Purpose Of A Qualitative Study

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the effectiveness of [present-day Learning Assistance Centers within the California Community College system] through an [Activity Theory] lens, to investigate what [factors increase associate-level college student comprehension and retention levels] through the implementation of a [technology-based pedagogy]. A qualitative study, based on Activity Theory, could suggest ways to improve or redesign current Learning Assistance Centers within the California Community College system.

Introduction

The following chapter serves as a review of literature related to the topic of discovering ways learning assistance centers (LACs) contribute to student academic success from an

Although the academic needs of students in higher education have not changed for many years, the way in which students learn has. Two-year colleges are very unique in that the student population is not only diverse ethnically and socially, but by age as well. Two-year colleges accept students as young as fourteen and do not have an age maximum. Since some students did not grow up with digital technology, it is much harder for this group of students to incorporate technology into daily practices. Some ways that technology has not only changed the way people learn, but also how people communicate. Online chat rooms, forums, social media, the Internet, and eBooks on the rise, all serve students at varying levels of comprehension (McKnight, n.d.). For students that are intimidated by technology, this factor causes some students to lack success that would typically occur if technology were not a part of the institutionalized practice of

Research, as well as the various studies presented, has addressed many components of learning assistance centers on factors of student retention and overall effectiveness. For those studies included in this literature review, it is clear that researchers are in agreement of how the technology-based pedagogy in today’s learning assistance center structure provide beneficial factors for a majority of the students using the provided services. In addition, researchers are also in agreement that the technology-based pedagogy for learning assistance centers is not effective for all students of the two-year college system. As the literature concludes, services provided by Learning Assistance Centers at the two-year college level, no matter the method in which the information is shared (technologically or through traditional methods) is more effective than if the services ceased to exist altogether.

Research weaknesses. Thus far, very little research has been discovered that provide evidence of factors that effectively promote student retention and improve grade point averages from multiple points-of-view in one study. In addition, evidence of theoretical practices associated with Learning Assistance Centers has been difficult to find. Only time will allow the researcher to become better acquainted with what information is available and what simply does not