Teaching English in the Two-Year College - Current Issue

This article details five primary steps used to increase student success in corequisite courses. From fall 2019 to fall 2023, Paris Junior College has observed a significant increase in the percentage of students who are successful in our corequisite program. In the fall of 2020, the success rate of corequisite students at PJC was 47 percent. Yet by fall 2023, that number was bolstered to an impressive 67 percent success rate of corequisite students. We contend that there are five components that account for the success of our students: identification of multiple measures, course design, pedagogical consistency, embedded course support, and speed of course delivery.

This study addresses faculty perceptions of multimodality and multimodal assignments across the majority of community colleges in Tennessee and Virginia. Our sample size was 117 English instructors/professors; of those, eight participants were interviewed. We found that the definition itself causes confusion, though 70 percent of respondents do implement at least one multimodal assignment in both Composition I and II. Also, we found great variation in the value that instructors place on multimodality, indicating a significant need for more shared resources, examples, and professional development training for English community college faculty.

A second-year writing instructor uses arts-based multimodal pedagogy to engage students within the research process.

This article explores an innovative approach to syllabus review using a roleplaying game. The game transforms the traditionally mundane task of reviewing course policies into an engaging, interactive experience. Students assume the roles of characters navigating various academic scenarios, applying syllabus guidelines to solve challenges. Research shows that elements of gaming can increase student engagement and help to develop critical thinking skills. The study examines the game’s implementation and student feedback.

After several class sessions discussing active reading strategies and note taking, students discuss the writing process and then attempt to generate a similar process for reading. In pairs, they come up with their strategies, put them on a Google Slide, and then the class critiques them as a group before the pair uses the writing process to revise. This helps them to really home in on the idea of prereading strategies and the importance of rereading.