Introducing, Defining, and Using Learning Communities

Don Lucas, Ph.D.Associate Professor

Northwest Vista CollegePsychology Department

San Antonio, Texas

Palo Alto College, Fall Convocation

Tuesday, August 18th, 2008

What is a Learning Community?

Who is going to be more successful?

TogetherCooperativeSharingExplicit goalsDependent

DisconnectedCompetitiveSelfishAmbiguous goalsIndependent

* These factors define not only students, but the faculty and curricula too.

A Learning Community is…

“In higher education, learning communities are classes that are linked or clustered during an academic term, often around an interdisciplinary theme, and enroll a common cohort of students. A variety of approaches are used to build these learning communities, with all intended to restructure the students’ time, credit, and learning experiences to build community among students, between students and their teachers, and among faculty members and disciplines.”

(http://www.evergreen.edu/washcenter/lcfaq.htm#21,as cited on July 4, 2008)

A Learning Community is Social…

A Learning Community is Cooperative…

Galton was wrong!

A

B

C

A

D

F

A Learning Community is Structured…

Programs in which a small cohort of students enrolls in larger classes that faculty DO NOT coordinate. Intellectual connections and community- building often take place in an additional integrative seminar. (MODEL 1)

Programs of two or more classes linked thematically or by content, which a cohort of students takes together. The faculty DO plan the program collaboratively. (MODEL 2)

Programs of coursework that faculty members team-teach. The course work is embedded in an integrated program of study. (MODEL 3)

+

(MacGregor, Smith, Matthews,& Gabelnick, 2002)

LC Model 1 ExamplesNVC STELLAR ProjectFTICFTScience and MathUnder-represented ethnic minorityScience Friday Seminar

Individuals Within Groups ConferencePSYC 2319 (Social Psychology)ENGL 1302 (English Composition)Conference development and presentation

Academic CooperativePSYC 2389 (Academic Cooperative)Field trips, conference attendance and presentations

Northwest Weekly (July 24, 2008). Northwest Vista Students Study Happiness, pg. 11.

Mistaking Contentment for Happiness, Evans, A.M., Guerra, S., and Romero, S., Texas Lutheran University Psi Chi Conference, Preceptor, Spring, 2008. (First Place, research competition.)

Evans, A.M., Guerra, S., Romero, S., & Lucas, D. R. (2008). Mistaking Contentment for Happiness. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association, Kansas City, Missouri.

Ancira, J., & Lucas, D. R. (2007). Distinguishing among Pleasure, Happiness, and Contentment. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association, Fort Worth, Texas.

Lucas, D. R., & Ancira, J. (2007). I’m Happy—You are Not! Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association, Fort Worth, Texas.

Dunne, B. (April, 2006). Want a long-term relationship? You better have a broken heart! Paper presented at the Southwest Psychological Association’s annual meeting, Psi Chi. Austin, Texas. (faculty sponsor)

Lucas, D. R., Lloyd, J. A., & Magaloni, I. R. (2005). In Spite of Content, Activity Begets Happiness. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association, Memphis, Tennessee.

Lucas, D. R., Magaloni, I. R., Ross, C., & Kaylor, C. (in preparation). Reading’s Influence on Happiness: A Study of Active and Passive Voice

LC Model 2 ExamplesWhat YOU are doing!Developmental StudentsENGL 0300 + SDEV (Student Development) 0170ENGL 0301 + SDEV 0170READ 0300 + SDEV 0170

Pre-Nursing Majors PSYC 2301 (Introductory Psychology) Flex IPSYC 2314 (Lifespan) Flex II

LC Model 3 Examples

Making Sexual SensePSYC 2306 (Human Sexuality) + ENGL 2370 (Sexuality of Literature)

On Being NormalPSYC 2371 (Abnormal Psychology) + HUMA 2323 (World Cultures)

Women’s StudiesENGL 1302 (Composition) + HUMA 2319

The Art of WritingENGL 1301 (Composition) + ARTS 1301 (Art Appreciation)

Sociologically SpeakingSOCI 1301 (Intro.) + SPCH 1311 (Intro.)

