Creating Quality Assurance in Curriculum: Theory and Practice at a Canadian Community College

Quality Assurance in Curriculum is a customized solution to the problems of assuring curricular quality in a dynamic community college environment. It was designed by Red River College, a large, comprehensive community college in Western Canada, to address academic cross-jurisdictional issues in establishing and verifying curriculum. It is a system based on current theory in educational quality, and it uses a three-stage methodology incorporating a variety of survey, planning, and consultation techniques. Benchmarked data figure prominently in assuring academic program curricular conformance is measured according to accepted college mission and accepted standards. Initiated in 2000, each stage of the Quality Assurance in Curriculum strategy has moved from initial concept to preliminary trials through acceptance to full implementation across all academic faculties of the community college.     

Community College Developmental Writing Programs Most Promising Practices: What the Research Tells Educators

ABSTRACT

Students at community colleges are being placed into developmental writing classes at significantly high rates, as high as 80% at some colleges. Many of these students are students of color, and the need to help them persist and succeed is of increasing importance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the most promising practices by community college developmental writing programs. This article presents a review of more than 245 publications from over 450 authors, synthesized down to 36 validated studies with the goal of informing scholars and practitioners of the current state of the field. Themes emerging from these studies and a conceptual model through which findings can be viewed are presented. The analysis, with a focus on the structural, curricular, andragogical, and relational domains, documents only validated studies about the most promising practices. This article supports, challenges, and recommends how to better serve students in the developmental writing context. This author hopes to change how colleges implement developmental writing practices so that practitioners will be given the best tools to help all students succeed.     

Implementing Quality Service-Learning Programs in Community Colleges

This cross-case comparative study at Western Community College and the University of the Coast explored through a constructive lens the characteristics that lead to sustainable, high quality service-learning programs and how they are implemented at institutions of higher education. The researchers determined that both Western Community College and the University of the Coast (a) have diverse collaborative partnerships that promote excellent communication between all of the entities, (b) offer a wide variety of service-learning courses to connect curricular and cocurricular experiences, (c) have a stable funding base, (d) provide the necessary resources, (e) have continuity in staffing, and (f) incorporate feedback and assessment into their respective service-learning programs. The findings from this study, based on one-on-one interviews, focus groups, observations, and document analysis, serve as a model on how to create quality and sustainable service-learning programs that combine academic scholarship, off-campus learning discoveries, reflection, civic engagement, and meaningful community service. The research may be applicable for educators at community colleges at various stages in developing service-learning programs, or who are transforming faltering programs, trying to make them sustainable.     

Critical Issues Facing America's Community Colleges: A Summary of the Community College Futures Assembly 2008

Three focus groups consisting of board of trustee members, community college presidents, senior administrators, administrators, and faculty members developed critical issues facing community colleges with respect to instructional planning and services; planning, governance, and finance; and workforce development. Thereafter, the delegation of more than 200 voted on various aspects of the most critical issue divulged in the 2008 Community College Futures Assembly: general education assessment is coming. The findings, including opportunities and challenges, potential implications for community college administrators, and future research topics are also discussed, mostly in the context of workforce development opportunities.     

美国社区学院管理体制研究

美国社区学院外部管理体制可分为州政府管理和大学管理两种模式,二者在经费筹集、人事任免、发展规划以及学院与外部的关系等方面存在明显差异。在内部管理体制上,美国社区学院大多采用董事会领导下的院长负责制,在这一体制基础上,各社区学院根据自身的实际情况采用职能分工式或事业部式管理体制。在社区学院的运行过程中,各级政府、学院董事会及当地社区扮演着不同的角色,从而形成了各具特色的管理模式。     

城乡规划管理专业城市规划原理课程建设研究

城市规划原理课程是高校资源环境与城乡规划管理专业（房地产开发与管理方向）的主干课程之一,对实现专业培养目标具有重要意义．通过对泉州师院城乡规划管理专业城市规划原理课程建设的分析,探讨了课程定位与目标、教学内容的设计与实践,以及课程体系的建设,以期能为推进我国高校城乡规划管理专业课程建设提供参考．     

