ABSTRACT
Rebecca Cox, author of The College Fear Factor, set out to better understand college students, specifically investigating the experiences of first-generation college students and their professors. She studied a group of community college students enrolled in various sections of a first-year composition course. She found that the students she studied utilized a series of self-protective behaviors to defend their sense of self in the college classroom. Rather than being proven as unworthy of being in college, for example, students might instead choose to not turn in an assignment. Videos are a great way to help students overcome the fear factor. By explaining things in a video in addition to written directions and a rubric, students have a better chance of fully understanding an assignment. Also, teachers can use videos to help students notice their fears and take action rather than passively avoiding challenging situations.
