David Arendale's Personal Web Site

Boylan, H., Bliss, L. B., & Bonham, B. S. (1997). Program components and their relationship to student performance. Journal of Developmental Education, 20 (3). Retrieved July 30, 2006, from http://www.ncde.appstate.edu/reserve_reading/program_components.html This provides a summary of the findings of the Exxon National Survey of Developmental Education. The findings from this reserach is contained in the 2002 book by Boylan cited earlier in this blog series..

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I am just back from presenting a session at the 2006 Noel Levitz Conference on Student Retention that was hosted in Denver, CO. It has been a few years since I had presented at the conference, but the same mix of veterans and new people were in attendance as usual. I was impressed by the number of major scholars who were presenting this year such as Wes Habley from ACT, John Schuh, and the rest. The scholarship concerning student retention continues to increase. I recommend the conference highly for anyone who is interested in seeing the best models for both attracting and retaining college students.

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The following link takes you to a webpage I created to accompany a presentation that I made at the 2006 Noel Levtiz National Conference on Student Retention. The presentation focused on the use of Universal Instructional Deisng to improve the classroom experience for all students and thereby increase student retention rates. Please follow the link to http://nl3006.arendale.org

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Boylan, H. R. (2002). What works: Research-based best practices in developmental education. Boone, NC: Continuous Quality Improvement Network with the National Center for Developmental Education.. A summary of this document retrieved July 30, 2006 from http://www.ncde.appstate.edu/reserve_reading/what_works.htm The book is based upon the Exxon National Study of Developmental Education which was the most comprehensive study conducted. Best practices were identified through analysis of student outcomes of nearly 150 institutions across the U.S. For example, the following instructional practices were identified as best practices: learning communities; accommodation of diversity through varied instructional methods; use of Supplemental Instruction; provide frequent testing opportunities; use of technology in moderation; provide frequent and timely feedback; use of mastery learning; link developmental course content to college level requirements; share instructional strategies; teach critical thinking; teach learning strategies; use active learning techniques; and use classroom assessment techniques.

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Boylan, H. R. (1999). Exploring alternatives to remediation. Journal of Developmental Education, 22(3), 2-4, 6, 8, 10. Retrieved July 4, 2004, from: http://www.ncde.appstate.edu/reserve_reading/V22-3alternatives_to_remediation.htm
The article addresses issues related to the cost and time investment of providing remedial courses to college students and offers an overview of possible alternatives. Some criticisms of developmental education are examined and countered with evidence from research. Frequently employed current practices are outlined. More recent alternative approaches to course delivery and student support services are then reviewed, and their application to at-risk student needs is discussed. Recommendations for the actual implementation of alternatives are included. In addition to traditional approaches, developmental educators and developmental programs currently provide a variety of more innovative alternatives. Examples of these alternatives include freshmen seminar/orientation courses (Upcraft, Gardner, & Associates, 1989), Supplemental Instruction (Martin & Arendale, 1994), paired or adjunct courses (Commander, Stratton, Callahan, & Smith, 1996), collaborative learning communities (Tinto, 1997), and critical thinking courses and programs (Chaffee, 1992).

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