Educación pública universitaria : República Argentina 1998-2008

La educación en la Argentina está articulada bajo criterios sociales establecidos pero que son básicamente arbitrarios y sustentados en supuestos no demostrados que afirman que el conocimiento se construye a partir de ciertos contenidos y no de otros. Dichos criterios no han variado mayormente durante las últimas décadas y siguen utilizándose como plataforma inicial a partir de los cuales se articula la educación posterior del educando. Los sistemas de educación superior en América Latina sufren una crisis a raíz de la creciente internacionalización de las nuevas tecnologías de comunicación e información y de los reclamos de inclusión social de los sectores marginados, entre otras razones. Las tecnologías de compresión digital dan origen a un modelo educativo "en red" caracterizado por un funcionamiento no presencial, mediante el cual se produce la transformación del rol de la Universidad, como centro de descubrimiento y posesión del conocimiento, para convertirse en apenas una intermediaria en la búsqueda del saber y la información. Esta nueva modalidad de educación crece en la medida en que puede cubrir una demanda social de educación superior insatisfecha, conformada básicamente por adultos que trabajan, estudiantes de zonas alejadas de los centros educativos, extranjeros que carecen de opciones educativas y alumnos globalizados. Por ello, la educación virtual nace como una nueva respuesta a viejas demandas. La construcción de una sociedad planetaria y la convivencia del multiculturalismo, además de representar la expresión de sociedades abiertas, que quizás no dispongan de bases comunes de cohesión nacional, debe ser parte de un nuevo proyecto de solidaridad y confraternidad mundial.Resulta sumamente importante que las Universidades de América Latina defiendan su participación como tales en los mercados regionales mediante la adquisición de mayor flexibilidad, actualización y excelencia, para erigirse de esta manera como una opción comparativamente válida. Asimismo, creemos que la educación, entendida como todo el corpus del conocimiento que tiene una persona, no se construye de manera arbitraria sino, por el contrario, de manera selectiva de acuerdo a las posibilidades del educando; y es precisamente sobre la base de esta pormenorizada elección el sustento sobre el cual el alumno llega posteriormente a desarrollos intelectuales superiores. El objetivo del presente trabajo se centra en mostrar la importancia de índole social y política que tienen la flexibilización y la personalización en el currículum de estudios universitarios, al momento de observar el resultado final del ejercicio profesional del graduado. Desde este punto de vista, es fundamental que la elección de los contenidos del plan de estudios de la carrera universitaria estén a cargo del educando, con la dirección de una unidad académica, especialmente en relación con lo que hoy se conoce como "aprendizaje justo a tiempo". Dicho en otras palabras, solamente cuando el educando trasciende ese fundamento institucional e inicial de conocimientos para abrevar en otras fuentes, como las Artes, la Religión, la Filosofía, etc., puede relacionar y comparar conocimientos diferentes entre sí, pero cuya elección obedece fundamentalmente a criterios personales y no meramente institucionales

Las presentaciones de trabajo en lengua inglesa: una propuesta de curso on-line.