Pedagogy and Curricular Choice in Community College Accelerated Writing Courses

To improve students’ outcomes and retention rates, community colleges have implemented acceleration strategies which hasten the completion of educational requirements (Edgecombe, 2011). The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an accelerated freshmen writing course on teachers’ curricular decisions and pedagogical practices at a large urban community college. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the 11 faculty members teaching different sections of this accelerated writing course. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Our findings reveal that while instructors embrace the structural changes that come with accelerated courses and demonstrate a new appreciation for struggling students in their traditional English 101 class, they report on significant challenges in teaching due to the students’ lack of academic and personal maturity, as well as a need to lower their expectations and simplify the curriculum. This research raises questions about the unintended positive and negative effects of accelerated courses on teaching. More qualitative research is needed that focuses on the teachers’ experiences and their capacity to help students benefit from an accelerated course.     

谈宁波社区青少年教育模式中的“四点钟学校”

社区是青少年活动的主要场所,对青少年的发展起着重要的作用。社区青少年教育是整合学校教育与社区教育、课内教育与课外教育的产物。如何开展社区青少年教育,发挥社区的有效作用是当前面临的一个问题。国内外社区青少年教育模式各有不同,宁波市"四点钟学校"是一种探索,其实践对社区青少年教育模式的发展具有一定的启示。     

CURRICULUM APPROVAL IN ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGES: LOCAL AND STATE PROCESSES

Following a discussion of the historical relationship between education and democracy, from which the concept of curriculum emerges as a legitimate field of research, this paper traces the development of curricular diversity in U.S. two‐year institutions and reviews the control and coordinating functions of curriculum governance in the community college systems of several states. The paper focuses on the system of curricular administration in Illinois, in which primary responsibility rests with the local two‐year school board and a coordinating function with a state agency, the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). The state process is summarized and the local process of course and program approval from initiation to implementation in Illinois community colleges is identified. The data suggest that while the state role in curricular governance is formally defined as one of coordination, the local community college curriculum administrators may in fact view it as one of control.     

职业院校承担社区学院化教育的实践与思考

创建全民学习型社会,制订终身教育体系目标,是我国人力资源和教育领域的重要决策部署,职业教育与社区教育是提升这项伟大工程的主要承担者。通过调研分析职业院校在承担社区学院化教育过程中发挥的作用与效能;对其师资等相关条件如何满足需求进行研判,明确施教方针与总体规划方向,并建议有关院校在具体实施前充分做好内部沟通与外部联系,积极获取教育主管部门及社会组织统筹支持。     

美国乡村社区学院的发展战略

美国乡村社区学院数量占美国社区学院一半以上.虽然经济文化背景对办学不利,但它们在美国乡村社会发展中发挥了重要作用.这一方面是由于它们得到了政府和社会各界的信赖及其在政策和资金上的扶持;另一方面是由于它们自身卓越的自主创业,其精神和能力表现在学院战略目标的制定、目标落实的策略选择、发展部门的组织建设及具体项目开发的精心策划等方面.     

中职学校教科研共同体的探索与实践——以杭州市西湖职业高级中学为例

在职业教育改革中,教师改革作为关键一环,对职业院校人才培养质量有着重要影响。针对目前中职师资队伍建设中存在的缺乏整体规划、层次单一等问题,杭州市西湖职业高级中学构建了以教研为核心,以科研为方法,“迭代融通型”的教科研共同体建设模式——“西锋教科研共同体”,在机制保障和推广策略方面为中职师资队伍建设提供新的发展思路。     

美国高职教育与社区教育合作模式及启示

我国社区教育由政府主导在运行过程中出现了一系列矛盾,居民对于教育资源的需求与社区教育资源不足之间的矛盾、社区教育与区域其他教育机构的合作机制欠缺等矛盾,已成为制约我国社区教育可持续发展的重要问题。美国高职教育与社区教育的互通融合模式、合作经营模式、网络经营模式、联盟经营模式,无疑为我国社区教育的可持续发展提供了借鉴,社区教育的健康发展需要充分发挥地方高等职业院校的功能,构建完善的社区教育体系;地方高职院校也需要加强服务社区的力度和广度,促进学习型社区建设;参与社区教育也是由地方高职院校本身的特点决定的;和其他教育类型相比,职业教育具有自己的特色,在开展和探索社区培训方面具有先天合作的优势。     

