US Community Colleges Research Articles

Using machine learning to predict student retention from socio-demographic characteristics and app-based engagement metrics

Student attrition poses a major challenge to academic institutions, funding bodies and students. With the rise of Big Data and predictive analytics, a growing body of work in higher education research has demonstrated the feasibility of predicting student dropout from readily available macro-level (e.g., socio-demographics or early performance metrics) and micro-level data (e.g., logins to learning management systems). Yet, the existing work has largely overlooked a critical meso-level element of student success known to drive retention: students’ experience at university and their social embeddedness within their cohort. In partnership with a mobile application that facilitates communication between students and universities, we collected both (1) institutional macro-level data and (2) behavioral micro and meso-level engagement data (e.g., the quantity and quality of interactions with university services and events as well as with other students) to predict dropout after the first semester. Analyzing the records of 50,095 students from four US universities and community colleges, we demonstrate that the combined macro and meso-level data can predict dropout with high levels of predictive performance (average AUC across linear and non-linear models = 78%; max AUC = 88%). Behavioral engagement variables representing students’ experience at university (e.g., network centrality, app engagement, event ratings) were found to add incremental predictive power beyond institutional variables (e.g., GPA or ethnicity). Finally, we highlight the generalizability of our results by showing that models trained on one university can predict retention at another university with reasonably high levels of predictive performance.

Pandemic Repercussions

The disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have both short- and long-term repercussions on higher education. To crystallize these impacts in a sector that was particularly vulnerable to the economic effects of the pandemic, this mixed methods study explores the intersection of international education and community college responses to the pandemic. Findings indicated that due to the pandemic, community college international education programs faced a reallocation of institutional resources, both financial and otherwise, which shapes the educational opportunities available to students and informs the institutional habitus of the US community college. This study’s findings have implications in the areas of international student recruitment, limitationss to higher education access, and impacts on local and regional communities.

Effectiveness of Electronic Language Learning in USA Community Colleges: A Critical Review

This study explores the current literature on ‘the effectiveness of electronic-learning (e-learning)’ in teaching/learning language skills. Through providing a comprehensive synthesis of amassed related empirical and conceptual articles, drawing on students’ and instructors’ experiences, a mapping review is conducted to look at the impact of e-learning within US community colleges. This research aims to examine the most recent literature about the efficiency of implementing e-learning alone to deliver language skills in US community colleges, and to investigate if e-learning leads to an increase or decrease in students’ dropout and success rates from community colleges. After examining the available literature, it is concluded that first, using e-learning alone can be accepted as a delivery mode for language skills, however, it still needs several improvements related to infrastructure, and easy to access virtual applications to provide a quixotic experience for students to learn various language skills. Second, although e-learning positively affected domestic students, it has negatively impacted international students who unfortunately either failed in their e-courses or withdrew from the whole program. Moreover, drawing on the syntheses of the low success rates and high dropout rates of students who registered in e-learning courses, the researcher concludes that the results of this study can be used as an evaluative phase for US Community College administrators to prepare colleges with the needed student free services to present innovative e-learning design and experience, and for faculty and to design ideal e-learning courses that are based on motivation and engagement models.

Operationalizing “Internationalization” in the Community College Sector: Textual Analysis of Institutional Internationalization Plans

How do US community colleges define and operationalize internationalization? Using quantitative textual analysis and grounding our discussion in the extant literature addressing institutional internationalization in the two and four-year sectors, this piece dissects the internationalization plans of community colleges representing three state contexts.

Expanding access to international education: The case of North Carolina community colleges

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to provide an overview of US community college international education programs along with specific examples that can be implemented at community colleges wishing to establish similar offerings. This article explores especially how community colleges incorporate international education into the fabric of their institutions, providing access to global opportunities to students and members of the communities they serve. We focus our analysis on recent survey data, collected from 42 of North Carolina's 58 community colleges. These data provide insight into how community colleges are expanding educational opportunities and providing access to the multiple populations that they serve. Key international opportunities offered to students at community colleges include on‐campus international events, study abroad, internationalized curricula, North Carolina's Scholars of Global Distinction Program, and international student services. This article closes with specific recommendations for community college leaders aiming to establish or grow international programming on their campuses.