Desde la explosión de crecimiento de internet que comenzó en los años 90, se han ido creando y poniendo a disposición de los usuarios diversas herramientas para compartir información y servicios de diversas formas, desde el nacimiento del primer navegador hasta nuestros días, donde hay infinidad de lenguajes aplicables al ámbito web. En esta fase de crecimiento, en primer lugar, de cara a usuarios individuales, saldrían herramientas que permitirían a cada cual hacer su web personal, con sus contenidos expuestos. Más adelante se fue generando el fenómeno “comunidad”, con, por ejemplo, foros, o webs en las que había múltiples usuarios que disfrutaban de contenidos o servicios que la web ofreciese. Este crecimiento del mundo web en lo comunitario ha avanzado en muchas ramas,entre ellas, por supuesto, la educacional, surgiendo plataformas como la que es base del proyecto que a continuación se presenta, y herramienta básica y prácticamente ya imprescindible en la enseñanza universitaria: Moodle. Moodle es una herramienta diseñada para compatir recursos y diseñar actividades para el usuario potencial, complementando su aprendizaje en aula, o incluso siendo una vía autónoma de aprendizaje en sí misma. Se ha realizado un estudio sobre el estado de saludo de los contenidos que se exponen en Moodle, y se ha encontrado que una gran mayoría de los cursos que se pueden visitar tienen un gran número de carencias. Por un lado, hay pocos con material original explotado exclusivamente para el curso, y, si tienen material original, no se ha observado una especial atención por la maquetación. Por otro lado, hay muchos otros sin material original, y, en ambos casos, no se ha encontrado ningún curso que ofrezca material audiovisual exclusivo para el curso, presentando algunos en su lugar material audiovisual encontrado en la red (Youtube, etc). A la vista de estos hechos, se ha realizado un proyecto que intenta aportar soluciones ante estas carencias, y se presenta un curso procedente de diversas referencias bibliográficas, para la parte textual, y material audiovisual original e inédito que también se ha explotado específicamente para este curso. Este material ha sido por un lado vídeo, que se ha visionado, editado y subtitulado con software de libre distribución, y por otro lado, audio, que complementa un completo glosario que se ha añadido como extra al curso y cuyo planteamiento no se ha encontrado en ningún curso online de los revisados. Todo esto se ha envuelto en una maquetación cuidada que ha sido fruto del estudio de los lenguajes web html y CSS, de forma que, por un lado, el curso sea un lugar agradable en el que aprender dentro de internet, y por otro, se pudiesen realizar ciertas operaciones que sin estos conocimientos habrían sido imposibles, como la realización del glosario o la incrustación de imágenes y vídeos. A su vez, se ha tratado de dar un enfoque didáctico a toda la memoria del proyecto, de forma que pueda ser de utilidad a un usuario futuro que quisiese profundizar en los usos de Moodle, introducirse en el lenguaje web, o introducirse en el mundo de la edición de vídeo. ABSTRACT: Since the explosion of Internet growth beginning in the 90s, many tools have been created and made available for users to share information and services in various ways, from the birth of the first browser until today, where there are plenty of web programming languages. This growth stage would give individual users tools that would allow everyone to make an own personal website, with their contents exposed. Later, the "community" phenomenon appeared with, for example, forums, or websites where multiple users enjoyed the content or web services that those websites offered. Also, this growth in the web community world has progressed in many fields, including education, with the emerge of platforms such as the one that this project uses as its basis, and which is the basic and imperative tool in college education: Moodle. Moodle is a tool designed to share resources and design activities for the potential user, completing class learning, or even letting this user learn in an autonomous way. In this project a study on the current situation of the content present in Moodle courses around the net has been carried out, and it has been found that most of them lack of original material exploited exclusively for the courses, and if they have original material, there has been not observed concern on the layout where that material lies. On the other hand, there are many other with non original material, and in both cases, there has not been found any course that offers audio- visual material made specifically for the course, instead of presenting some audiovisual material found on the net (Youtube, etc). In view of these facts, the project presented here seeks to provide solutions to these shortcomings, presenting a course with original material exploited from various references, and unpublished audioevisual material which also has been exploited specifically for this course. This material is, on one hand, video, which has been viewed, edited and subtitled with free software, and on the other, audio, which complements a comprehensive glossary that has been added as an extra feature to the course and whose approach was not found in any of the online courses reviewed. All of this has been packaged in a neat layout that has been the result of the study of web languages HTML and CSS, so that first, the course was a pleasant place to learn on the internet, and second, certain operations could be performed which without this knowledge would have been impossible, as the glossary design or embedding images and videos. Furthermore, a didactic approach has been adopted to the entire project memory, so it can be useful to a future user who wanted to go deeper on the uses of Moodle, containing an intro into the web language, or in the world video editing.

