Truly a pioneer in the field of learning assistance and developmental education, Martha Maxwell has mentored hundreds, if not thousands, of professionals and students as well as authored a variety of reference shelf publications. Her career spanned 50 years. In her classic, Improving Student Learning Skills, she says there are seven persons named…

Attrition statistics for first-year students in many tertiary environments suggest that students face a wide variety of obstacles. Students in developmental education programmes usually have one additional obstacle: They have a history of failure in academic settings. Therefore there are emotional and psychological barriers in addition to academic…

Four elements contribute to a classroom's success or failure as a learning environment: student needs, instructor approach, course content, and institutional setting. This chapter discusses the challenge of aligning these elements in the developmental classroom.

The Breaking Through (BT) initiative promotes an expanded and enhanced role for community colleges in providing access to college for low-skilled adults. BT is uniquely important in its systematic integration of adult education, developmental/remedial education, professional-technical education (PTE), and career planning and preparation in…

One of the greatest challenges that community colleges face in their efforts to increase graduation rates is improving the success of students in their developmental, or remedial, education programs--the courses that students without adequate academic preparation must take before they can enroll in courses for college credit. Emphasizing results…

The middle grades are a time of change for adolescent learners. Middle schoolers are in the process of refining their social skills and their self-concept. They begin taking responsibility for their education and making decisions about their own learning. They start planning for college and careers, understanding for the first time how their…

What is the best educational approach to prepare today's students to become tomorrow's leaders? How do we equip today's students with 21st century skills necessary for success? These important questions face parents, educators, policymakers, and communities. ASCD proposes a new whole child approach, supported by research, to provide the foundation…

Anyone who has ever taught developmental mathematics knows there is a problem in course placement. Some students test well and place clearly above their level, while other students place below their real capability because they either have been away from math for a number of years, or did not prepare for the assessment test. In either case, they…

This article addresses the concern many instructors have about students who do not complete assigned work, particularly the reading. The author explains briefly why extensive reading is so important in developmental writing classes and discusses a multi-step approach she has been using successfully for years. A list of short novels and stories…

Comprehensive programs to enable students to acquire skills necessary for college work are discussed. It is suggested that developmental courses be supplements to regular academic courses. In starting a new developmental program, three factors are important: commitment of the school's faculty and administration to the program's success, adequate…

Meaning and knowledge are separate constructs. Meaning is an idiosyncratic, cognitive construct; knowledge is a social construct built upon various shared meanings that are reconstructed and judged to be accurate or probable by a particular community. Language is the medium through which both meaning and knowledge are formed. Instructors can…

A study was conducted to compare the locus of control of developmental studies, graduate, and undergraduate students enrolled in a four-year institution in the University System of Georgia. The study utilized Rotter's Internal-External locus of control scale which differentiates individuals on the basis of the person's perceptions that outcomes in…

This paper describes one academic's experiences in utilizing a database management system, dBase II, with an Apple IIe microcomputer for record keeping and reporting. Initial problems created by processing data by hand or by a central computer system are described, and the selection process for a microcomputer purchase and software package (dBase…

Responds to criticisms commonly leveled against community colleges with respect to their provision of developmental education. Looks at issues related to program costs, departmental responsibility, articulation with secondary schools, teacher preparation, placement and diagnostic test validity. (DMM)

Discusses the role of the developmental educator in promoting successful learning in mathematics. Sees the promotion of positive math attitudes as the starting point for developmental math instruction. Considers various learning models and process-oriented methods for teaching mathematical concepts and skills. (DMM)