Teaching Styles of Community College Instructors

This study examined the teaching styles of online instructors at Florida's 28 community colleges in an effort to determine if the instructors had adopted the learner–centered model touted in the literature. The Principles of Adult Learning Scale was the primary instrument used to collect data from 292 online instructors. The study revealed that nearly half of the participants (n?=?135) scored in the middle range, with 84% (n?=?244) of the participants’ scores falling into the teacher-centered range. Although online distance education does have the potential to transition education from a teacher-centered orientation to a more student-centered orientation, continued efforts are needed to accomplish this shift.     

Supporting Parents in Early Literacy through Libraries (SPELL): An Evaluation of a Multi-Site Library Project

ABSTRACT

The Supporting Parents in Early Literacy through Libraries (SPELL) project was initiated to evaluate the effectiveness of early literacy programs in libraries. Eight Colorado libraries developed and implemented year-long early literacy programs targeting parents of children ages zero to three. Pre- and post-surveys were conducted to determine the effect of these programs on the early literacy habits of participating parents. The survey results indicated that after participating in the SPELL prototype programs, respondents reported increased knowledge of and engagement in early literacy activities.