Encouraging impacts of an Open Education Resource Degree Initiative on college students’ progress to degree

Textbooks are traditional and useful learning resources for college students, but commercial texts books have been widely criticized for their high costs, restricted access, limited flexibility, and uninspiring learning experiences. Open Education Resources (OER) are an alternative to commercial textbooks that have the potential to increase college affordability, access, and instructional quality. The current study examined how an OER degree—or pathway of OER courses that meet the requirements for a degree program—impacted students’ progress to degree at 11 US community colleges. We conducted quasi-experimental impact studies and meta-analysis examining whether OER course enrollment was associated with differences in credit accumulation and cumulative GPA over multiple terms. Overall, we found a positive effect of OER degrees on credit accumulation and no significant difference on cumulative GPA. Taken together, these results suggest students are maintaining their GPAs despite taking more courses, on average. This suggests that students taking OER courses were making faster progress towards degrees than their peers who took no OER courses.

Critical assessment of initiatives in community college international education

AbstractIn the 1947 Truman Commission, Zook noted a validation of international education for US community colleges and specified two recommendations for the internationalization of US community colleges. The first recommendation was to embrace internationalization in the curriculum, and the second was to create an educational context in which students could gain an international understanding. This article critically assesses the extent to which US community colleges have met Zook's (1947) recommendations. The findings show that internationalization practices are supported by US community college leadership over time, are found in American Association of Community Colleges policies, are the subject of graduate student dissertations, and are the subject of research since the 1960s. The article concludes with a comprehensive set of recommendations for community colleges to support future actionable international agendas intended to serve the next generation of community colleges and their students.

Library Liaison Services in US Community Colleges

Library liaison services have been shown to be a valuable component of higher education in the US. Despite this established value, however, liaison services specific to community colleges are rarely discussed in the scholarly literature, while such services from universities and research institutions are well researched. Though it is understandable that liaison services at universities and community colleges would have similarities such as collaboration and outreach with students and faculty, it is only logical that they would also have differences due to the differences in user groups they serve. However, performing any reasonable comparison is difficult due to the absence of scholarly discourse regarding liaison services at community colleges. This article fills this gap by presenting survey data on the state of liaison services in community college libraries in the US. The data shows that a range of liaison work is being performed by community college librarians; A number of opportunities for further inquiry are also identified.

E-textbook technology: Are instructors using it and what is the impact on student learning?

PurposeToday’s digital and mobile learning environment has contributed to the increased availability of and interest in e-textbooks, and many school systems are conducting trials to evaluate their effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze instructors’ levels of use (LoU) of e-textbook features and innovations at a southeastern US community college. This study also evaluated the effectiveness of e-textbooks compared to paper textbooks on student achievement during a pilot period of e-textbook implementation.Design/methodology/approachUsing a survey research design, the LoU of the Innovation framework was applied to identify and analyze instructors’ LoU rankings for eight e-textbook features. The study also used historical data on student demographics and final course grades to evaluate student achievement between text formats. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to answer the research questions.FindingsResults showed that e-textbook features were used at a low to non-existent level by instructors and that there was no significant difference in grade average between text formats among students. However, interactions between text format, age and gender were found.Originality/valueThis study added to the body of knowledge regarding e-textbook efficacy. While many studies stop with the conclusion that there is no difference in student outcomes between text formats, this study addressed a gap in literature on how to improve student performance with e-textbook technology by using the LoU of an innovation framework.

International Student Experience at US Community Colleges at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study’s purpose is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students who were studying at US community colleges at the onset of this public health crisis. While previous work has explored the impact of the pandemic on international students generally, we argue that community college international students deserve focused attention due to their potentially marginalized status on their campuses. Using a mixed-methods research approach, we analyze survey and focus group data provided by 17 randomly-selected community college educators. Our results speak to two overarching themes: the supports provided to students at the onset of the pandemic (and educators reasons for providing these specific supports) and the unique impact of the pandemic on community college international students due to their citizenship or residency status. These findings have important implications for community college leaders and international educators as they work with international students during future times of crisis.