OS IMPACTOS DAS POLÍTICAS DE INCLUSÃO ESCOLAR NA FORMAÇÃO E NA PRÁTICA DE PROFESSORES

A pesquisa analisou as tendências de formação de professores na perspectiva da educação inclusiva ante as exigências do cotidiano escolar que desde a década de 1990 vem apresentando uma demanda crescente de estudantes com necessidades educacionais especiais nas salas comuns do ensino regular. A inclusão escolar é um processo que depende da combinação de vários fatores, não é responsabilidade apenas do professor. Entretanto, questionamos: Será que os professores estão sendo preparados para pensar nesta perspectiva, de planejar para a diversidade da sala de aula, especialmente na vertente de alunos com deficiência intelectual, de realizar um trabalho em equipe com professores especialistas? A reflexão sobre a formação e a prática de professores na sala de aula inclusiva faz parte do processo de inclusão, ainda em construção. Eis a questão que norteou esta pesquisa, no sentido de revelar impactos das políticas de inclusão escolar nos cursos de formação de professores e na prática docente, revelando conflitos, resistências, contradições, avanços e mecanismos de exclusão implícitos na proposta da inclusão, contribuindo ainda, para a discussão sobre o papel da universidade como locus privilegiado de formação docente. Os resultados da pesquisa apontaram para uma superficialidade na formação de professores na perspectiva da educação inclusiva. A ação investigativa articulou as políticas públicas de formação de professores, as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para as licenciaturas, os dispositivos legais, a sustentação teórica e os instrumentos de investigação para coordenadores, estudantes de Pedagogia e de Letras e professores do Ensino Fundamental em exercício.

Entering an academic discourse community: A case study of the coping strategies of eleven English as a Second Language students

This case study follows eleven non-English speaking students as they adapt to community college, content courses. The three classes examined are required freshman classes--Humanities, Social Environment, and Individual in Transition. In order to cope with the demands of these classes, students must penetrate the academic discourse community and have effective relationships with their instructors and their peers. The results of the study are based on interviews with eleven non-native speaking (NNS) students and their instructors and on an analysis of student writing assignments, course syllabi, and exams. Three general areas are examined: (a) students' first-language (L$\sb1$) education, (b) the requirements of their content classes, and (c) the affective factors which influence their adaptation process.^ The case of these students reveals that: (1) Students draw on their L$\sb1$ education, especially in terms of content, as they cope with the demands of these content classes. (2) In some areas L$\sb1$ educational experiences interfere with students' ability to adapt. (3) The content classes require students to have well developed reading, writing, oral, and aural skills. (4) Students must use higher level cognitive skills to be successful in content classes. (5) Affective factors play a role in students' success in content classes. The discussion section includes possible implications of this data for college level English as a Second Language courses. ^

An analysis of the on-time graduation rate in the two-year program at National Taipei Institute of Technology in Taiwan

Taiwan's technical vocational educational system includes three levels: (1) institutes of technology (two and four year programs), (2) junior colleges (two, three and five year programs), and (3) senior vocational schools. Two-year junior colleges enroll their students through two channels: (1) based on results of the Particular Screening Entrance Examination (PSEE), (2) based on the Joint College Entrance Examination (JCEE). The PSEE has two categories: Category I includes on-time graduates with excellent performance, which means that they are within the top ten of their classes; Category II students include award-winning students in talent contests who have achieved a minimum grade point average of 75%. The JCEE is a regular entrance examination given to any senior vocation school graduate.^ Basic courses have a great impact on the students' academic performance. The purpose of the study was to focus on the effectiveness of teaching mathematics in two-year junior colleges and to analyze and correlate the results of two-year junior college students' performance in calculus and on-time graduation. The target group consisted of 521 students enrolled at National Taipei Institute of Technology in 1993.^ Calculus is a very important course for engineering majors in two-year junior colleges and has a great impact on the students' academic performance. This retrospective study showed that there was a correlation between students' performance in calculus and on-time graduation after two years of study.^ The conclusions of the study urge the Ministry of Education to reform two-year junior college curriculum standards to emphasize basic rudimentary courses. It is recommended that engineering majors receive three hours of calculus per week as the current requirement of only two hours per week is inadequate. The future job market will require a technologically advanced labor force that can be trained in a higher education system. More channels of higher education for two-year junior college graduates should be made available for those wishing to pursue bachelor degrees. Additional work in calculus will not only enhance the opportunities for two-year junior college graduates to continue their pursuit of an advanced academic degree, but also serve them well as they seek career advancement. ^

