CCSSE finds increasing use of social networking tools.

Community colleges are increasingly using social networking tools to reach out to students, but gaps persist between older students and their younger peers in using the technology.

That is one of the findings of the 2009 cohort of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). The report found that colleges are seeing significant growth in the use of online courses and support services, including online developmental education classes, orientation and tutoring.

Entitled "Making Connections: Dimensions of Student Engagement," the report describes how institutions across the country are striving to connect with students online, in the classroom, on campus …