美国社区学院改革特点、成效及启示

长期以来,美国社区学院处于高等教育系统的边缘化地位。奥巴马政府执政伊始,对内面临国内经济危机,对外面临美国高等教育国际排名严重下降,奥巴马政府把改革社区学院作为解决问题的有效手段,对社区学院进行了一系列前所未有的改革。整个执政期间社区学院改革呈现的特点,产生的效用以及得出的启示具有一定的研究价值。以奥巴马政府社区学院改革为研究对象,发现美国社区学院改革关注重点"从入到出",资助模式"从减到免",责任承担"从少到多",党派之争"从始到终"的主要特点。美国社区学院的这一系列改革,对于维护国家、社会稳定,促进高等教育公平等方面发挥了重要作用。结合我国的国情和教育发展现状,借鉴美国社区学院改革取得的成效,建议改革我国高职院校助学金管理机制,创新"校企一体"新模式、实现"零接轨",以及创建平台,各界与高职院校共规划、同发展。     

Articulating and Utilizing Communication Student Learning Outcomes in Community Colleges

Academia in the United States stands face-to-face with the constant call for greater levels of assessment and accountability. Academics question whether our students are learning what they’re taught? Are they able to secure employment upon completing their education? Are they prepared to be active, productive citizens in society? Community colleges provide education to those who may typically not have the opportunity to attend an institution of higher education. A foundation of any assessment process is the articulation of the core learning outcomes. It is from this foundation, then, that community college faculty can start assessing the effectiveness of teaching and curricular design. The present investigation details a project that focused on creating discipline-specific student learning outcomes and how these outcomes can be utilized to aligning learning outcomes and mapping to curriculum. Communication studies faculty can utilize the learning outcomes to strengthen and clarify curriculum, demonstrate the acquisition of competencies, and improve departmental offerings.     

A place for community colleges in public health education: Two curricular frameworks

The Community College and Public Health project is sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College (the League) and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s Framing the Future Task Force. The mission is to fully include community colleges in the continuum of public health education. An expert panel outlined efforts community colleges and public health could do together. Two prototype curricular models were then developed. Public Health: Generalist & Specializations is intended for transfer to bachelor’s degree programs in general public health, health education, health administration or environmental health. Health Navigator is primarily an applied associate degree program preparing graduates as Community Health Workers, patient navigators, and health insurance navigators. The prototype curricular frameworks were developed in collaboration with public health academic and practice organizations. The League expects to play a lead role in implementation including sponsoring demonstration projects and recognition awards for excellence.     

Developing Service Area Indices for Community Colleges: California's Method and Experience

The economic, educational and social environments of the students served by a community college are important factors in college performance accountability, policy analysis, program evaluation, and strategic planning. For example, previous research shows that income per county is a significant predictor of transfer rates for community colleges. However, conditions for the actual geographic area of the students served by a community college may differ, for various reasons, from the economic conditions for the county in which the college is located. This article describes the development of institutional or college-level indices as an enhancement to county-level data, their use as adjustment variables for California's Accountability Reporting for the Community Colleges (ARCC), and their applicability to other research and planning studies. The service area indices are created by combining the enrollment patterns of students by ZIP Code of residence with ZCTA (ZIP Code Tabulation Area) level economic and educational data from Census 2000.     

Community colleges in the United States: are they a model for Britain?

The article examines US community colleges from a comparative public policy perspective and asks: are they a model for Britain? The introduction provides the context for this question, stating that, while systems of education and training are recognized as vital to a nation's economic and social development, there has been a long standing lack of confidence in the effectiveness of that in Britain, especially in the intermediate post-school sector. A brief section on comparative education and public policy, is followed by a series of questions and answers aimed at providing an answer to the central question, are US community colleges a model for Britain? There follows a comprehensive review of their history, ideology, patterns of development and effectiveness. The conclusion is that, despite criticisms and shortcomings, the ‘multiple mission’ of the community colleges and their service to millions of ordinary citizens, make them a useful guide for British further education colleges.