CAITL Fellowship Application for Fall Semester 2003
Christine Pipitone Herron

Abstract:
Recently Raritan Valley Community College approved the development of an online section of Foundations of Reading II, the first developmental English course to be designed for online delivery. This one semester project will seek to uncover the challenges and benefits of offering a developmental reading course online.

Statement of Study:
This is a truly innovative study that represents the merging of a current body of research on reading, developmental education, and technology.

This study seeks to examine ways that online instruction can be effectively delivered to students enrolled in the second level of college reading. A brief review found that a few two-year and four-year institutions have been offering developmental reading courses online; however, an initial search has not found empirical research that studied online developmental classes, specifically online developmental reading courses. For this study I examine the online section of Foundations of Reading II that will be offered at the College this fall. I would like to study the pedagogical principles that led to its design and implementation, the students who enrolled and completed the course, and the students who enrolled and did not complete or failed the course. The primary research questions I will address are a.) What are the pedagogical practices that facilitate learning for developmental students enrolled in an online reading class? and b.) What are the unique needs of and challenges for developmental students enrolled in an online reading class?

For this study I will collect both qualitative and quantitative data which will result in measurable outcomes for the study. All findings will be written up in a final report for dissemination (see below). Included in the report will be an introduction outlining the rationale for the online course design with a review of the current and relevant literature on reading, developmental education, and technology. Qualitative data will be collected throughout the semester in the form of a weekly instructional journal, student responses on the online discussion board, and samples of completed written work with instructor feedback. The study will include quantitative data in the form of an intake survey/questionnaire at the beginning of the semester, a survey at the end of the second week of the class, and a survey at the end of class. Quantitative data will also include grades on assignments, tests, the number of discussion postings, and final grades. Comparisons to the pass and completion rates of the traditional sections of Foundations of Reading II will also be included. Because both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected, the analysis and findings will be able to be triangulated, meaning that the results will be more valid because the problem was studied from multiple angles using multiple forms of data.

Relevant Work:
In the past year I have worked to carefully examine and improve the developmental reading courses at the College. In less than one year I have accomplished two major goals. First, I co-wrote the “Instructor’s Handbook for Foundations of Reading I and Foundations of Reading II.” The handbook was based on current research in the field of reading instruction and provided instructors with sound pedagogical principles for the teaching of college reading. The handbook, distributed to instructors last fall, will be undergoing revision this summer to address issues that have come up this academic year. Second, I co-presented “Out of the Doldrums: Bringing Reading Education Back to Life” at the League for Innovation in the Community College in March 2003.

In addition, I have been teaching English I online and continually work to refine the course so that I can maintain a high retention rate. Teaching English I has given me insight into the ways that online instruction can best organized to maximize student learning.

Dissemination:
While immediate relevance is seen for those teaching Developmental Reading, this study will have relevance to the English Department and the College. Because of the timeliness of this project, the research generated through this study will also contribute to the general body of scholarship in technology and developmental education. In order to make the results of the study available, I would offer to share the findings at departmental meetings and colloquia and would participate in a panel that discusses online instruction for a faculty development workshop. I would also seek to have the study published in a scholarly publication and would submit proposals to present at national conferences: NADE (National Association for Developmental Education) and the LEAGUE (The League for Innovation in the Community College).

Course Development:
This project focuses on the development of Foundations of Reading II in an online format.