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This report from the California Postsecondary Education Commission considers the request by the Governors of the California Community Colleges and the MiraCosta Community College District (MCCD) to secure approval for the Community Learning Center in Oceanside. The MCCD serves a traditionally affluent, white region that has recently become far more diverse, with strong immigration from Central and South America and many Asian nations. As a result, many adults in the region are deficient in English language skills. Most of the ESL classes in the region were originally offered at the Adult Learning Center in Oceanside. The facility, with enrollment approaching 5,000 students, became overcrowded, and the perception grew that it was substandard. The first phase of the Community Learning Center construction project is complete. The cost for the final phase will be between $5-8 million, with funds coming from the state. The project criteria examined by the Commission include: (1) description and overview; (2) enrollment projections; (3) alternatives; (4) academic planning and program justification; (5) student services and outreach; (6) support and capital outlay; (7) geographic and physical accessibility; (8) effects on other institutions; (9) environmental impact; and (10) economic efficiency. The Commission concluded that the Center should be approved. (Contains 11 references.) (Author)

This paper explores the challenges that South Mountain Community College (Phoenix, Arizona) faced in order to take advantage of the opportunities computer technology offered in its teacher education program. Three issues are examined which were critical to the effective use of computer technology: (1) the technology itself, including the college's emphasis on open-ended computer tools and the benefits of this technology for students; (2) the classroom learning environment in which the technology was used, i.e., the Dynamic Learning teacher preparation program, a classroom learning environment that invites students to mindfully engage in their studies, particularly when using computer technology; and (3) the administrative changes and challenges needed to facilitate instructional innovations, including budgeting, network infrastructure requirements, administration of the Dynamic Learning computer laboratory, training, off-campus access to technology, and course scheduling. The paper emphasizes how these factors led faculty and administrators to a dialectical process of discussion and action across campus to meet the needs of students. (AEF)

As part of an effort to evaluate the Academic Computing, Tutoring, and Testing Center, Gainesville College, in Georgia, surveyed 672 students in morning classes, 424 students in evening classes, and all faculty and staff to determine their use of and satisfaction with the Center. Faculty and staff responses were received from 79 individuals, including 50 faculty members, 11 administrative, and 18 staff members. Study findings included the following: (1) 50% of the student respondents spent 1 to 5 hours in the Center each week, while 8.7% indicated that they had never used it; (2) the most commonly reported use of the Center by students was for classroom assignments requiring the use of a computer, cited by 759 respondents; (3) all 38 dimensions of the Center included on the survey received ratings of "adequate" or "very adequate" by 84% or more of the students, while the highest rated dimensions were computer hardware and software; (4) the dimensions receiving the highest percentage of "very adequate" ratings by faculty were willingness to offer orientation classes, hours of operation, willingness of staff to discuss problems, and willingness to help special needs students; and (5) the dimensions receiving the lowest number of "very adequate" ratings by faculty were the condition of the photocopy equipment, the amount of staff, and the availability of professional staff. The survey instruments with tabulated responses and student comments to open-ended questions are included. (TGI)

The Center for Applied Social Issues (CASI), at Ohio's Sinclair Community College, is an interactive environment for sociology students, providing hands-on, course-integrated opportunities for learning sociological principles. Opened in fall 1992, CASI consists of computer applications, audio-visual aids, and table-top activities that extend classroom knowledge, reinforce basic knowledge, foster critical thinking, and permit exploration of advanced ideas. The CASI lab is open days and evenings, as well as a few hours on Saturdays, and is continually staffed by students who have completed the college's introductory sociology sequence with superior grades. One year after opening, faculty at the college had developed 106 activities for CASI, while the Center is in the process of obtaining multimedia workstations and laserdisk activities and developing multimedia presentations that will reinforce and enhance classroom materials. Approximately 27 students can be accommodated at one time, with 50 to 88 students typically using the lab for the 45-hour per week that CASI is open. All activities are self-paced and allow students to repeat as necessary, while instructors generally use CASI to assign required or provide extra-credit activities. Students pay no fees to use the lab, with the CASI budget combined with budgets of other Liberal Arts and Sciences labs and administered by a coordinator. Five hours of release time each quarter are granted to the faculty member who administers the lab, hires and supervises student workers, administers an evaluation, and plans the budget. (BCY)

