dc.contributor.advisor | Duncan, James P. | en |
dc.identifier.oclc | 226965782 | en |
dc.creator | Garrard, Douglas Charles | en |
dc.date.accessioned | 2008-08-29T00:11:39Z | en |
dc.date.available | 2008-08-29T00:11:39Z | en |
dc.date.issued | 2006 | en |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2152/3805 | en |
dc.description.abstract | Calls for reform in higher education that focus on institutional
characteristics which impede effective teaching and learning, such as a
fragmented and specialized curriculum, a lack of clarity of goals, and the need to
integrate the in- and out-of-class experience, have been well documented in the
literature. Under the premise that learning can be best realized with purposeful
and connected in- and out-of-class learning environments, living-learning
communities are a popular option on many of our nation’s campuses. The
benefits of conventional residence hall living have been well established in the
literature. A growing body of research supports that living-learning communities
offer the promise of a wholly integrated campus environment, suggesting
academic achievement can be influenced by an environment that mutually
supports academic, interpersonal and extracurricular activities.
This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to examine in depth
the association between a student’s place of residence and various learning
outcomes. Data for this study included self-reported levels of effort, achievement
and satisfaction as measured by the College Student Experiences Questionnaire,
institutional data on college grade point average and enrollment, and qualitative
interviews. This study focused on “within-college” effects, or the relationship
between student experiences at the same institution and student outcomes.
This study found that place of residence had no relationship with a
student’s level of satisfaction or self-reported academic and social gains. Place of
residence had a limited association with student scores on personal and
interpersonal level of effort scales. Active learning, student-faculty interaction
and cooperation among students, referred to as “good educational practices,” were
found to be significant predictors of academic and social gains. Additionally,
participation in the living-learning community was also found to be associated
with higher odds of being retained in college. With limited exceptions, student
background characteristics did not have a significant affiliation with student
success. This finding is consistent with C. Robert Pace’s (1984) notion that what a
student does at college is more important than what they did before they entered
college. Overall, the results suggest that the university is providing an
environment that promotes student success regardless of place of residence. | |
dc.format.medium | electronic | en |
dc.language.iso | eng | en |
dc.rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Presentation of this material on
the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made
possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in
the works. | en |
dc.subject.lcsh | Student housing | en |
dc.subject.lcsh | Academic achievement | en |
dc.subject.lcsh | College students--Attitudes | en |
dc.subject.lcsh | Satisfaction | en |
dc.subject.lcsh | Academic achievement--Statistics | en |
dc.subject.lcsh | College students--Attitudes--Statistics | en |
dc.title | The relation between a student's choice of living arrangement and student effort, achievement and college satisfaction | en |
dc.description.department | Educational Administration | en |
dc.type.genre | Thesis | en |