A comparison of the impact of trained media specialists and untrained media personnel in junior colleges in the Republic of China

From educational, communications, psychological, and technical points of view, the renovation of pedagogy in media education is based upon the promotion of "educational technology." The promotion of educational technology relies upon the appropriate availability and knowledge of different educational media made available by the trained media personnel.^ In the past three decades most of the junior colleges in Taiwan set up educational media centers to help students learn through the use of media which enables them to obtain optimum benefits in a short time. What are the roles the media personnel play in the media center? What responsibilities have they to bear in the center? What differences are there when a trained and untrained media personnel are presented in junior colleges media center in Taiwan? What do the trained and untrained media personnel feel toward the importance of each media service in the area of media center's administration, media production, specialized media duties, and the training of staff in media use? These are the questions addressed in this study.^ Through the study of the related literature and a survey conducted in the junior colleges in Taiwan, recommendations are offered to provide improvement of the services and training of media specialists in Taiwan that are appropriate for a changing work and environment. These recommendations are for media specialists to be formally trained to effectively serve the changing needs of school library media so as to make optimal use of media in the junior colleges. ^

Transcultural experiences: A literature bridge to English for ESOL students from Cuba

This qualitative study is concerned with exploring the transcultural experiences of ESOL students and connecting their lived experiences to literature in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the transcultural perspectives of six high school and community college students: four Cuban born students and two American born/raised students of Cuban-American culture. The participants were from Barbara Goleman Senior High School and Miami-Dade Community College. The six phenomenological portraits were explored in the form of lived experience pieces, representing the students' transcultural experiences. The data was collected in the form of student interviews, researcher's journal, and document reviews. The following exploratory questions guided this study: (1) From the perspective of four Cuban-born, non-native English-speaking students (NNS), what are the essential structures of their transcultural identities? (2) What are the underlying themes that account for the Cuban NNS students' transcultural experiences? (3) What are the universal transcultural structures among the Cuban NNS students' transcultural experiences and the Cuban-American, native English/Spanish speaking (NESS) students' experiences? (4) What are the possible structural meanings of the Cuban NNS students' interests in relation to their transcultural experiences? (5) What are some connections between the structural themes inherent in the Cuban NNS students' transcultural experiences and teaching literature in ESOL? ^ A phenomenological approach was used to investigate the participants' transcultural experiences, focused on the students' lived experiences. The study consisted of three interview sessions for each of the six participants. The analysis of the data was conducted following the principles of qualitative research, which included participant interviews, thematic analysis, researcher's journal, document reviews, and triangulation. The researcher created portraits representing students' transcultural experiences. Subsequently, the participants' transcultural experiences were used to respond to the exploratory questions, including comparing and contrasting themes and drawing connections among teaching literature in the ESOL classroom. ^ The results of this study show some relevant specific statements and themes that emerged from the students' transcultural data. The results serve as a better understanding of these students' transcultural experiences and the potentiality of connecting their perspectives to literature in the classroom. In addition, this study shows the need for a better understanding of the connection between transcultural experiences and literature in ESOL. ^

Assessing the effectiveness of two-year banking and insurance technology programs of junior colleges in Taiwan, R.O.C.: An application of the Context Input Process Product (CIPP) evaluation model

The purpose of this descriptive study was to evaluate the banking and insurance technology curriculum at ten junior colleges in Taiwan. The study focused on curriculum, curriculum materials, instruction, support services, student achievement and job performance. Data was collected from a diverse sample of faculty, students, alumni, and employers. ^ Questionnaires on the evaluation of curriculum at technical junior colleges were developed for use in this specific case. Data were collected from the sample described above and analyzed utilizing ANOVA, T-Tests and crosstabulations. Findings are presented which indicate that there is room for improvement in terms of meeting individual students' needs. ^ Using Stufflebeam's CIPP model for curriculum evaluation it was determined that the curriculum was adequate in terms of the knowledge and skills imparted to students. However, students were dissatisfied with the rigidity of the curriculum and the lack of opportunity to satisfy the individual needs of students. Employers were satisfied with both the academic preparation of students and their on the job performance. ^ In sum, the curriculum of the two-year banking and insurance technology programs of junior college in Taiwan was shown to have served adequately preparing a work force to enter businesses. It is now time to look toward the future and adapt the curriculum and instruction for the future needs of the ever evolving high-tech society. ^