In 1992, North Shore Community College received a grant to develop a multimedia program for literature instruction based on Homer's "Odyssey." Rather than providing the text of the work, the program, "Journey Home," provides access to a wide array of related materials related to the "Odyssey," including 150 excerpts from critical essays, articles, and poetry; 30 video segments; 15 music excerpts; and 100 art works and photographs. The main menu provides students with the option to click on mythology, religion and the gods, Odysseus' journey, characters in the poem, astronomy, Homer and his world, craftsmanship and technology, archeology, sources and language, and a help section. The program was pilot-tested in two World Literature classes, one using the program in a lab only, while the other used it in both the classroom and lab. Observations based on the pilot testing included the following: (1) students expressed a desire for more access to labs; (2) instructors found that students were tempted to play with the program during lectures and students in the lab only class had some trouble navigating the program; (3) the program was most effective when specific assignments were given, rather than allowing students to wander through the material; and (4) instructors found that the computers tended to block their view of students and that helping students with computers during class was disruptive. In general, the response to the program was enthusiastic and the academic performance of students using the program improved. (KP)

The Flex Lab at Santa Fe Community College, in New Mexico, is a self-paced, computer-assisted training center that allows students to accommodate college credit courses into their schedules. The Lab offers courses in introductory computers, keyboarding, and various computer programs and emphasizes several features of the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) developed by Fred Keller. The aspects of the Lab curriculum which reflect the PSI include the following: (1) discrete modules, reflected in the six sequential modules of the one-credit Business and Office Technology course; (2) an emphasis on individual study, reflected in the self-paced, independent nature of the curriculum; (3) the use of supplementary instruction, provided by group orientations to the lab at the start of each semester; (4) the use of unit exams, which is very important in the Flex Lab environment of decreased instructor-student interaction; (5) the use of proctors, who are available for most of the hours that the Lab is open to answer questions; (6) self-pacing, which helps expedite the completion of prerequisites, learn at a more flexible rate than in a traditional classroom setting, and negotiate work and family obligations; and (7) mastery, encouraged by instructors who return assignments for revision before final grading. Evaluative research of the PSI method indicate that students achieve better scores, retain information longer, and show more interest than traditional students. (ECC)

Although high schools typically concentrate on preparing students to enter baccalaureate degree programs, it is estimated that by the year 2000 more than 70% of the jobs in America will not require a four-year college degree. The Tech Prep program is designed to provide technically oriented backgrounds to the middle fifty percent of high school students who may not pursue a four-year college degree but choose a two-year trade, technical, or community college program. The mathematics component of Tech Prep, Applied Mathematics (AM), was created by a consortium of 42 states and the Center for Occupational Research and Development. AM consists of 25 competency-based units covering basic math skills, geometry, algebra, quality control, and trigonometry. The learning materials for each unit include a 10-15 minute video program, a student text, a teacher text, mathematics laboratory activities, practical problem-solving exercises, and glossary. In the AM classroom, the teacher is a facilitator, the students actively participate, work in groups, and are allowed to use calculators. Tech Prep students who have completed AM courses will enter two-year colleges much better prepared than general mathematics students and will be used to this teaching approach. Two-year college mathematics faculty, therefore, will need to adapt to the new techniques and methods of teaching. Eight sample laboratory activities are appended. (KP)