Why have LCs?For Students… ▪Improve retention

▪Increase student learning and achievement

▪Increase time on task both in and out of class

▪Promote active learning and teamwork skills

▪Increase the success rate for under-represented students

▪Increase entry and completion in certain majors

For Faculty…

▪Answer the “why” question

▪Increase experimentation within curriculum

▪Broaden andragogical repertoire of faculty

▪Increase faculty engagement with one another

▪Promote deeper interaction among faculty and students

▪Promote stronger relationships among faculty and student affairs staff

▪(MacGregor & Smith, 2002)

Improve Retention

Answer the “why” question

Promote stronger relationships among faculty and student affairs staff

Why have LCs?For Student Affairs Staff

▪Promote deeper interaction between student affairs and faculty

▪Broaden andragogical repertoire and deeper interaction among student affairs professionals and students

For Curriculum Increase coherence of general education program

▪Make curriculum more interdisciplinary

▪Infuse skills such as writing, speaking, math, and critical thinking across the curriculum

▪Create more engaging entry points to certain majors

For Institution ▪Enhance the quality of undergraduate education

▪Foster a climate of innovation

▪Increase the sense of community within the institution

▪Promote meaningful collaboration between faculty and staff, faculty and administration

▪Promote a culture of assessment, of learning about student learning

▪(MacGregor & Smith, 2002)

▪ Broaden andragogical repertoire and deeper interaction among student affairs professionals and students

▪ Infuse skills such as writing, speaking, math, and critical thinking across the curriculum

Promote a culture of assessment, of learning about student learning

How does one start?

Identify goals for a learning community initiative• for students• for faculty• for the curriculum• for the institution

Consider areas of need• first-time-in-college adjustment needs and

developmental opportunities

• high-risk courses

• gateway courses and pre-requisites

. platform courses for specific majors

• courses for bridging skills/content, theory/practice, liberal arts/professions

• across-curriculum initiatives

(MacGregor, Smith, Matthews,& Gabelnick, 2002)

STEP 1 Research and information must be compiled. Faculty must have a clear idea both about learning communities and the different disciplines with which they will be involved.

STEP 2 Focus areas should be identified. Faculty should talk with administration, other faculty, and the student body in order to gauge interest and support in learning communities. Any special funding or scheduling needs should also be identified at this time.

STEP 3The courses to be taught should be identified. Careful attention must be paid to the courses most in demand, as well as those courses needed to complete degree plans and those courses most likely to transfer. Other interested faculty should be included in discussions, and appropriate and adequate information should be provided so that the faculty can make informed decisions about whether or not to participate in learning communities.

A recipe for building a LC

(Killacky, Thomas, & Accomando, 2002; http://rx.nhmccd.edu).

STEP 4The preliminary planning should begin. Killacky et al. (2002) identify this step as a "critical component" (p. 770). At this point, funding and administrative support have already been acquired, courses have been identified, and faculty participants have been chosen.

The most critical component of the program is now ready to be undertaken: team planning. It is suggested that this stage start at least one semester before the actual learning community is to be implemented. Detailed lessons and syllabi should be compiled, and plans should be put in place to continue the program if one of the participants relocates.

A recipe for building a LC—continued

(Killacky, Thomas, & Accomando, 2002; http://rx.nhmccd.edu).

STEP 5Dispersal of information throughout the campus. Advisors and counselors must be made aware of the program so they can relay the information to the students and properly place them in classes for which they are best suited.

STEP 6Monitor, assess, and evaluate. Hopefully, the careful planning has created a functioning learning community, and at this point, the program should be monitored and tweaked as needed. Data on success and retention rates should be gathered and compared to those of other programs to determine if the learning community is accomplishing its goals. All participants in a learning community should be given the chance to evaluate the courses at the end of the semester, and this information should be analyzed for any interesting suggestions (Killacky et al., 2002).

A recipe for building a LC—continued

(Killacky, Thomas, & Accomando, 2002; http://rx.nhmccd.edu).

Be Content… or at the least bit: Happy!

Don Lucas, Ph.D.Associate Professor

Northwest Vista CollegeSan Antonio, Texas

dlucas@mail.accd.edu210-348-2256

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