ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Are Your Students Really Participating?
Author: Welch, Meghan McCarthy
Date: 2013-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Student Participation,Elementary School Students,Educational Technology,Handheld Devices,Teaching Methods,Literacy Education,Technology Integration,Web Sites,Computer Oriented Programs

Students 8 and younger have access to screens everywhere--on smartphones, tablets, handheld games, and laptops, to name just a few places. How do you know if students are using these tools effectively? Are the students participating in digital environments in ways that encourage critical thinking, active engagement, and contribution, or are they simply passive consumers? Are they using tools that support their development, or are they trying to use tools that were not designed for them? These questions highlight why it is important to make a distinction between interaction and participation. Selecting and evaluating tools that encourage participation can be difficult. Researchers Colin Lankshear and Michele Knobel conducted a literature review of early childhood literacy and new technologies. They created a framework to categorize the few studies conducted on educational technology intended for students 8 and younger. Though designed as a model to categorize existing research, their framework provides a way to think about digital tools for young students. This article describes the framework by using examples of digital tools that encourage literacy participation among young children.
An Overview of American Higher Education
Author: Baum, Sandy
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Higher Education,Postsecondary Education,Educational Finance,Institutional Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Educational Development,Educational History,Educational Trends,Educational Change,Trend Analysis,Access to Education,Success,Academic Persistence,Time to Degree,Graduation Rate,Credentials,Educational Attainment,Educational Benefits,Paying for College,Tuition,Productivity,Cost Effectiveness,Educational Innovation,Community Colleges

This overview of postsecondary education in the United States reviews the dramatic changes over the past fifty years in the students who go to college, the institutions that produce higher education, and the ways it is financed. The article, by Sandy Baum, Charles Kurose, and Michael McPherson, creates the context for the articles that follow on timely issues facing the higher education community and policy makers. The authors begin by observing that even the meaning of college has changed. The term that once referred primarily to a four-year period of academic study now applies to virtually any postsecondary study--academic or occupational, public or private, two-year or four-year--that can result in a certificate or degree. They survey the factors underlying the expansion of postsecondary school enrollments; the substantial increases in female, minority, disadvantaged, and older students; the development of public community colleges; and the rise of for-profit colleges.They discuss the changing ways in which federal and state governments help students and schools defray the costs of higher education as well as more recent budget tensions that are now reducing state support to public colleges. And they review the forces that have contributed to the costs of producing higher education and thus rising tuitions. The authors also cite evidence on broad measures of college persistence and outcomes, including low completion rates at community and for-profit colleges, the increasing need for remedial education for poorly prepared high school students, and a growing gap between the earnings of those with a bachelor's degree and those with less education. They disagree with critics who say that investments in higher education, particularly for students at the margin, no longer pay off. A sustained investment in effective education at all levels is vital to the nation's future, they argue. But they caution that the American public no longer seems willing to pay more for more students to get more education. They therefore urge the higher education community to make every effort to find innovations, including creative uses of information technology, that can hold down costs while producing quality education. (Contains 3 figures, 1 table, and 61 endnotes.)
E-Learning in Postsecondary Education
Author: Bell, Bradford S.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Postsecondary Education,Educational Technology,Computer Uses in Education,Instructional Effectiveness,Technology Integration,Technology Uses in Education,Internet,Educational Methods,Trend Analysis,Learning Modalities,Meta Analysis,Barriers,Cheating,Low Income Groups,College Preparation