The effect of an enriched learning community on success and retention in chemistry courses

Since the mid-1990s, the United States has experienced a shortage of scientists and engineers, declining numbers of students choosing these fields as majors, and low student success and retention rates in these disciplines. Learning theorists, educational researchers, and practitioners believe that learning environments can be created so that an improvement in the numbers of students who complete courses successfully could be attained (Astin, 1993; Magolda & Terenzini, n.d.; O'Banion, 1997). Learning communities do this by providing high expectations, academic and social support, feedback during the entire educational process, and involvement with faculty, other students, and the institution (Ketcheson & Levine, 1999). ^ A program evaluation of an existing learning community of science, mathematics, and engineering majors was conducted to determine the extent to which the program met its goals and was effective from faculty and student perspectives. The program provided laptop computers, peer tutors, supplemental instruction with and without computer software, small class size, opportunities for contact with specialists in selected career fields, a resource library, and Peer-Led Team Learning. During the two years the project has existed, success, retention, and next-course continuation rates were higher than in traditional courses. Faculty and student interviews indicated there were many affective accomplishments as well. ^ Success and retention rates for one learning community class ( n = 27) and one traditional class (n = 61) in chemistry were collected and compared using Pearson chi square procedures ( p = .05). No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups. Data from an open-ended student survey about how specific elements of their course experiences contributed to success and persistence were analyzed by coding the responses and comparing the learning community and traditional classes. Substantial differences were found in their perceptions about the lecture, the lab, other supports used for the course, contact with other students, helping them reach their potential, and their recommendation about the course to others. Because of the limitation of small sample size, these differences are reported in descriptive terms. ^

Development and validation of an instrument to predict online student success using faculty perceptions

Distance learning is growing and transforming educational institutions. The increasing use of distance learning by higher education institutions and particularly community colleges coupled with the higher level of student attrition in online courses than in traditional classrooms suggests that increased attention should be paid to factors that affect online student course completion. The purpose of the study was to develop and validate an instrument to predict community college online student course completion based on faculty perceptions, yielding a prediction model of online course completion rates. Social Presence and Media Richness theories were used to develop a theoretically-driven measure of online course completion. This research study involved surveying 311 community college faculty who taught at least one online course in the past 2 years. Email addresses of participating faculty were provided by two south Florida community colleges. Each participant was contacted through email, and a link to an Internet survey was given. The survey response rate was 63% (192 out of 303 available questionnaires). Data were analyzed through factor analysis, alpha reliability, and multiple regression. The exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis with varimax rotation yielded a four-factor solution that accounted for 48.8% of the variance. Consistent with Social Presence theory, the factors with their percent of variance in parentheses were: immediacy (21.2%), technological immediacy (11.0%), online communication and interactivity (10.3%), and intimacy (6.3%). Internal consistency of the four factors was calculated using Cronbach's alpha (1951) with reliability coefficients ranging between .680 and .828. Multiple regression analysis yielded a model that significantly predicted 11% of the variance of the dependent variable, the percentage of student who completed the online course. As indicated in the literature (Johnson & Keil, 2002; Newberry, 2002), Media Richness theory appears to be closely related to Social Presence theory. However, elements from this theory did not emerge in the factor analysis.

