Lowman responds to questions concerning his book, "Mastering the Techniques of Teaching," and his views on student-teacher relations, his model for effective college instruction, specific techniques for motivating students, student and teacher responsibility for learning, and the applicability of his model for developmental education. (DMM)

In an effort to help basic skills students learn the skills they need to survive in college-level studies and remediate critical areas as quickly as possible, many community colleges have overlooked the value of other studies and the more general literacy that is essential to any education. By rushing to comply with students' utilitarian goals,…

Explains that Canadian general education is intended to prepare students for community college, whereas advanced education is meant to ready them for university study. Offers 25 strategies for teaching on the general level. Argues that the tips can improve the teacher student relationship and make any subject more interesting and enjoyable for…

Enumerates teaching strategies designed to promote high student retention in developmental courses, which: (1) help develop effective working relationships between student and teacher; (2) assure effective classroom management; (3) promote student involvement in the learning process; and (4) help the instructor recognize his/her own professional…

Developmental writing students pose particular problems for composition instruction because of their pragmatic orientation and because they come from and live in an oral, nonliterate culture. The writing instructor must create writing situations that make real-world demands and bring about real-world consequences, and assign topics that students…

Drawing from the experiences of the remedial/developmental program at Rockland Community College (RCC), this paper suggests a series of strategies for serving the educationally disadvantaged community college student amidst the economic and political pressures of the 1980s. Introductory comments identify the objectives for the development of…

Successful college instruction programs have two features that are associated with increased grade point averages and retention: (1) they are comprehensive and meet student needs, and (2) they are better institutionalized into the academic mainstream of the college or university. Several program characteristics are crucial to learning improvement,…

Assesses the effectiveness of teaching metacognitive thinking strategies through modeling to college students. Compares the reading test performance of students who had the strategies modeled to them, of students who only had the strategies taught to them, and of control group students. Teaching the strategies without modeling was ineffective.…

"Involvement in Learning: Realizing the Potential of American Higher Education," the 1984 federal study group report on excellence, identifies three conditions vital to the improvement of undergraduate education: student involvement, high expectations, and assessment and feedback. Of these, student involvement was judged most important…

Describes how news magazines were used successfully as supplements to teach civic literacy, vocabulary, and writing to college level reluctant readers. Contains two sample exercises. (HOD)

Describes a program adding a counseling component to a developmental writing course to address students' sense of isolation through sessions on group formation, goal setting, values clarification, and strength identification. Reports that program participants outperformed nonremedial students in subsequent composition courses. (PAA)

Describes how two Queensborough Community College reading faculty staged a debate for developmental students to illustrate the connections between reading, writing, and critical thinking; and to encourage students to critically question and evaluate what they read and hear. Details follow-up writing and group assignments, including a student…

This study examined characteristics of passive and active learners among college students enrolled in remedial classes and students enrolled in regular academic classes. Active learners are typically analytical, focused on task, tolerant of new ideas, curious, adept at processing information, able to develop other ways to solve a problem,…

A language skills program was developed at Lake City Community College to increase remedial students' chances of academic success in college courses. The program concentrates first on developing students' speaking and listening skills and then proceeds to more complex reading and writing skills. The program provides 16 weeks of developmental study…

Discusses the importance of instruction in metacognition, the mental process of observing, evaluating, and making adjustments in one's own thinking behavior to enhance comprehension during a learning activity. Reviews educational programs which have taught metacognitive behaviors and charts a model instructional approach for use in the college…