At the Homestead Campus of Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC), in Florida, one barrier to fully integrating technology in the classroom was identified as the low-level of student computer skills. To address the problem, the campus undertook a project to establish a technology basic skills workshop for all students. In informal interviews to determine basic technology skills, faculty indicated that all students should be able to use a word processor, use spell- and grammar-checkers for proofing and editing, use computer tutorials, and use CD-ROMs for research. The technology workshop was then designed as a one-credit, facilitated course consisting of the following five self-paced modules: (1) an introduction to the facilitated learning format; (2) an introduction to technology lab skills; (3) a guide to Microsoft Works software; (4) an introduction to MDCC's computerized advisement and registration system; and (5) a guide to using the campus library. In implementing the program, the campus had to overcome issues related to logistics, such as tracking students, and to making the workshop economically productive. Additional benefits of the workshop were that students gained skills necessary to function on campus and in the workplace, faculty have begun to assign more computer-based work, and both the campus and the technologies have been made more accessible to the community. (KP)

An assessment of the activities of the Learning Center (LC) at South Plains College is provided in this 1991-92 annual report. Introductory material describes the scope of the LC's operations, including reading and study skills remediation, developmental communications instruction, collegiate instruction in reading and human development, peer tutoring, computer-aided instruction, independent study opportunities, and workshops and seminars for all students at the college. Next, the report presents demographic information on the students served, including their Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) status and scores. Following a section which reports the results of a survey soliciting faculty evaluations of the Center, tutoring activities and courses taught in the LC are reviewed. An assessment of program effectiveness is provided in the next section, which looks at reading remediation in terms of course completion rates, passing rates on exit tests, retention rates, student evaluation of courses, and faculty evaluations. This section also discusses other effectiveness measures, other remedial courses ("Developmental Communications" and "College Success"), and noncourse-based remediation. The next two sections analyze data on the LC Lab and success seminars. Following discussions of program goals for 1992-93 and the effects of TASP implementation, the report concludes with a commentary on the future of academic support activities and remedial instruction at community colleges. Appendixes include data on remedial reading courses, guidelines for non-center-based remediation, and a sample student contract for reading improvement. Additional attachments provide LC statistics, a statistical overview, and verbatim faculty comments. (JSP)

A study was conducted at San Jose City College (SJCC) to determine whether method of instruction in Math 310 (Arithmetic) affected new college students' rates of success, first-semester competency, and persistence. The three instructional approaches used in Math 310 were a traditional three-unit classroom (CL); a structured math lab offering variable units at a fixed time with one full-time instructor (SL); and a multi-subject, learning center-based approach offering variable units by arrangement (LSC). Study participants included 163 new students starting at SJCC in fall 1990. Of these students, 78% were under 30 years of age; 39% were White, 33% Hispanic, 15% Black, and 9% Asian; and 55% were female. Study findings included the following: (1) 72 (44%) of the 163 students enrolled in Math 310 in fall 1990 achieved a level of competence their first semester that would allow them to progress to beginning algebra; (2) 72 (44%) of the Math 310 students persisted to the second semester; (3) CL students reached competency at a higher rate (64%) than SL students (46%) or LSC students (28%), though SL persisted at a higher rate (55%) than both LSC (38%) and CL students (31%); (4) 64% of the CL students were successful versus 92% of the SL students; and (5) 74% of the LSC students were successful, although only 10% were successful at the full three-unit credit level. Data tables, graphs, and recommendations are included. (JMC)

Although technology is potentially a powerful tool for improving the teaching-learning process, studies have shown that it is widely underutilized, with many faculty lacking expertise in and awareness of available technologies. Closing this gap between the availability of technology and faculty ownership of it is the function of an instructional technology transfer center. Strategies used by 11 representative centers to enhance and improve teaching and learning at community colleges include efforts targeted at faculty as a group, at individual teachers, and at the campus as a whole. Group strategies include conducting needs assessments to prioritize training interests, offering day-long workshops to train faculty to use software packages or mini-workshops of less than 2 hours to cover such specific topics as how to use a laser disc or test-generating programs, arranging vendor demonstrations of products, and establishing special projects and faculty teams. Strategies focusing on individuals include providing materials for independent learning; establishing curriculum application projects, offering release time, professional development awards, and monetary compensation; designating proficient faculty as mentors; and loaning hardware and/or software during academic breaks. Finally, campus-wide initiatives include newsletters to keep faculty informed of center activities, open houses and orientation sessions for new employees, computer fairs, involving faculty on center steering committees, and acting as a clearinghouse of information for vendors. Contains seven references. (KP)

