In an effort to boost enrollment, remain competitive, and to offer students flexible schedules, two-year colleges throughout the nation have been offering more online courses to attract students from all races, ethnicities, and genders. Gateway courses are among the many types of courses being offered both in synchronous and asynchronous models. Gateways courses have proven to be problematic in traditional formats, because they are the first credit-bearing courses which are considered challenging. Based on research, students face difficulties in online versions of these courses due to numerous reasons outlined in the study. With a population of approximately 5,000 to 7,000 students annually, a mid-sized public technical college located in the southeastern United States will be examined. The objective of this study is to better understand how the usage of technology impacts students of different races and genders in online English composition 101 and psychology 201 courses. It is the purpose of this study to examine the effectiveness of online courses and to identify any limitations that may exist in online course modalities (or forms) of such courses. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]