The new editorial team, Jeanine L. Williams, Sarah Felber, and Deena Vaughn, are proud to present the latest issue of the Journal of College Reading and Learning. The studies included in this issue present a range of findings from the impact of various writing ecologies and the implications of students’ time management practices to the gap between students’ and instructors’ perceptions of the students’ writing abilities. Each article provides new insights that will advance understanding of college teaching and learning.
First, in “Complicating Silence: A Case Study Investigation of Optimal Student Writing Ecologies,” Jodi P. Lampi, Nancy Effinger Wilson, and Sonya L. Armstrong explore students’ experiences in two different writing ecologies: a media-free, silent zone and a media-saturated zone. Based on the students’ varied reactions to both writing environments, the authors conclude that a single writing ecology may not be appropriate for all students. Furthermore, the authors offer suggestions for writing instructors to help students navigate different writing environments so that the students can determine their optimal writing ecologies.
Next, Lauren C. Hensley, Christopher A. Wolters, Sungjun Won, and Anna C. Brady collaborate in an investigation of “Academic Probation, Time Management, and Time Use in a College Success Course.” This study analyzes a range of indicators of time management and time use among students enrolled in a college success course—providing a comparison of these behaviors among students who are on academic probation and their more academically successful classmates. The authors conclude with implications for college success course design and suggestions for further investigation of students’ study habits.
In “Gap Between Self-Efficacy and College Students’ Writing Skills,” Einat Lichtinger examines third year college students’ perceptions of their writing abilities in contrast with instructor ratings of third-year students’ writing abilities, finding that students generally perceive themselves as more skilled at writing than their instructors do. The study also elicits student and instructor suggestions for improving students’ academic writing, with both groups advocating clearer linkage between the first-year writing course and other writing assignments, as a way to increase transfer of learning and students’ self-regulation.
Finally, we are pleased to publish JoAnne Greenbaum and Kathryn Bartle Angus’s “Rights of Postsecondary Readers and Learners.” In this update to their “Position Statement on Rights of Adult Readers and Learners,” published in the Journal of College Reading and Learning in 2003 (Volume 33, Issue 2), the authors provide changes that reflect current issues in postsecondary education, including the addition of a section on institutional responsibilities to students.
As the new editorial team for JCRL, we want to thank and recognize outgoing editors Sydney Granger Saumby and Nita Meola for all the work they have put into the journal. Not only have they seen the articles in this issue through from submission to acceptance, they have also been outstanding guides as we transition into this role. Also serving as invaluable resources have been the team at Taylor & Francis and outgoing Publications Director for the College Reading and Learning Association, Sonya Armstrong. We look forward to working with the new Publications Director, Melissa Thomas.
Publication of JCRL is only possible through the work of a dedicated Editorial Advisory Board who reviews submissions. We invite members of CRLA who are interested in joining the Editorial Advisory Board to contact us at [email protected] for additional information. In addition, please contact us at [email protected] with any questions or ideas about the journal. We look forward to serving you in our new role.
Co-Editor
Jeanine L. Williams
University of Maryland University College
Co-Editor
Sarah Felber
University of Maryland University College
Assistant Editor
Deena Vaughn
University of Maryland University College