During winter semester 1989, Monroe County Community College (MCCC) developed a Writing Fellows program and introduced a Writing Center into the Learning Assistance Lab (LAL). Both these iniatives were part of the school's writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) efforts which had been launched in fall 1987. Writing Fellows are specially-trained peer tutors who work with all students in courses involved with WAC, which include among others, classes in physics, nursing, music, chemistry, logic, algebra and drafting. This annual report of MCCC's WAC program describes the background to and goals of the program, presents frequency use data for the LAL, and provides results of an evaluative survey of students, faculty and student tutors involved in the program. Survey results include the following: (1) while MCCC enrollments decreased from fall 1989 to winter 1990, use of the LAL increased dramatically from 2,481 to 2,896 student visits; (2) total tutoring sessions per year at the LAL increased from 609 in 1986 to 1,937 in 1990; (3) in 1990, 84% of students who could arrange conferences with their Writing Fellows felt that the conferences were helpful or very helpful, up from 76% in 1989; (4) 91% of students surveyed in 1990 believed the program was either effective or very effective as compared with 78% in the 1989 survey; (5) all 18 faculty involved in the WAC program wished to continue having Writing Fellows assigned to their courses; and (6) all Writing Fellows who intended to return to MCCC in fall 1991 volunteered to continue their work as Writing Fellows. Sample narrative survey responses, copies of six issues of the WAC program newsletter, and a copy of a short article on the program are included. (JMC)

A study was conducted to identify and evaluate effective recruitment strategies and the effectiveness of a short-term, individualized audio-tutorial course designed to improve the communications skills of non-traditional students. Subjects were 30 students enrolled in and completing the individualized course, Learning Skills I, and 30 control students. Experimental group students were interviewed in order to determine how they were recruited for the course. Results indicated that 67% of the subjects had been purposefully recruited into the course by counselors, the learning skills center, or by instructors. Subjects were pre- and post-tested on The New Purdue Test in English. Analysis of the mean scores for the experimental and control groups revealed no significant differences in the scores. No evidence was found indicating that the instructional treatment brought about any significant gains in the communications skills of the members of the experimental group. (Author/JDS)

This booklet details the findings of a survey, conducted by the Committee on Learning Skills Centers of the Conference on College Composition and Communication, concerning the utilization of learning skills centers to teach composition in institutions of higher learning. Responses from 38 public two-year colleges, 2 private two-year colleges, 18 public four-year colleges, and 17 private four-year colleges provide information concerning the use and services of learning skills centers, student enrollment and motivation, faculty utilization, and other program characteristics. (KS)

The U.S. Office of Education funded a 1973-74 institute at Indiana University (Bloomington) Library School in which 18 students participated in a master's degree program for community college librarians/learning resource center directors. The program is both described and evaluated in this report. Information is provided on program goals, rationale, special features, required course content, elective courses, summer session workshops, participant recruitment and selection, registration and orientation, facilities, resources, field trips, laboratory work, practical experience, communication process, and staff. Comments and evaluations are interspersed throughout. Chapters on major problems, institute and participant evaluation, and conclusions follow. Appendixes include workshop course descriptions, evaluation results, a Leadership Training Institute site visit report, an outside evaluator's report, and an employment report on the participants. Copies of announcements and correspondence are attached. (LS)