Over the past decade postsecondary education has been moving increasingly from the classroom to online. During the fall 2010 term 31 percent of U.S. college students took at least one online course. The primary reasons for the growth of e-learning in the nation&apos;s colleges and universities include the desire of those institutions to generate new revenue streams, improve access, and offer students greater scheduling flexibility. Yet the growth of e-learning has been accompanied by a continuing debate about its effectiveness and by the recognition that a number of barriers impede its widespread adoption in higher education. Through an extensive research review, Bradford Bell and Jessica Federman examine three key issues in the growing use of e-learning in postsecondary education. The first is whether e-learning is as effective as other delivery methods. The debate about the effectiveness of e-learning, the authors say, has been framed in terms of how it compares with other means of delivering instruction, most often traditional instructor-led classroom instruction. Bell and Federman review a number of meta-analyses and other studies that, taken together, show that e-learning produces outcomes equivalent to other delivery media when instructional conditions are held constant. The second issue is what particular features of e-learning influence its effectiveness. Here the authors move beyond the &quot;does it work&quot; question to examine how different instructional features and supports, such as immersion and interactivity, influence the effectiveness of e-learning programs. They review research that shows how these features can be configured to create e-learning programs that help different types of learners acquire different types of knowledge. In addressing the third issue--the barriers to the adoption of e-learning in postsecondary education--Bell and Federman discuss how concerns about fraud and cheating, uncertainties about the cost of e-learning, and the unique challenges faced by low-income and disadvantaged students have the potential to undermine the adoption of e-learning instruction. Based on their research review, the authors conclude that e-learning can be an effective means of delivering postsecondary education. They also urge researchers to examine how different aspects of these programs influence their effectiveness and to address the numerous barriers to the adoption of online instruction in higher education. (Contains 69 endnotes.)
Financial Aid Policy: Lessons from Research
Author: Dynarski, Susan
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Paying for College,Higher Education,Educational Policy,Educational Legislation,Costs,Access to Education,Graduation Rate,College Attendance,Academic Persistence,Grants,Academic Achievement,Budgeting,Retrenchment,Evidence

In the nearly fifty years since the adoption of the Higher Education Act of 1965, financial aid programs have grown in scale, expanded in scope, and multiplied in form. As a result, financial aid has become the norm among college enrollees. Aid now flows not only to traditional college students but also to part-time students, older students, and students who never graduated from high school. Today aid is available not only to low-income students but also to middle- and even high-income families, in the form of grants, subsidized loans, and tax credits. The increasing size and complexity of the nation's student aid system has generated questions about effectiveness, heightened confusion among students and parents, and raised concerns about how program rules may interact. In this article, Susan Dynarski and Judith Scott-Clayton review what is known, and just as important, what is not known, about how well various student aid programs work. The evidence, the authors write, clearly shows that lowering costs can improve college access and completion. But this general rule is not without exception. First, they note, the complexity of program eligibility and delivery appears to moderate the impact of aid on college enrollment and persistence after enrollment. Second, for students who have already decided to enroll, grants that tie financial aid to academic achievement appear to boost college outcomes such as persistence more than do grants with no strings attached. Third, compared with grant aid, relatively little rigorous research has been conducted on the effectiveness of student loans. The paucity of evidence on student loans is particularly problematic both because they represent a large share of student aid overall and because their low cost (relative to grant aid) makes them an attractive option for policy makers. Future research is likely to focus on several issues: the importance of program design and delivery, whether there are unanticipated interactions between programs, and to what extent program effects vary across different types of students. The results of this evidence will be critical, the authors say, as politicians look for ways to control spending. (Contains 2 figures, 1 table, and 77 endnotes.)
Transitions from High School to College
Author: Venezia, Andrea
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Transitional Programs,Postsecondary Education,College Preparation,College Readiness,High School Students,Program Effectiveness,At Risk Students,Peer Influence,Parent Attitudes,Intervention,College Choice,Student Financial Aid,Outreach Programs,Access to Education,Disadvantaged Youth,Educational Change,Academic Standards,Core Curriculum,State Standards

The vast majority of high school students aspire to some kind of postsecondary education, yet far too many of them enter college without the basic content knowledge, skills, or habits of mind they need to succeed. Andrea Venezia and Laura Jaeger look at the state of college readiness among high school students, the effectiveness of programs in place to help them transition to college, and efforts to improve those transitions. Students are unprepared for postsecondary coursework for many reasons, the authors write, including differences between what high schools teach and what colleges expect, as well as large disparities between the instruction offered by high schools with high concentrations of students in poverty and that offered by high schools with more advantaged students. The authors also note the importance of noncurricular variables, such as peer influences, parental expectations, and conditions that encourage academic study. Interventions to improve college readiness offer a variety of services, from academic preparation and information about college and financial aid, to psychosocial and behavioral supports, to the development of habits of mind including organizational skills, anticipation, persistence, and resiliency. The authors also discuss more systemic programs, such as Middle College High Schools, and review efforts to allow high school students to take college classes (known as dual enrollment). Evaluations of the effectiveness of these efforts are limited, but the authors report that studies of precollege support programs generally show small impacts, while the more systemic programs show mixed results. Dual-enrollment programs show promise, but the evaluation designs may overstate the results. The Common Core State Standards, a voluntary set of goals and expectations in English and math adopted by most states, offer the potential to improve college and career readiness, the authors write. But that potential will be realized, they add, only if the standards are supplemented with the necessary professional development to enable educators to help all students meet academic college readiness standards, a focus on developing strong noncognitive knowledge and skills for all students, and the information and supports to help students prepare and select the most appropriate postsecondary institution. (Contains 1 table and 73 endnotes.)
Making College Worth It: A Review of the Returns to Higher Education
Author: Oreopoulos, Philip
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Paying for College,Outcomes of Education,College Attendance,Education Work Relationship,Technological Advancement,Influence of Technology,Educational Quality,Debt (Financial),Investment,Measures (Individuals),Graduation Rate

