Homelessness & College Students: Exploring the Issue & Solutions - Research Paper

Introduction

This journal was authored by Ronald Hallett and Rashida Crutchfield in 2018, and it explores the issue of homelessness and how it affects college students in the United States. The article utilizes data from previous research that have been conducted to support the claim that homelessness is a significant factor that hinder the success of students (Hallett & Crutchfield, 2018). Most importantly, this research does not just highlight the problems; it dwells much on providing essential recommendations that would increase the success for the students affected by housing insecurity.

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The main points that the authors raise include recognizing the housing of students as a significant problem in most universities. For example, the authors reveal that at the University of Massachusetts Boston, about 5.4% of the students face homelessness (Hallett & Crutchfield, 2018). On the other hand, Ronald Hallett and Rashida provide vital steps that should be followed to overcome the challenge. These steps include; raising awareness of the problem, collaborate with community partners, come up with an organized response, provide access to mental health care, provide better financial support to the students in need.

I think the authors are right to highlight the housing insecurity as a primary challenge that hinders the success of some students. I also agree with the recommendations provided in this article as ways to curb the challenge. For example, I believe that by raising awareness about the problem, most people will get involved and help at providing a definitive solution. Also, by increasing the financial support, the students will be able to have enough money to rent a decent place where they can live in the course of their studies. Such measures contribute to increased success in college students.

Journal Title: Strengthening College Support Services to Improve Student Transitioning to Careers

The journal is written by William Arnold, a professor at the Pepperdine University, and he reviews the challenges facing the modern collages in the effort to prepare the students for productive roles after graduation. According to Arnold, colleges are trying to come up with programs that facilitate collage-to-career transitioning after the students leave collages (Arnold, 2018). He, however, suggests that a more aggressive approach need to be put in place to ensure that the programs are highly successful. Therefore, by designing programs that revolve around the students and closing the gap among the support services, there is a likelihood to achieve more relevant and timely results.

The main points highlighted in this article include a review of the major forces behind the change and exemplary innovations by higher education institutions, particularly regarding the students, parents and employer's needs of developing students with leadership capabilities and skills that make them a competent workforce (Arnold, 2018). The author also highlights the new approaches that will address the changing needs of the students, which include; courses aimed to develop skills in teamwork communication, self-awareness, self-management, and problem-solving. The second approach is by availing programs that introduce the students to employers such as internships, apprenticeships, and other industrial learning opportunities (Arnold, 2018). The third approach is standardized online and self-paced classes that teach the basics of knowledge. And lastly, lessening of barriers brought about by unnecessary formalities that limit student's access to information.

I support the author's argument that colleges are creating new initiatives and programs to enable the students to transit smoothly to the new roles after leaving colleges. I believe that these changes are essential as in most cases, the parent's financial capabilities are constrained when a student is finishing college, and thus self-reliance of the learner eases a financial burden to the parents. On the other hand, it is necessary to prepare the students for a competitive job market where technology and high working standards are reshaping the job requirements for the employees. Lastly, I think colleges need to be more attentive at the voices of their students and carefully consider providing education from multiple contexts.

Journal Title: Quantifying Assessment of Undergraduate Critical Thinking

This article was written by Michael Grant and Marshall Smith, both professors at the University of Colorado Boulder. The paper aims at establishing and enhancing students critical thinking capabilities by assessing the thinking skills of 176 students admitted at either the University of Colorado Boulder or Colorado College (Grant & Smith, 2018). The results of this study were obtained by administering a continuous assessment test (CAT), designed with the help of the national science foundation. The critical thinking was evaluated by comparing the students thinking skills at the start and the end of the term in classes that emphasized on critical thinking, civic engagement, or in courses where none of the two was a significant emphasis (Grant & Smith, 2018). At the end of the test, it was determined that the scores increased drastically for students in both institutions. Therefore, this research is vital as it contributes to an understanding of how the students develop regarding critical thinking as part of the undergraduate experience.

The main point of this research was to determine whether there was an improvement in critical assessment skills when a student was admitted in the first week and the last week of the term. Based on the low scores at the start of the academic period and the high score at the end of the semester for the newly enrolled students, it can be concluded that colleges and universities improve the critical thinking skills in their students (Grant & Smith, 2018).

I believe that this research is vital as it helps instructors all over the world realize that education should be multidimensional. By this, I mean that quality education should not only improve the knowledge of the students in regards to their areas of the study, it should also open their minds and provide a broader analytical scope to live's events. When a student is through with college, they should be well equipped with skills that fit in the job market, as well as life skills that entail solving the everyday problems.

Journal Title: Flipping the Classroom: Turning an Instructional Methods Course Upside Down

The article was written by Diane Marks, an associate professor at the Appalachian State University, and he examines how some major strategies from flipped classroom theory can be used in the instructional method course (Marks, 2015). Based on his findings, it is evident that with careful curriculum design, both content and methods, learning objectives can be taught and perfected using the flipped classroom methods.

The main point of the author is that teachers do not have to give up methods which have been tried and tested to embrace new digital ways. Marks indicated that this is because student-centered and learning outcome teaching methods are practical analysis and precise application of learning objectives (Marks, 2015). By sticking to these methods, the student will benefit from higher level thinking skills that sometimes the instructors feel are being pushed aside due to time constraints.

My opinion towards this article is that the challenges that face flipped classroom teaching models are real but not impossible to overcome. To protect the teacher from a possible burnout; it is vital to incorporate proactive strategies such as course design and professional development. I also believe that as the world is rapidly changing, higher education must change to meet the challenges and the needs of the learners, community, and employers. And one way to do this is to keep the best of the old and new in higher education by using the flipped classroom curricula (Marks, 2015).

References

Arnold, W. W. (2018). Strengthening College Support Services To Improve Student Transitioning To Careers. Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 15(1), 5-26. doi:10.19030/tlc.v15i1.10198

Grant, M., & Smith, M. (2018). Quantifying Assessment Of Undergraduate Critical Thinking. Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 15(1), 27-38. doi:10.19030/tlc.v15i1.10199

Hallett, R. E., & Crutchfield, R. (2018). Boost success of students facing housing insecurity. Student Affairs Today, 20(12), 6-6. doi:10.1002/say.30446

Marks, D. B. (2015). Flipping The Classroom: Turning An Instructional Methods Course Upside Down. Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 12(4), 241. doi:10.19030/tlc.v12i4.9461