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Student Success & Career Development

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Academic Transformation: The Road to College Success
De Sellers, Ph.D., Cerridwen, Inc.
Carol W. Dochen, Ph.D., Texas State University, San Marcos
Russell B. Hodges, Ed.D., Texas State University, San Marcos

ISBN-10: 0130486159
ISBN-13: 9780130486158

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 2005
Format: Paper; 384 pp
Published: 09/30/2004

Suggested retail price: $36.00
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For courses in Applied Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology (Learning Framework), Study Skills, Student Success, and Freshman Orientation.

Thoroughly grounded in theory and research, this readable and practical text will help students in undergraduate academic success courses build learning strategies to sustain them throughout their college careers. Innovative chapters focus on motivation, overcoming procrastination, and time and stress management. The chapters on learning strategies connect the practical issues of study and academic performance with the most recent work in cognitive theory and practice. The book honors the varied nature of the collegiate experience through narratives of diverse students.

  • New model for academic learning courses titled “Learning Frameworks” introduced.

    • Provide students with the means to understand how self-assessment, self-regulation, and cognitive theories/strategies are interrelated activities that when used together promote success in college.

  • Solid theories for each learning strategy—Clearly articulates how and why learning can be enhanced.

    • Provide students with the structure for and explanation of practical learning, allowing them to understand the reason for engaging in specific academic behaviors and how to adapt to differing circumstances.

  • Self-assessments—Begin each chapter (pg. 46-47). 

    • Enable students to assess their skills and knowledge of the content at the start of the chapter, helping them develop interest in its content and making the material more accessible.

  • Application exercises—Integrates theory and practice through skill-building activities and learning exercises(pg. 28-30; pg. 37-38).

    • Emphasize for students the transfer of skills to other courses.

  • Guided Journal questions—Includes review and discussion questions at the end of each chapter (pg. 190-191).

    • Help students reflect and process the information from a broad perspective.

  • Case studies—Illustrates how differing student populations create different solutions to academic problems (pg. 270-277; pg. 278-282).

    • Allow students to comprehend and apply theories and strategies.

  • End-of-chapter Summaries and Key Terms (pg. 219-221). 

    • Assist students as they review the chapter material.

(NOTE: Each chapter ends with a Summary, Key Concepts, and Guided Journal Questions.)

 1. The Road to Autonomous Learning: I Don't Know Where I'm Going, But I'm Making Good Time.


 2. Stoking the Motivational Coals: I Know I Can, I Know I Can.


 3. Loading Up on Strategies for Learning Excellence: A Call to Arms!


 4. Learning, Knowledge, and Intellectual Performance: I Think, Ergo I Learn.


 5. Investing in Our College Lives: I'm Trying Not to Overdraft.


 6. Patterns in Human Development: All These People Are Like Me?


 7. Exploring the Diversity of Individuality: I Just Gotta Be Me.


 8. Establishing Direction in Your Life: The Promised Land.


 9. Making Behaviors Work for You: Walking The Academic Tightrope.


10. Appropriate Stress Reduction Techniques: AAUUUGH! I Feel Much Better Now.


11. Neural Development, Attending and Understanding: Growing Dendrites—My, What Nice Frontal Lobes You Have.


12. Storing, Retrieving, and Achieving Maximum Performance: Lights, Camera, Action!

Dr. De Sellers began one of the earliest cognitive-based learning skills course for college students in the U.S. in 1973 at Texas State University-San Marcos, incorporating both the emerging theory and the research-based practice from subdisciplines in psychology and educational psychology into the course. She continued to teach the course for more than 25 years before retiring. Some of her administrative posts included Dean of the College of General Studies, Director of the Student Learning Assistance Center, and Director of the International Office. She holds both an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused her studies on adult learners. De is now the president of Cerridwen, Inc., a consulting company for educational and psychological services.

Dr. Carol W. Dochen, employed at Texas State University-San Marcos since 1979, is currently the Director of the Student Learning Assistance Center. She also teaches undergraduate courses in both the Department of Educational Administration and Psychological Services and in University College. Carol earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration, with a minor in Educational Psychology, from the University of Texas at Austin. She is actively involved in state and national developmental education organizations and was a founding member of the annual statewide College Academic Support Programs conference. Carol is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences and received a College Academic Support Programs award for Outstanding Conference Institute. She has published in a variety of journals and books and has obtained grants to establish model Supplemental Instruction (SI) and Online Tutoring programs at Texas State.

Dr. Russ Hodges has worked at Texas State University-San Marcos since 1986 and coordinates the university's learning framework course, EDP 1350, Effective Learning. Russ also teaches graduate courses in Developmental and Adult Education and in Education. Russ earned his Doctorate of Education, specializing in Developmental Education, from Grambling State University in Louisiana. He is currently president-elect of the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). He is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences and received the Award for Outstanding Article from the Journal of Developmental Education (Vol. 24) in 2002. He also received a College Academic Support Programs award for Outstanding Conference Institute.

Thoroughly grounded in theory and research, this engaging and practical text will help students build learning strategies to sustain them throughout their college careers. Innovative behavioral units focus on motivation, overcoming procrastination, and time and stress management. The units on learning strategies connect the practical issues of study and academic performance with the most recent work in cognitive theory and practice.

Features include:
  • Theoretically based learning strategies
  • Self-assessments
  • Case studies

This book addresses concepts and practices rooted in the ideal of an autonomous student, a person fully equipped to meet the learning challenges in academics as well as the world.

Academic Transformation has its own companion website designed to help students review the text material. This site (www.prenhall.com/sellers) can also be accessed through the Student Success Supersite (www.prenhall.com/success) where students and faculty will find a wide array of resources.

View a Sample Chapter PDF:

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