared to Asian/Pacific Islander or White/Non-Hispanic students, they are less likely to succeed in both developmental and college-level coursework and are more likely to drop out. Latino students are the least likely of all racial/ethnic groups to transfer. African American students and Latino males have the lowest persistence rates (Elgin Community College, 2010). Students...

Taking Flexibility to the Next Level: One Department’s Experience with HyFlex Implementation

Tags: Assessment and Evaluation, Classroom Research, Partnerships, Workforce Preparation

November 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shift to online learning demonstrated to us that students can not only adapt, but also thrive when provided with diversified and complimentary instructional modes (Ascione, 2021). Inspired by the resiliency of our students, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) department welcomed students back to Austin Community College (ACC) campuses by piloting a new course modality—Hybrid Flexible, or HyFlex. The HyFlex modality combines online and face-to-face teaching and learning activities in a regularly scheduled class where students are given the choice to...

Connect for Success: Matching Teaching and Learning Styles

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April 2012

Educational institutions feel the imperative to improve retention and graduation rates, and political and corporate interests have amplified the focus on institutional success. The general consensus among policy-makers holds that an indicator of institutional effectiveness is student learning (Erisman, 2009). Fifty-five percent of the nation's 25- to 35-year olds will be degree holders by the year 2025. It is an ambitious challenge and a necessary aspiration to elevate America's status as a world leader in educational attainment among its citizenry. And it is a compelling goal as the global...

Improving Intercultural Communication with d/Deaf, d/Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing Community College Students

Tags: Access, Diversity, Inclusion, Learning Environments, Learning Resources

November 2022

Despite acts like the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defining and shaping public perception of deafness and deafblindness as only ability statuses, many d/Deaf, d/Deafblind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) individuals identify themselves as members of their own culture—complete with unique languages, beliefs, values, and customs (Aldalur et al., 2021; Best, 2016; Rose, 2020). Legislation like the ADA has undoubtedly increased access to and quality of educational opportunities for DDBHH students. However, many DDBHH students’ educational interfaces are with educators, interpreters, and...

Accountability

Tags: Strategic Planning

2008