Despite a general rise in the return to college, likely due to technological change, the  cost-benefit calculus facing prospective students can make the decision to invest in and attend college dauntingly complex. Philip Oreopoulos and Uros Petronijevic review research on the varying costs and benefits of higher education and explore in full the complexity of the decision to invest in and attend college. They begin by explaining the classic theory that describes the decision to go to college, taking note of factors that complicate that decision. They then review evidence about the return to college and the economic benefits that college graduates enjoy, and discuss the causal effect of attending college on earnings. They emphasize that the relative returns to a college education are rising--in terms of earnings--but are not the same for everyone who decides to attend. Earnings differ widely depending on program of study and the eventual occupation one pursues. Next they explore what is behind the recent rise in the earnings of those who attend college. Like many others, we suggest that the increase has been driven largely by technological change, which has, in turn, increased demand for workers with skills that complement the use of new technologies. They then briefly address the intensifying debate over whether college acts merely as a signal of skill that already exists at school entry or whether it fosters new skills. Next they discuss the possibility of nonpecuniary benefits stemming from college. Returning to the economic benefits of the college premium, they examine how college completion and school quality affect the premium. In closing they discuss the costs of different levels of higher education and student debt and show that the cost of college is properly considered as a long-term investment. The article concludes with a final assessment on the college investment, given the evidence we have to date. (Contains 4 figures and 71 endnotes.)
For-Profit Colleges
Author: Deming, David
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Proprietary Schools,Colleges,Student Characteristics,Undergraduate Students,Outcomes of Education,Enrollment,Employment,Student Personnel Services,Community Colleges,Crowding,Student Recruitment,Job Training,Bachelors Degrees,Associate Degrees,Federal Regulation,Student Financial Aid,Loan Default,Debt (Financial),Graduation

For-profit, or proprietary, colleges are the fastest-growing postsecondary schools in the nation, enrolling a disproportionately high share of disadvantaged and minority students and those ill-prepared for college. Because these schools, many of them big national chains, derive most of their revenue from taxpayer-funded student financial aid, they are of interest to policy makers not only for the role they play in the higher education spectrum but also for the value they provide their students. In this article, the authors look at the students who attend for-profits, the reasons they choose these schools, and student outcomes on a number of broad measures and draw several conclusions. Specifically, they analyze the rapid growth of for-profits, look more closely at the students who enroll in them, and assess their role in providing the skills of tomorrow to the youth of today. First, the authors write, the evidence shows that public community colleges may provide an equal or better education at lower cost than for-profits. But budget pressures mean that community colleges and other nonselective public institutions may not be able to meet the demand for higher education. Some students unable to get into desired courses and programs at public institutions may face only two alternatives: attendance at a for-profit or no postsecondary education at all. Second, for-profits appear to be at their best with well-defined programs of short duration that prepare students for a specific occupation. But for-profit completion rates, default rates, and labor market outcomes for students seeking associate's or higher degrees compare unfavorably with those of public postsecondary institutions. In principle, taxpayer investment in student aid should be accompanied by scrutiny concerning whether students complete their course of study and subsequently earn enough to justify the investment and pay back their student loans. Designing appropriate regulations to help students navigate the market for higher education has proven to be a challenge because of the great variation in student goals and types of programs. Ensuring that potential students have complete and objective information about the costs and expected benefits of for-profit programs could improve postsecondary education opportunities for disadvantaged students and counter aggressive and potentially misleading recruitment practices at for-profit colleges, the authors write. (Contains 2 tables, 3 figures, and 73 endnotes.)
Student Supports: Developmental Education and Other Academic Programs
Author: Bettinger, Eric P.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Developmental Programs,College Preparation,Remedial Instruction,High School Graduates,Academic Support Services,At Risk Students,College Students,Costs,Educational Finance,Program Effectiveness,Student Characteristics,Educational Change,Curriculum Development,Summer Programs,Communities of Practice,Child Care,Nontraditional Students

