Math instructors Erin Millard and Blaise LaMadrid led 29 students through the fourth annual Kauai Community College Math Boot Camp this past August. As in previous years, the camp met for five hours per day and covered — among other
Math instructors Erin Millard and Blaise LaMadrid led 29 students through the fourth annual Kauai Community College Math Boot Camp this past August. As in previous years, the camp met for five hours per day and covered — among other subjects — pre-algebra and college algebra. According to Millard, the goal of the camp was: to help students approach math with a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset; give students strategies for problem-solving that are broadly applicable; and provide a targeted brush-up of skills students need in their math classes at KCC. Millard and LaMadrid were assisted by tutors Hal Marn, Kaira Spencer and Michelle Galano.
Nursing Assistant Professor Kurt Rutter recently presented a paper on student persistence and satisfaction in online courses at the International Conference for Media in Education 2016 in Kyoto, Japan.
His paper was titled “Student Satisfaction and Persistence in Online Courses: Implications for Instructional Design.” His paper focused on how to improve student persistence and satisfaction in online courses.
Notes Rutter, “My thesis is that, where once students self-selected for online courses, now it is becoming more mainstream with a wider audience. Thus, colleges need online instruction that focuses on design interaction and a sense of instructor presence in the course.”
Also in August, Science and Math Instructor Dr. Sharad Marahatta, whose specialty is integrated farm systems, led a team of five KCC students on a study trip to Japan’s Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Hokkaido.
During their nine-day trip, the team learned different approaches to training in plant biology and agriculture, while collaborating with farmers in the Obihiro area. Along with Marahatta, the team included Eman Gabour, Mason Chock, Robert Petersen, Michael Girod and Randy Umetsu.
Math Assistant Professor Ryan Girard announces the 9th annual Science Olympiad for middle and high school students on Jan. 14. The 2nd annual Elementary Science Olympiad (grades 3-6) will be held on April 29. For more information, contact Girard at girard@hawaii.edu.
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Greg Shepherd is a professor of music and drama at Kauai Community College. News from KCC offers a chance for the community to get to know more about the island’s only institution of higher education. Every month we highlight the people, places, and events that make the college the hub of so much of what happens on Kauai. We welcome comments and suggestions for future columns, and also welcome the opportunity to keep the community up to date about goings-on at our Puhi campus.
