BCC ENGLISH

Dr.Kathrynn DiTommaso

Dr. Kathrynn Di Tommaso has a Bachelor’s Degree in English from New York University and a Master’s Degree in English from Stanford University. She was a Fellow at the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) at Harvard University where she earned a Master’s Degree and a Doctorate in Education. She focused her doctoral studies on developmental writing programs in community colleges and the ways in which situational and socio-affective variables influence student success in higher education. Her research interests include assessment of students' needs and specific non-cognitive challenges that they face, designing and testing interventions to meet students' needs, improving pedagogical approaches in the teaching of writing, and linking support services to writing courses.

Areas

Basic Writing, Co-requisite Writing Courses, College Composition, Student Support Services, Qualitative Research, & Program Design and Assessment

Recent Publications

DiTommaso, K. (2009). At-risk student retention and the complicated desire for caring teachers. In R. Hayes (Ed.), Proceedings of the 5th National Symposium on Student Retention, 2009, Buffalo. (pp. 178-198). Norman, OK: The University of Oklahoma.

DiTommaso, K. (2010). Book review of Basic Writing in America: The History of Nine College Programs (Greene & McAlexander). Teaching English in the Two-Year College, 37 (4), 426-8.

DiTommaso, K. (2010). The connection between role model relationships and self-direction in developmental students. Research and Teaching in Developmental Education, 27 (1), 4-19.

DiTommaso, K. (2011). The connection between lack of support service use and background experience in developmental students. Research and Teaching in Developmental Education, 27 (2), 5-21.

DiTommaso, K. (2012). Developmental students and the challenge of peer relationships. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 36 (12), 941-954.

DiTommaso, K. (2013). Book review of Basic Skills Education in Community Colleges: Inside and Outside of Classrooms (Grubb & Gabriner). Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 37 (12), 1021-1023.

DiTommaso, K. (2016). Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Non-Cognitive Needs Assessment Instrument. Research and Teaching in Developmental Education, 32 (2), 4-22.

“My Professor Was So Far Away” Lack of Interpersonal Connection and Student Disengagement in Remote Learning. Work in Progress, Completion Date 11/2023

Assessing Writing Skill Needs of Developmental Students in First-Year Composition Courses. Work in Progress, Completion Date 12/2023