Education Commons^™

Through The Lens Of Equity: Impacts Of Course Material Costs For Tennessee Community College Students, Elizabeth Spica

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this nonexperimental, multi-part dissertation was to explore issues of course material affordability for students at Tennessee community colleges. Data were drawn from two sources: a 53-item student survey (n = 1,912) and three years of anonymized outcomes data provided by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). Guided by Bensimon’s conceptual framework on equity in higher education (Bensimon, 2005, 2012), data for each study were disaggregated to examine findings through the lens of equity, with attention to three populations of concern for Tennessee higher education (race/ethnicity, low-income, and Adult Learners over age 25).

The first article, Prices …

Inclusive Access: A Multi-Institutional Study Of Academic Outcomes From A Statewide Community College Automatic Billing Etextbook Pilot, Elizabeth Spica

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Publications and Other Works

In response to issues related to the high cost of textbooks and other course materials, Inclusive Access programs allow the cost of a discounted eTextbook and/or courseware to be automatically added to a student’s tuition bill at the time of course registration (McKenzie, 2017). Touted for their ability to lower costs and provide students with access to materials on or before the first day of class, automatic billing programs have become increasingly prolific across the higher education landscape. At the same time, research into many aspects of the program’s impact and efficacy remains lacking. This study examined academic outcomes from …

Prices They Pay: Academic Achievement And Progress To Graduation Barriers Experienced By Community College Students Due To The Cost Of Course Materials, Elizabeth Spica, J. Patrick Biddix

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Publications and Other Works

Affordability is considered a key predictor of college enrollment and academic success, yet higher education costs continue to rise. Over the past three decades, textbooks and course materials alone have increased almost three times the rate of inflation (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). To identify the extent to which course material costs create barriers for community college students, and whether these costs foster inequities for students in traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations, a cross-sectional survey research study was conducted fall 2019 amongst students enrolled in community colleges across the Tennessee Board of Regents system (N = 88,946, n = …

The Influence Of Technological Savviness And Home Internet Access On Student Decisions To Use Print Or Digital Course Materials, Elizabeth Spica

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Publications and Other Works

The purpose of this survey research study was to examine Tennessee community college student decisions and experiences with print and digital course material formats. Analysis considered which format students prefer between print or digital, the reasons behind those preferences, and whether those preferences significantly differed based upon demographic characteristics, perceived levels of technological savviness, and/or the availability of home internet access. Students enrolled for the fall 2019 semester at community colleges across the Tennessee Board of Regents system were surveyed using both open-and closed-ended questions (n = 1,912). Results showed that most students (63.6%) preferred to use print materials, with …