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The academic writing of community college remedial students: Text and learner variables

Higher Education volume 45, pages 19–42 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Community college remedial reading studentscomposed an informational report from sources,a task commonly assigned in higher educationthat integrally combines reading and writingprocesses. Productivity, use of source text,reproductions, accuracy, and inclusion of keyideas were analyzed as a function of twoexogenous variables, text density (high, low)and domain (health, business), and twoendogenous variables, prior knowledge andgeneral literacy skill. Text densityinteracted with literacy skill forproductivity, and with prior knowledge foraccuracy. Individuals with lower literacy orprior knowledge scores were at a disadvantagewith high but not low density source text. Domain affected productivity, use of source,and inclusion of key ideas: health text wasassociated with superior performance. Domaineffects may be explained by metacognitive ormotivational variables, or differences in thereadability of the source texts. The resultshave implications for instruction aimed atimproving community college students'preparedness for the academic demands of highereducation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 W. 120th Street, Box 70, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Dolores Perin & Melissa Monopoli

  2. Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Columbia University, Vanderbilt Clinic, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Alla Keselman

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  1. Dolores Perin
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  2. Alla Keselman
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Correspondence to Dolores Perin.

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Perin, D., Keselman, A. & Monopoli, M. The academic writing of community college remedial students: Text and learner variables. Higher Education 45, 19–42 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021237532056

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021237532056

  • community college students
  • composing from sources
  • informational writing
  • reading and writing processes
  • remedial students