This study examined a web-based undergraduate course structured around social learning theories through the lens of social construction as a theoretical framework and a case study research method. The purpose of the study was to investigate students' learning experiences from a cognitively guided research framework. Instructional strategies practiced in the course, instructional design developed, and demonstrated students' learning outcomes were examined to help characterize students' learning experiences. The study proceeded from a social constructivist framework, employing a qualitative case study approach. Data collected to support the description of students' learning experiences included early course survey, in-depth interviews, course documents, students' artifacts, online class interactions, email correspondences among participants, and the researcher's journals based on online observations. The results of the study reveal that students' learning experiences and learning outcomes were greatly affected by the instructor's belief about teaching a distance course. Her belief that students should be fully responsible for their own learning in the web-based course resulted in minimal facilitation of the class in all aspects, including moderating students' online discussions, fostering learning communities within the class, and providing elaborate, critical feedback to elicit students' cognitive processes. As a result, the engaged cognitive processes and knowledge domains students demonstrated over the term were not significantly improved. Furthermore, the course goal of establishing a collaborative, interactive, and social learning environment for distance students was not met. The results of this study contribute to the picture of the facilitation skills and moderating practices that support more fully the goal of the development of a cognitively rich learning community. / Graduation date: 2006

CEGEPs (Colleges d'enseignement general et professionnel) were designed with the aim of developing intellectual abilities in young adults. The purpose of this study was to describe the cognitive and affective abilities of CEGEP students at the beginning and end of CEGEP and to measure the change in these abilities. Comparing student cognitive and affective abilities at the beginning of, during and at the end of CEGEP, according to known measures of student development, would establish what changes occur during the college years, and would thereby promote a more thorough understanding of the students which CEGEPs serve. The cognitive development of CEGEP students was assessed by examining the three broad areas of development most focused on at the college level: reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Affective development was studied by examining the moral reasoning and ego development of CEGEP students and students' attitudes toward knowledge and learning. / The research design for the study was an interrupted time series on male and female students in three college programs: Science, Social Science, and Commerce. The experimental sample consisted of 334 students who entered CEGEP in 1985 in these programs. The students were selected at random and administered a series of cognitive and affective measures upon entry to college as part of the college's assessment procedure. The students were retested at the end of the first year of CEGEP and at the end of the second year of CEGEP. Samples were also selected in May 1986 and May 1987 to control for history, selection, maturation, and testing effects. / The findings suggest that students' cognitive and affective abilities increase while attending CEGEP, but that most students do not begin college with the complex intellectual abilities required for academic success. Students in all programs made significant gains in vocabulary, comprehension, writing, critical thinking, moral reasoning, and ego development. Changes also occurred in certain attitudes toward knowledge and learning. Male and female students differed in critical thinking and ego development, but did not differ in vocabulary, comprehension, writing, or moral reasoning. Differences among programs were found in vocabulary, comprehension, critical thinking, and moral reasoning, but were not found in writing or ego development.

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This qualitative research study examined developmental reading instructors' reported use of metacognitive reading strategies as well as what other approaches they used to improve and increase the reading comprehension of their struggling adult readers. The researcher collected data using two interviews per participant and document analyses. Although studies have deemed metacognitive reading strategies effective in increasing the reading comprehension of struggling readers, the results indicated that the participants did not typically instruct their struggling adult readers in the use of metacognitive reading strategies. The implications for the study were related to instructional practice in developmental reading courses, policy changes, and struggling readers. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection