Andrews, K., & Wooten, B. (2005). Closing the gap: Helping students identify the skills employers want. NACE Journal, 65(4), 41-44.

Kennesaw State University in Georgia has addressed the gap between how colleges prepare students and the skills expected of new graduates by employers through two specific programs. These initiatives are the Online Career Portfolio (OLCP) program and the Center for Student Leadership's Leaders IN Kennesaw (LINK) program. The OLCP allows students to analyze their college and work experiences online to determine the skills that they have acquired, while LINK is a multi-tiered student leadership development program aimed at developing ethical leadership knowledge and skills, promoting student success, and enhancing the holistic development of students.

Brookfield, S.D. (2005). Overcoming impostorship, cultural suicide, and lost innocence: The implications for teaching critical thinking in the community college. New Directions for Community Colleges, 130, 49-57.

Teaching critical thinking in community college classrooms involves helping students overcome emotional barriers and question and critique commonly held assumptions.

Al-Bataineh, A., & Brooks, L. (2003). Challenges, advantages, and disadvantages of instructional technology in the community college classroom. Community College Journal of Research and Practice. 27(6), 473-493.

This article takes an historical look at the lessons learned in the 20 years of computer-based technology integration (Valdez, McNabb, Foertsch, Anderson, Hawkes, & Raack, 1999). Interjected are the perspectives of usage during the 15-year implementation within a highlighted school district, included current issues related to their technology plan. Whereas some issues associated with technology use have been evident since its inception, others are just now emerging. By studying the progression from a focus on print automation, to learner-centered approaches, to virtual learning via the Internet, strategies applicable in today's classroom are revealed. The consensus of the accumulated knowledge is analyzed in a look at current challenges and trends.

Strom, P.S., & Strom, R.D. (2002). Overcoming limitations of cooperative learning among community college students. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 26(4), 315-331.

The effects of student participation in cooperative learning groups are well known. Researchers commonly report student gains in problem solving skills, more favorable attitudes toward education, increased willingness to try new and difficult tasks, an enhanced sense of belonging, greater appreciation for persons of other ethnic backgrounds, reduction of misbehavior, and better relationships with classmates. Students also grow from listening to the viewpoints of others, encouraging teammates, showing empathy, negotiating conflict, and making an effort to help peers understand lessons.