Low rates of college completion are a major problem in the United States. Less than 60 percent of students at four-year colleges graduate within six years, and at some colleges, the graduation rate is less than 10 percent. Additionally, many students enter higher education ill-prepared to comprehend college-level course material. Some estimates suggest that only one-third of high school graduates finish ready for college work; the proportion is even lower among older students. Colleges have responded to the poor preparation of incoming students by placing approximately 35 to 40 percent of entering freshmen into remedial or developmental courses, along with providing academic supports such as summer bridge programs, learning communities, academic counseling, and tutoring, as well as student supports such as financial aid and child care. Eric Bettinger, Angela Boatman, and Bridget Terry Long describe the role, costs, and impact of these college remediation and academic support programs. According to a growing body of research, the effects of remedial courses are considerably nuanced. The courses appear to help or hinder students differently by state, institution, background, and academic preparedness. The mixed findings from earlier research have raised questions ranging from whether remedial programs, on average, improve student academic outcomes to which types of programs are most effective. Administrators, practitioners, and policy makers are responding by redesigning developmental courses and searching for ways to implement effective remediation programs more broadly. In addition, recent research suggests that colleges may be placing too many students into remedial courses unnecessarily, suggesting the need for further examining the placement processes used to assign students to remedial courses. The authors expand the scope of remediation research by discussing other promising areas of academic support commonly offered by colleges, including advising, tutoring, and mentoring programs, as well as supports that target the competing responsibilities of students, namely caring for dependents and balancing employment with schoolwork. They conclude that the limited resources of institutions and equally limited funds of students make it imperative for postsecondary institutions to improve student academic supports and other services. (Contains 93 endnotes.)
Access and Success with Less: Improving Productivity in Broad-Access Postsecondary Institutions
Author: Jenkins, Davis
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Access to Education,Postsecondary Education,Success,College Students,Higher Education,Cost Effectiveness,Costs,Educational Finance,Public Colleges,Productivity,Educational Quality,Academic Standards,Certification,Education Work Relationship,Outcomes of Education,Income,Private Colleges,Budgeting,Remedial Instruction,Community Colleges,Intervention,Online Courses,Curriculum Development,Financial Support,Educational Indicators,Tuition

Achieving national goals for increased college completion in a time of scarce resources will require the postsecondary institutions that enroll the majority of undergraduates--community colleges and less-selective public universities--to graduate more students at a lower cost. Davis Jenkins and Olga Rodriguez examine research on how these &quot;broad-access&quot; institutions can do so without sacrificing access or quality. Research indicates that the strategies broad-access institutions have relied on in the past to cut costs--using part-time instructors and increasing student-faculty ratios--may in fact reduce productivity and efficiency. The limited evidence available suggests that some of the most popular strategies for improving student success are not cost-effective. New strategies to cut costs and improve college success are therefore imperative. Some believe that redesigning courses to make use of instructional technologies will lead to better outcomes at lower cost, although the evidence is mixed. Recently, a growing number of institutions are going beyond redesigning courses and instead changing the way they organize programs and supports along the student's &quot;pathway&quot; through college. These efforts are promising, but their effects on cost per completion are not yet certain. Meager funding has so far hampered efforts by policy makers to fund colleges based on outcomes rather than how many students they enroll, but some states are beginning to increase the share of appropriations tied to outcomes. Jenkins and Rodriquez argue that as policy makers push colleges to lower the cost per graduate, they must avoid providing incentives to lower academic standards. They encourage policy makers to capitalize on recent research on the economic value of postsecondary education to measure quality, and urge colleges and universities to redouble efforts to define learning outcomes and measure student mastery. (Contains 83 endnotes, 1 figure, and 1 table.)