COVID-19 and necessity-based online entrepreneurship education at US community colleges

PurposeThis paper explores community college entrepreneurship education's near-instantaneous transition to online course delivery following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were obtained from 92 community college entrepreneurship faculty via online survey in late March of 2020, right at the time faculty were required to transition their courses to an online mode of delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneurship Education Project.FindingsWhile the majority of community college entrepreneurship educators have taught online previously, many were not familiar with exemplar education technology tools and applications, demonstrating an opportunity for continued professional development. To deliver courses online, educators primarily relied on pre-recorded lectures and using Zoom as the technology platform of choice. Last, there were significant faculty concerns about their ability to effectively create an “experiential” classroom virtually for students to learn and practice entrepreneurship.Originality/valueThis is the first paper investigating how community college entrepreneurship educators responded to one of the most disruptive events to ever impact entrepreneurship education (viz. the COVID-19 pandemic). More broadly, this is also one of very few studies exploring both (1) community college entrepreneurship education and (2) how unexpected crises (e.g. natural disasters, pandemics) impact educational environments.

Responding to the Call for Multi/Translingual Approaches to Writing Instruction: A Review of Recent Post-Secondary Translanguaging Studies

ABSTRACT Despite increasing enrollments of foreign-born students in US community colleges, extant research on serving the needs of linguistic minority (LM) learners in higher education is decidedly scarce. When LM learners enter post-secondary settings, they simultaneously inherit the burden of securing the academic resources needed to navigate college coursework; within the post-secondary domain, this burden typically takes the form of required remediation classes. In the field of basic writing, scholars have already called for the implementation of multilingual or translingual approaches to address language differences. In response to these calls for multi/translingual approaches, this study considers the potential utility of translanguaging pedagogy in basic writing instruction, as an equitable means of assisting LM learners as they transition to community college settings. Two bodies of literature are evaluated: (1) research on LM learners and their transition to post-secondary settings; (2) research involving post-secondary translanguaging studies. Applying a theoretical lens informed by practice-based views toward bilingualism, this study identifies key components of post-secondary translanguaging studies that might be useful to the design of a future study involving community college LM learners in remedial writing classes.

A survey of economics education at US community colleges

In order to increase the minimal knowledge about economics instruction at US community colleges we conducted a survey of instructors in May 2019. Although only 50 instructors responded to the invitation to participate, the survey offers preliminary insights about the economics curriculum and instructor characteristics. There appears to be widespread adoption of the OpenStax textbook Principles of Economics and minimal adoption of pluralist textbooks. Although most respondents believed they had significant or some scope to change the curriculum, they also registered some dissatisfaction with the current curriculum, noting the need for varied additions including behavioural economics, environmental economics, history of thought, and the study of income distribution. Respondents indicated a desire for greater respect by those working in four-year colleges and wanted more networking with the economics profession as well as financial support to attend conferences. Respondents identified increased use of online instruction and part-time instructors as worrisome trends, a majority believing both trends reduced student learning.

Shifting to blended online learning and its impact on student performance: A case study for students enrolled in economic courses prior to COVID-19 emergency remote instruction

This study explores whether student academic performance differs between the face-to-face and online hybrid sections in an undergraduate introductory macroeconomic course offered at a US community college. The data was collected from 414 students enrolled in various sections of the course during five semesters from spring 2016 to fall 2018. The findings show no statistical difference in student performance between face-to-face and online hybrid courses and contribute to the literature specific to the discipline of economics, which unlike other disciplines, has shown discord in findings. The usefulness of such results may extend to US higher education institutions to help them make data-informed decisions about their future investments in online teaching modalities and course design in the discipline of economics.

A National Study of Online Learning Leaders in US Community Colleges

Online learning has become a major endeavor in US higher education. A 2016 national study of leadership for online learning explored a new leadership role that Presidents and Provosts at US universities have established to coordinate and direct their efforts in this vital area. But a significant portion of online education is offered by two-year schools, so this systematic national study of online learning leaders at our community college will complement the first study and contribute to our understanding of this vital academic initiative in those institutions.

Who Studies Abroad at US Community Colleges?

Who Studies Abroad at US Community Colleges?

