The Effect of A Kernel Sentence Combining Technique on the Reading Comprehension Levels of Basic English Students at UPR-Cayey

Written by HETS Admin on . Posted in Fall Issue: November 2020, Volume XI

By: David H. Luciano
University of Puerto Rico At Cayey
Department of English

Abstract

In Puerto Rico English is taught as a second language (ESL), and it is a compulsory subject from the elementary level all the way up to high school graduation, yet many college freshmen are classified as low English proficient (LEP), as evidenced by the results in their College Entrance and Examination Boards (CEEB).The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze how the implementation of the Kernel-Sentence-Combining Technique (the treatment) helped Basic English students at UPR-Cayey to improve their reading comprehension levels. The participants were 44 first year students enrolled in Basic English (INGL 3101-02).  There was an experimental (26 participants) as well as a control group (18 participants), the experimental group received a six-week treatment with the kernel-sentence-combining technique. The data were gathered with an instrument that included: a self-made reading comprehension test, a self-made maze-cloze test, and a self-made language proficiency test. The study followed a quantitative approach applying descriptive statistics to the data. The findings include that the Kernel-Sentence-Combining Technique helps students to improve their reading comprehension levels, and that the maze-cloze test is a better measuring instrument for assessing reading comprehension levels in ESL students. 

Key Words: sentence-combining, reading comprehension, quasi-experiment, maze-cloze test

What are the best practices for online student engagement among Hispanic-Serving Institutions? A narrative review

Written by HETS Admin on . Posted in Fall Issue: November 2020, Volume XI

Author: Neal Malik
California State University, San Bernardino, USA.

Key Words: Hispanic-Serving Institution; online learning; student engagement

Abstract

The recent coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has led many post-secondary education institutions to transition their in-person courses to a completely virtual format. Concerns have been raised about these institutions’ readiness to create a student-centered online learning environment. Historically, rates of student attrition and lack of student engagement within the online environment are higher among courses delivered virtually when compared with those delivered in-person. This adds to the concern that graduation rates among first-time, full-time Hispanic undergraduate students are lower than their White and Asian counterparts. Faculty and students often differ in their views regarding which pedagogical strategies improve student success in online environments. Theories addressing student engagement exist, but do not adequately address students of color or faculty teaching at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The purpose of this review is to explore how post-secondary education instructors within HSIs, specifically, can increase learner engagement and improve course retention rates particularly at a time when many courses within post-secondary institutions are being delivered online. Recommendations based on available data will also be provided.