Against all odds: Success stories of Latino students who survived the educational pipeline

The purpose of this interview study was to explore the experiences of Latino students, from their perspectives, as they journeyed through the educational pipeline, particularly the part focusing on the transfer experience from a 2-year college to a 4-year institution. This was accomplished by conducting in-depth interviews with 17 self-identified Latino men and women. All of the participants had attended Florida International University for at least 1 semester and had transferred from Miami Dade College. The participants varied in age, generational status, and cultural identity.^ The participants were asked to reflect on the external and internal influences that lead them to the 4-year institution. Tinto's (1993) model of student departure theory provided the theoretical framework for data collection and analysis. Based on the coding of the interviews, numerous themes emerged, including the role of the family, the impact of early education, the experiences of being Latino in Miami, the decisions to choose a college, the experience at the 2-year institution, the experience with the transfer process, and the obstacles and strategies the participants used for overcoming obstacles. These themes were furthered developed to determine which influences were most important for a successful journey through the educational pipeline. ^ The study found that viewing the pipeline via the students' perspectives juxtaposed with Tinto's (1993) model of student departure gave greater insight into the experiences of a population of students who have been underrepresented in higher education. The findings of this case study indicate that the transfer process for Latinos attending a Hispanic Serving Institution such as Florida International University, situated in a majority-minority city, is complex, with participants having to rely on peers and significant others for pertinent information and support. Several factors, including the importance of positive support networks and increased confidence nurtured by the 2-year institution, influenced the students' transfer to a 4-year institution. For professionals in the field, the findings of this study may lead to a broader understanding of the experiences of Latino students in the pipeline and, more importantly, assist college administrators and faculty in successfully guiding a population through a 4-year institution who first came via a 2-year institution. ^

Does hope matter? The influence of dispositional hope on persistence in a developmental writing course

The purpose of this study was to determine hope’s unique role, if any, in predicting persistence in a developmental writing course. Perceived academic self-efficacy was also included as a variable of interest for comparison because self-efficacy has been more widely studied than hope in terms of its non-cognitive role in predicting academic outcomes. A significant body of research indicates that self-efficacy influences academic motivation to persist and academic performance. Hope, however, is an emerging psychological construct in the study of non-cognitive factors that influence college outcomes and warrants further exploration in higher education. This study examined the predictive value of hope and self-efficacy on persistence in a developmental writing course. The research sample was obtained from a community college in the southeastern United States. Participants were 238 students enrolled in developmental writing courses during their first year of college. Participants were given a questionnaire that included measures for perceived academic self-efficacy and hope. The self-efficacy scale asked participants to self-report on their beliefs about how they cope with different academic tasks in order to be successful. The hope scale asked students to self-report on their beliefs about their capability to initiate action towards a goal (“agency”) and create a plan to attain these goals (“pathways”). This study utilized a correlational research design. A statistical association was estimated between hope and self-efficacy as well as the unique variance contributed by each on course persistence. Correlational analysis confirmed a significant relationship between hope and perceived academic self-efficacy, and a Fisher’s z-transformation confirmed a stronger relationship between the agency component of hope and perceived academic self-efficacy than for the pathways component. A series of multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess if (a) perceived self-efficacy and hope predict course persistence, (b) hope independent of self-efficacy predicts course persistence, and (c) if including the interaction of perceived self-efficacy and hope predicts course persistence. It was found that hope was only significant independent of self-efficacy. Some implications for future research are drawn for those who lead and coordinate academic support initiatives in student and academic affairs.

Use of the DACUM process in the identification and verification of competencies for the medical administrative assistant

Medicine has changed in recent years. Medicare will all of its rules and regulations, worker's compensation laws, managed care and the trend toward more and larger group practices all contributed to the creation of an extremely structured regulatory environment which in turn demanded highly trained medical administrative assistants.^ The researcher noted three primary problems in the identification of competencies for the medical administrative assistant position: A lack of curricula, diverse roles, and a complex environment which has undergone radical change in recent years and will continue to evolve. Therefore, the purposes of the study were to use the DACUM process to develop a relevant list of competencies required by the medical administrative assistant practicing in physicians' offices in South Florida; determine the rank order of importance of each competency using a scale of one to five; cross-validate the DACUM group scores with a second population who did not participate in the DACUM process; and establish a basis for a curriculum framework for an occupational program.^ The DACUM process of curriculum development was selected because it seemed best suited to the need to develop a list of competencies for an occupation for which no programs existed. A panel of expert medical office administrative staff was selected to attend a 2-day workshop to describe their jobs in great detail. The panel, led by a trained facilitator, listed major duties and the respective tasks of their job. Brainstorming techniques were used to develop a consensus.^ Based upon the DACUM workshop, a survey was developed listing the 8 major duties and 71 tasks identified by the panel. The survey was mailed to the DACUM group and a second, larger population who did not participate in the DACUM. The survey results from the two groups were then compared. The non-DACUM group validated all but 3 of the 71 tasks listed by the DACUM panel. Because the three tasks were rated by the second group as at least "somewhat important" and rated "very important" by the DACUM group, the researcher recommended the inclusion of all 71 tasks in program development for this occupation. ^