US community college entrepreneurship educator practices

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to descriptively characterize the demographic profiles of entrepreneurship educators (EE) in US community colleges, and include descriptive and inferential examination of their pedagogical modalities, attitudes toward online modality, and use of teaching materials, tools and techniques, with resulting impacts and outcomes on students.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyzed data collected by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship on the national landscape of community college entrepreneurship education. The useable sample included 568 responding participants from 270 US community colleges, all of whom self-identified as faculty members who teach entrepreneurship. To enhance the understanding of the findings, a small panel of EE experts was solicited to offer perspective and future study suggestions.FindingsTen distinct findings are offered. These include EE teaching materials, teaching modalities, use of e-learning and alternative techniques, and their relation to modalities; and examination of five distinct entrepreneurial educational outcomes and their relationship to educator use of pedagogical materials, tools and techniques.Originality/valueUnderstanding effective entrepreneurship educational practices is important to globally advancing entrepreneurship education. This paper concentrates on the profiles and practices of educators in the significant but under-researched domain of US community colleges, and offers an incremental contribution and awareness of effective entrepreneurship education teaching methods.

International Students in Community Colleges: On-Campus Services Used and Its Affect on Sense of Belonging

ABSTRACTWhile the enrollment trends of international students studying in universities and four-year colleges have been well documented over the recent years, there is evidence that international students are also enrolling at higher rates in community colleges. Although the issues and student service needs and trends of international students studying at four-year universities and colleges have received much attention in the literature over the years, there appears to be a dearth of literature that focuses on international students studying in community colleges. Thus, in response to this gap in the training literature, this study examined the prevalence of on-campus services used and their contribution to the development of sense of belonging for international students studying in US community colleges. Utilizing the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) as our data collection instrument, results of this study suggest that services used by international students in US community colleges are varied. Furthermore, results of multiple regression analyses indicate that academic advising services most contributed to international students’ sense of belonging on US community college campuses. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations on working with international students are provided for community college faculty and student affairs personnel including special recommendations and counseling considerations for college counselors who work with international students.

ГРОМАДСЬКІ (КОММ’ЮНІТІ) КОЛЕДЖІ ЯК СКЛАДОВА СИСТЕМИ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ США

The article describes the features of public (community) US colleges as a part of the US system. This reference provides some aspects of the community college in America. The mission of America’s community colleges is focused on three areas of commitment: access, responsiveness to community need, and equity. It is found that US community colleges are focused primarily on meeting the needs of the local community and cooperation with it, providing training for local organizations and businesses. They offer a wide range of educational programs for the training specialists who are prepared directly for work in the workplace and continuing education (academic (associate degree), labor and vocational (vocational and occupational education) programs; programs in adult education and continuing education, ensuring the implementation of the concept of “life-long learning” corporate training programs for the needs of a particular company or organization, etc.), as well as providing correction a previous level of education and, in some cases, providing a complete secondary education. Community colleges in the United States have a considerable popularity, which is growing every year. Community colleges serve the region where they are located, usually a city and district. College students often study in various forms of education (day, evening, distance form) and have the opportunity to work during the day. The commitment to access is exemplified by the open admissions policies of community colleges and the multiple ways colleges remove financial, physical, and academic barriers to entry. That access has resulted in entry into higher education by first generation, low-income, minorities, dropouts, working adults, and others who lacked the financial, academic, time, or location means to participate in traditional higher education systems. The author summarizes the experience of public (community) US colleges through the prism of the feasibility of its implementation in the domestic educational practice. A special interest of educational manager of Ukrainian colleges is paid on issues concerning governance, financing, access into higher education and cooperation with employers at community colleges. This article will be valued by everyone interested in the past, present, and future of the community college in America.

More skilled, better paid: labour-market returns to postsecondary vocational education

Outside the USA, relatively little is known about the labour-market returns to postsecondary vocational (or polytechnic) education. Yet, polytechnics in Europe are distinct from US community colleges. This paper focuses on the labour-market returns to polytechnic attendance in Finland, where polytechnics are representative of many European countries. Using matching methods and longitudinal administrative data, we find that, compared to individuals with no postsecondary education, students who attend polytechnics have higher annual earnings of €3,300 to €3,700 and employment gains of 2.5 to 6.6 percentage points 10 years after the entry decision. However, the returns vary by personal characteristics and field of study.