In an effort to evaluate how well the Learning Resources Center at Virginia Western Community College serves its faculty, a survey was taken to obtain professional information about the faculty members responding, frequencies and ratings of services used, and suggestions for improvement. The 121 faculty respondents (69%) indicated which of the 22 services offered by the Library, the Learning Laboratory, and the Audio-Visual Department they had used, how often they had used them, and rated each service on a Likert-type scale. Results showed that only seven of the 22 services had been used by 50% of the faculty in the previous year, of which five related to traditional library services. Only two services ("checked out book" and "read magazines or newspapers in library") had been used by 75% of the faculty. Overall, about one third of the faculty were utilizing library facilities. Those services used by less than 25% of the faculty included "had a bibliography prepared,""used the microfilm/microfiche,""requested A/V materials to be shown in my classroom,""recommended A/V materials to be purchased,""had students take make-up tests," and used interlibrary loan services. Survey methodology is discussed in detail, and the questionnaire and faculty suggestions for improvement are appended. (BB)

At a meeting of community/junior college officials on proposed academic redesign based on learning resource centers, various aspects of instructional development were discussed. Topics include the use of television to extend education, organizing for instructional development, bringing about change, the concept of the learning center, organizing and administering instructional development, the role of the district office, personnel development, and marketing media. A roster of participants is appended. (SK)

Individual, self-paced, and computer assisted instruction (CAI) characterize the English Multimedia Laboratory of San Antonio College, where entering freshmen with composite American College Test scores in the lowest category of 1-15 have increased from 28% in 1967 to 61% in 1975. The multimedia lab, operational since 1973, replaced the relatively ineffectual Basic English remedial course. Personalized instruction is the primary characteristic of the laboratory, each student moving at his own pace through ten learning areas according to specified behavioral objectives. CAI plays an integral part, providing nearly instantaneous feedback and additional tutoring, as necessary, to student users. CAI has also been adapted for use with hearing-impaired students. Results of the multimedia laboratory, in addition to increased levels of competency, include: individualized learning of basic skills at the student's own level of performance, individual review and testing, increased motivation, immediate reinforcement, improved attendance and student involvement, a sequence of instruction, and self-tutoring. A comparative study of students' subsequent freshman composition grades has shown that grades of D and F decreased from 54.02% in pre-lab years to 38.64% since implementation of the lab. (JDS)

This study examines student outcomes in the seven curriculum programs (chemical technology, dental hygiene, dental laboratory, medical laboratory, nursing, opthalmic dispensing, and radiologic technology) of the Division of Allied Health and Natural Sciences at New York City Community College. The following variables are examined: student background, college grades, performance on certification and licensure examinations, student perceptions of the college experience, faculty perceptions of student development, employer perceptions of student performance, and student and faculty perceptions of the Allied Health Learning Center. These factors in single and combined form are used to evaluate student performance during three stages of the student's relationship with the College: pre-tenure, tenure, and post-tenure. Ten different questionnaires, sent to graduates, current students, faculty, and employers, and the official college records were used to compile the information in this report. Data are presented in 66 tables, and the questionnaires are appended. The research design Provided in this investigation can be generalized to studies conducted by researchers in other institutions. (Author/NHM)

Since fall 1972, Sacramento City College has operated a pilot project designed to provide minority students with extra tutorial and laboratory assistance and, thereby, to encourage them to pursue careers in mathematics, science, technology, and the allied health fields. The primary focus of the program was placed on one-to-one tutorials intended to remedy the problems faced by minority students in their regular classes. To this end, a laboratory was established centrally in the science complex and was staffed by a project director and six qualified peer tutors. In order to evaluate the success of the pilot project, questionnaires were distributed to students who had participated in the program and to minority students who had enrolled in mathematics, science, technology, or allied health courses, but who had not participated in the program. The responses from Asian, black, Mexican-American, and Native American students are presented separately. As a result of this evaluation study, it is recommended that the pilot phase of this program be ended and that the program be continued on a regular basis. The questionnaires are appended, as are descriptions of the auto-tutorial aids currently utilized in the program laboratory. (DC)

