Learning Communities Research and Practice (LCRP - E-Journal, Washington Center at The Evergreen State College Research)
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An Analysis of Learning Outcomes in a Freshman Seminar Learning Community that Utilizes Peer Mentoring at a Community College
Get PDFWhile there has been research on the effects of utilizing Peer Mentors within Learning Communities with regards to retention data, little research has been done to show the effects that Peer Mentoring has on learning outcomes within a Learning Community. Using anecdotal evidence from peer mentors working within a Learning Community at an urban community college, we describe the effects that individual mentors have had on individual first-semester students. For a preliminary quantitative analysis, a pre post survey was given to two groups of Learning Community students, one group which had peer mentors attached to their Learning Communities (PMLC), and one which did not (non-PMLC). Using an independent t-test, we were able to show that there were some improvements in familiarity from pre to post in both groups and that, in some cases, the PMLC group showed greater improvement than the non-PMLC group, the results were not statistically significant
Notes on this Issue
Get PDFWith these newest contributions in research, practices from the field, and perspectives, this issue marks five years of publication of the journal, Learning Communities Research Practice and the goal that it would extend the important work of informing practice and enfranchising knowledge-making by practitioners and researchers in the field
Notes on this Issue
Get PDFEngagement and community stand in dialectical relationship to each other: As engaged learning community practitioners, we build community--in our learning communities and through our scholarship--that fosters engagement among our students and our colleagues
Learning Communities: Opportunities for the Retention of Faculty of Color
Get PDFThe purpose of this article is to address how teaching in learning communities can be an effective tool for the retention of faculty of color. The article outlines the on-going, concerning issue of higher education\u27s lack of faculty diversity. Through their shared lens as tenure-track faculty of color at an urban community college, the authors identify common barriers for retention of faculty of color, and types of learning community models. They also recommend the most effective learning community model for faculty of color collaboration, and explain how this model addresses the trends of tokenism, isolation, marginalization and lack of mentorship frequently experienced by faculty of color in higher education
A Learning Community Retrospective Integrating Science and Literature
Get PDFThe author reflects on his 44-year career as a science instructor, during which he gradually implements new active learning strategies in the classroom and shifts to integrating science and literature in the teaching of learning communities. The author describes three learning communities to show how the disciplines of science and literature can be integrated in productive ways. The author is especially pleased that students became more active and productive learners and also appeared to demonstrate increased confidence and enjoyment of their learning community classes because the courses integrated cultural and scientific perspectives, and were interactive as well as personally and socially relevant
Constructing a Complex Learning Community Index – Operationalizing the Concept of a Learning Community into a Measurable Construct
Get PDFThe fundamental challenge of higher education lies in its ability to intentionally design thriving, innovative, educational spaces that nurture and inspire transcendent and transformational outcomes at the individual, group, and institutional levels. One of the most studied high impact practices, a well-crafted learning community that fosters student-centered learning driven by collaboration, interdisciplinary study, and experiential learning is hypothesized to be one such educational space. This research advances the academic conversation regarding learning communities beyond nominal conceptualization and proposes an operational definition grounded on three dominant dimensions: (1) differentiation/diversity, (2) integration/association, and (3) feed-back/assessment loops. By constructing a “complex learning community” index, we translate the nominal conceptualization of the learning community into a measurable construct. By implementing a pre- and post-test of all incoming first-year students participating throughout our University’s first-year learning communities over the course of two years, we offer insight as to learning community design and practices that influence transformational outputs, including flourishing and persistence
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: Using a Common Read to Transform a Learning Community
Get PDFFirst-year seminars and learning communities (LC) have been used to help increase retention, provide continuity, and support students as they transition to the university setting. Another high impact educational practice—common intellectual experiences (CIE)—includes student activities centered on a theme to help facilitate learning, increase involvement, and provide continuity; one such example is a common read. A group of interdisciplinary faculty created a health sciences specific learning community to help increase cultural awareness and understanding. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was used as a CIE to meet course objectives in all LC classes and provide a background to health sciences and caring professions. Data were collected from students (n=14) by using an instructor-developed instrument that evaluated student knowledge of stem cell research, medical advances due to stem cell research, ethics in medical research, the African-American experience (1930s-1960s), and socioeconomic disparities in America. Results indicated statistical significance for the three content areas emphasized throughout the course. Further, results suggest that in LCs in which the students have similar academic and career goals, use of a common intellectual experience can enhance critical thinking and deep learning
Community Resonance: Indigenous Epistemology and the Learning Community Program at the University of Hawaiʻi, West Oʻahu
Get PDFThe paper examines the transformative potential unveiled by the integration of indigenous epistemology into an experimental learning community program in Hawaiʻi. Through contextual analysis of the author’s direct participation in classroom interactions, cultural and service learning activities, the final project, and the culminating event, the paper unravels the twofold process. On the one hand, indigenous epistemology in action integrated classroom, placed-based service learning, and cultural activities into a holistic learning experience. On the other hand, it also connected diverse communities in an interdependent relationship through the resonance of its foundational concepts: shared responsibility (kuleana) to the “homeland that feeds” (ʻāina) and its ecosystems. Interdependence of diverse communities and learning activities formed through such resonance provides an opportunity for transformation
Launching Integrative Experiences through Linked Courses: The Future Educators Learning Community (FELC)
Get PDFThis article describes the first implementation of the Future Educators Learning Community, and particularly, the impact of three linked courses and instructor collaboration. With supporting literature and the context and background of this learning community as the foundation, our experiences are structured into three distinct categories: preparing, implementing, and reflecting upon our journey. Pertinent logistics are discussed as well as the importance of ongoing communication and collaboration in response to real-time feedback from students. Throughout this initial implementation, recurring themes emerged that extended meaning for both students and instructors. The article concludes with important lessons learned, as well a poetic representation of the initial Future Educator Learning Community
Suggestions for Implementing First Year Experience Learning Communities in Teacher Education Programs
Get PDFThis article describes the creation of a First Year Experience learning community in a teacher education program. The First Year Experience model was adopted by the university because of declining enrollment, retention, and graduation rates and has been generally successful in the education department. With little information available for teacher educators about this type of learning community, we offer recommendations for implementing and evaluating them