portal: Libraries and the Academy (Johns Hopkins University Press)
Shanna Smith Jaggars is Assistant Vice Provost and Director of the Student Success Research Lab (SSRL) at The Ohio State University. Her work focuses on identifying barriers to student success, developing and evaluating solutions, and advancing data‑informed institutional improvement. Previously she served as Director of Student Success Research in Ohio State’s Office of Distance Education and eLearning and was Assistant Director of the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University (where she remains a Research Affiliate). She has published widely on online learning, developmental education, advising and transfer, and co‑authored the book Redesigning America’s Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success (Harvard University Press, 2015). She is Senior Associate Editor for the journal Online Learning.
A reform framework advancing clearly structured programs of study with integrated advising and supports to replace the cafeteria-style model in community colleges. Emphasizes program coherence, proactive guidance, improved teaching and learning, and institutional redesign to increase completion and equity.
Computers & Education • Journal
To connect specific design features with outcomes, the authors created a four‑area online course quality rubric (organization/presentation, learning objectives/assessments, interpersonal interaction, and use of technology) and related rubric scores to student performance across 23 online courses at two community colleges. Multilevel models showed only the quality of interpersonal interaction (especially frequent and effective student–instructor interaction) was positively and significantly associated with course grades; organization, objectives, and technology use did not independently predict grades.
American Journal of Distance Education • Journal
Through qualitative inquiry with community college students, this study examines experiences in and reasons for selecting online versus face‑to‑face sections. Students perceived lower instructor presence online and felt they needed to “teach themselves,” preferring to take only easier subjects online while reserving more difficult or important courses for face‑to‑face formats. Findings suggest colleges should build stronger instructor presence and guidance into online courses or ensure sufficient face‑to‑face offerings remain available in challenging subject areas.
The Journal of Higher Education • Journal
Using data on nearly 500,000 course enrollments by over 40,000 students in Washington State community and technical colleges, the study estimates differences in performance between online and face‑to‑face courses. All student groups experienced declines online, with the largest gaps for males, younger students, Black students, and students with lower GPAs. Gaps also varied by subject, with the social sciences and applied professions showing the strongest online performance gaps after controlling for individual and peer effects.
Economics of Education Review • Journal
Using administrative data from 34 colleges, the study employs an instrumental variables strategy (distance to campus) with college‑by‑course fixed effects to estimate the causal effect of taking a course online rather than face‑to‑face. Results indicate robust negative effects of the online format on both course persistence and final grade. IV estimates exceed OLS estimates, suggesting positive self‑selection into online courses. Institutions should evaluate and improve online course quality before expanding online offerings.
Harvard University Press • Book
Synthesizing nearly a decade of CCRC research, the book argues that to substantially improve student completion, community colleges must move from a “cafeteria” model to guided pathways: clearly structured programs of study with integrated advising and supports. The authors present design principles for program coherence, proactive guidance, stronger teaching and learning, and institutional change, outlining a practical roadmap for colleges to increase attainment and equity while maintaining open access.