A survey of California community colleges was conducted in order to ascertain what methods were being used to identify students for placement in freshman English courses, and what types of programs and services were being offered for entering students with reading and writing deficiencies. Of 100 colleges surveyed, 64 responded. There seems to be agreement among the respondents that single multipurpose identification instrument is not yet available which will assist in English placement and which will also identify individual student learning deficiencies. Currently, 48 colleges use a standardized test, 24 also require the submission of an essay as a writing sample, 7 use a writing sample alone, and 9 colleges allow open enrollment in freshman English courses. The writing sample is recommended as the most reliable placement method, but the time and expense required have caused several colleges to discontinue it. Tutoring services for students deficient in basic learning skills are available at 58 colleges. Separate remedial reading and writing courses are offered at 51 colleges, 46 colleges have a basic skills laboratory, and 15 colleges offer two-hour reading and communications skills courses. Survey responses are tallied, and respondent comments are attached. (Author/BB)

Thirty-four high-risk students at Essex Community College (Maryland) were evaluated on self-concept growth as shown through pre- and post-tests on the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS), self-concept as shown through an open-ended questionnaire, and improvement in college grade point average (GPA), after working in a self goal-setting learning support program for basic skills development. The program--a non-credit, individualized, programmed, laboratory experience--utilized self-defined resolution of skill deficiencies as perceived by each student, through an individual learning contract. At the conclusion of the program 25 students showed positive growth in self-concept as measured by the TSCS and all of the students indicated positive attitudes through the subjective questionnaire. Overall, the GPA's of students improved, with the majority of returning students improving their GPA from the previous semester and the majority of new students earning an overall "C" grade; of the three students whose GPA's showed a decline, two had increased their course load over that of the previous semester. It was concluded that an effective basic skills program can result in measurable positive growth in self-concepts of high-risk community college students, and that the self goal-setting learning environment can set the stage for student success. (Author/JDS)

In order to make recommendations for improvement of the mathematics laboratory at Mira Costa College, questionnaires were mailed to 100 community colleges. Of the 40 responding, 17% had completely self-paced labs, 20% combined open labs with individualized instruction, 20% had no lab instruction, and the remainder had a variety of offerings. Courses ranged from one offering to eight, with arithmetic, elementary algebra, and intermediate algebra predominating. Funds were provided either by the district (n=13), special grant funds (n=13), or the student body (1). Of 15 colleges using audio-visual materials, a majority preferred texts supported by audio tapes. Students were encouraged to persevere in lab use by personal contacts, phone calls, or postcards. Facilities were variously housed in regular classrooms (13), separate centers (12), the library (6), or in separate tutoring or testing rooms. An instructor served as director in 15 colleges, with classified staff, instructional associates, or librarians serving as director in 11 institutions. Labs were open from four to 80 hours weekly. In addition to the questionnaire results, on-site visitations are reported for 11 campuses, and the combined information sources are utilized to recommend to Mira Costa College an increase in lab personnel, particularly classified aides, and increase lab space and/or open hours. (RT)

Information in this two-part report is provided to help directors of college reading and study skills centers plan for survival in an era of declining enrollment. After introductory material noting the need for such centers as colleges increase student retention efforts, Part I of the report examines six administrative factors that affect a center's survival: (1) center personnel's awareness of the political workings of the college; (2) institutional support of the center's programming in light of changing institutional missions; (3) development of seminars and other programs for group instruction that are more visible than programs geared to the individual student; (4) development of the staff's ability to work together and its familiarity with the mission of the school; (5) development of a service orientation; and (6) publicity of the center's services through direct contact with students and through various advertising media. Part II briefly discusses materials selection in light of diminishing financial resources and urges directors to systematically evaluate materials in terms of student and program needs. The appendix includes a form for evaluating the usefulness of learning materials, a reading and study skills lab evaluation form, and a directory of 58 companies which supply learning lab materials. For each company, this directory summarizes the type of materials provided and their approximate price range. (JP)