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Given the rapid growth in online coursework within higher education, it is important to establish and validate quality standards for these courses. While many online learning quality rubrics do exist, thus far there has been little empirical evidence establishing a clear link between specific course design features and concrete, student-level course outcomes. In the current study, the authors develop an online course design assessment rubric that includes four areas, and explore the impact of each area on student end-ofsemester performance in 23 online courses at two community colleges. The results indicate that the quality of interpersonal interaction within a course relates positively and significantly to student grades. Additional analyses based on course observation and interview data suggest that frequent and effective student-instructor interaction creates an online environment that encourages students to commit themselves to the course and perform at a stronger academic level.

In this study, community college students discussed their experiences with online and face-to-face learning as well as their reasons for selecting online (rather than face to face) sections of specific courses. Students reported lower levels of instructor presence in online courses and that they needed to "teach themselves." Accordingly, most students preferred to take only "easy" academic subjects online; they preferred to take "difficult" or "important" subjects face to face. To meet students' needs, then, colleges need to either more explicitly build instructor presence and guidance into online courses or continue to provide ample face-to-face sections of courses for those students who prefer them.

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Although online learning is rapidly expanding in the community college setting, there is little evidence regarding its effectiveness among community college students. In the current study, the authors used a statewide administrative data set to estimate the effects oftaking one's first collegelevel math or English course online rather than face to face, in terms ofboth course retention and course performance. Several empirical strategies were used to minimize the effects ofstudent selfselection, including multilevel propensity score. The findings indicate a robust negative impact of online course taking for both subjects. Furthermore, by comparing the results of two matching methods, the authors conclude that within-school matching on the basis of a multilevel model addresses concerns regarding selection issues more effectively than does traditional propensity score matching across schools.

Correlates of stress‐related growth and the effectiveness of a resilience intervention to enhance stress‐related growth were examined. College students were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 31) and waiting list control (n = 33) groups. The intervention group received the psychoeducational intervention, Transforming Lives Through Resilience Education, in four weekly 2‐hour sessions. Measures of personal, environmental and stressor characteristics, coping strategies, adjustment and stress‐related growth were assessed. Multiple regressions revealed that pre‐intervention self‐esteem, self‐leadership, hopeful coping and depressive symptoms significantly related to pre‐intervention growth. A repeated measures analysis of variance yielded a significant group by time interaction for total growth; the intervention group showed greater increases in growth pre‐ to post‐intervention compared with the control group. Our results supported the relationships of self‐esteem and adaptive coping strategies to stress‐related growth and introduce a new correlate of growth, self‐leadership, to the literature. In addition, our results highlighted the complex role depressive symptoms may play in relation to growth, indicating that depressive symptoms might decrease one's inner resources while simultaneously serving as a catalyst for growth. Further, the findings supported the resilience intervention as a promising approach to facilitate growth. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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