Predictors of success: Medical Laboratory Associate in Science Degree Program

Hospitals and healthcare facilities in the United States are facing serious shortages of medical laboratory personnel, which, if not addressed, stand to negatively impact patient care. The problem is compounded by a reduction in the numbers of academic programs and resulting decrease in the number of graduates to keep up with the increase in industry demands. Given these challenges, the purpose of this study was to identify predictors of success for students in a selected 2-year Medical Laboratory Technology Associate in Science Degree Program. ^ This study examined five academic factors (College Placement Test Math and Reading scores, Cumulative GPA, Science GPA, and Professional [first semester laboratory courses] GPA) and, demographic data to see if any of these factors could predict program completion. The researcher examined academic records for a 10-year period (N =158). Using a retrospective model, the correlational analysis between the variables and completion revealed a significant relationship (p < .05) for CGPA, SGPA, CPT Math, and PGPA indicating that students with higher CGPA, SGPA, CPT Math, and PGPA were more likely to complete their degree in 2 years. Binary logistic regression analysis with the same academic variables revealed PGPA was the best predictor of program completion (p < .001). ^ Additionally, the findings in this study are consistent with the academic part of the Bean and Metzner Conceptual Model of Nontraditional Student Attrition which points to academic outcome variables such as GPA as affecting attrition. Thus, the findings in this study are important to students and educators in the field of Medical Laboratory Technology since PGPA is a predictor that can be used to provide early in-program intervention to the at-risk student, thus increasing the chances of successful timely completion.^

An evaluation of an intervention strategy for retention and determination of predictors of success for high -risk students in an associate degree nursing program

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to evaluate the effect of a specific instructional Intervention, a Nursing Theory Laboratory, on increasing the retention of high risk students in the associate degree nursing program at Miami-Dade Community College in Miami, Florida; and (2) to identify predictors of success of high risk nursing students in this associate degree nursing program.^ Data were collected from the 195 nursing students enrolled in Nursing Fundamentals during the 1985-1987 academic years, and identified as high risk students. Control and experimental groups were selected based on enrollment in the Nursing Theory Laboratory.^ Results were determined by analyzing several cross-tabulations of selected variables and yielding chi square values, t-tests, and two discriminant analyses. There was no significant relationship between age or ethnic background and enrollment in the Nursing Theory Laboratory. There was no significant relationship between enrollment in the Nursing Theory Laboratory and success in Nursing 1 (Nursing Fundamentals). There was a significant relationship between enrollment in the Nursing Theory Laboratory and success in Nursing 3 (Medical-Surgical Nursing). Writing assessment test scores in two entrance tests and high risk categories, based on the number of enrollments in required science courses, were identified as predictors of success in this program.^ The conclusion was that the Nursing Theory Laboratory does not significantly improve retention of high risk associate degree nursing students if they are enrolled in this intervention at the same time they are enrolled in Nursing Fundamentals. Since those students who were enrolled in the Nursing Theory Laboratory had a significantly higher success rate in Nursing 3, than those students who were not enrolled in the Nursing Theory Laboratory, a recommendation of this study was to offer the Nursing Theory Laboratory to high risk students prior to the beginning of nursing courses. Another recommendation was that students deficient in reading and writing skills should be required to enroll in developmental courses prior to enrollment in the nursing course. ^