What is a Learning Community?

1. What is a Learning Community? Presenters: Lisa Blank Mary French Jinnell Killingsworth Fall 2018 National Cowgirl Museum Field Trip for Composition 2/Texas Govt. “Real Texas” LC

2. Traditional Definition From the U.S. Department of Education:1

3. Modified Definition A similar definition appears below, but with a little more emphasis on options in restructuring the curriculum: Source: Gabelnick, Faith. Learning Communities: Creating Connections Among Students, Faculty, and Disciplines, Issue 41, Volume 6 of J-B TL Single Issue Teaching and Learning Series. Jossey-Bass, 1990, p. 5. Like the U.S. Dept. of Education’s definition, but also like Gabelnick’s definition above, the University of Chicago defines learning communities in terms of there being a connection between two or more courses, where “diverse groups of students and faculty … come together because of shared academic interests to interact in two or more ... courses”. 2 However, those shared academic interests do not have to necessarily be formally linked.* *Coordinated Studies vs. LC.

4. Types Blended Online DELIVERY F2F METHOD DURATION DISCIPLINARY SCOPE (Co-Curricular with community partners) Short Long Career LC’s: Guided Pathways? Across Disciplines Developmental LCs Within a Discipline Honors LCs International Study LCs Service Learning LCs Internship-based LCs

5. Goals of Learning Communities • Increase holistic, integrative learning (cognitive, affective, social). • Increase student-student and student-faculty interactions. • Increase academic achievement and motivation in students. • Increase student satisfaction and well being. • Increase student engagement and retention. Source: Patrick Blessinger. “Creating Meaningful Environments with SLCs.” HETL Association and St. John’s University. 2015. 3D Printing at the College of San Mateo Makerspace (Photo Source: San Mateo College/Flickr)

6. Benefits of Learning Communities for Students3,4 • More satisfying learning experience; more actively engaged. • Acquire leadership skills by working collaboratively in groups. • More likely to succeed in the courses within the community. • More likely to integrate concepts from one course to other courses. • Learn across not only the cognitive and affective domains but also the social. • Satisfy not only academic goals but also social goals. • Engage in more complex thinking, and attain a more complex world view as well as a greater openness to ideas different from their own. • Increase quality and quantity of learning. • Acquire and practice ability to bridge academic and social environments. • More likely to finish the LC courses, which in turn influences persistence, retention, and graduation.

7. Pedagogical Strategies to Improve Student Success • Employ Collaborative Learning Approaches • Help Students to Develop Effective Study Skills • Assist With Student’s Time Management • Enhance Student’s Understanding of their Learning Styles • Help Students to Understand the University Environment and Campus Resources • Help Students to Engage Outside of the Classroom, i.e. Field Trips African American Museum, Dallas, Field Trip, Fall 2018.

8. Tools Necessary To Teach A Learning Community • Select another instructor who is committed to working closely together • Choose a strong shared theme that ties the courses together • Agree on integrated course materials • Agree on the schedule and format ( 16 week? 8 Week? Blended? Meets once or more a week?)

9. Example of Themes • “Journey of Discovery”(AA History and Fed Gov’t). • “Creating the Ideal Life” (Comp I and Fed Gov’t). • “Revolutions” (Comp I and II and History I and II). • “Discovering the Real Texas” (Comp II and Tx Gov’t) • “Women in Leadership” (History II and Tx Gov’t) Student Poster Presentations.

10. Designing Your Course Syllabus • Be intentional about picking assignments relating to the theme. • Both instructors decide on 2 or 3 assignments that are shared grades. • Map out your syllabus dates and the shared assignments. • Decide which week’s lessons plans line up and others that don’t. • Decide on how each instructor will grade assignments.

11. Best Teaching Practices • Build Community: create a sense of belonging in the classroom • Diversity: create inclusive assignments and pedagogies • Integration: create a common theme and learning objectives • Active Learning: create problem-based learning, collaborative learning, civic learning, and undergraduate research • Reflection and Assessment: create an opportuity for reflection. Student Poster Presentation Displays

12. Spaces, Places, Tools & Technology That Facilitate Learning Communities • Learning Commons • Groups/Group Collaborative Tools • Wikis • Discussion Boards/Journals • File Exchange Folder/(Google Drive) • Webfolios/Websites

13. Spaces& Places: Learning Commons Supports the following: Learning Community Types and Sub-types Online F2F Blended Traditional Learning Communities Coordinated Studies Click ICON logo to view article, “From Learning Commons to Learning Communities.”

14. Examples of Wikis The circled area shows the names of all participating students; each name is a link to that student’s wiki page. Example of a Wiki on the class field trip. This can work as a whole class or group wiki.

15. Wiki Example, Cont. The “Participation Summary” of the Wiki tool in Blackboard allows the instructor to monitor the level of each student’s participation.

16. Websites These websites were created by students in a Coordinated-Studies pairing of Texas Govt. and Technical Writing. These courses were not traditionally linked as in the traditional type of Learning Community. A Cure Beyond Morals http://curebeyondmorals.weebly.com/ Fighting for the Future http://fightingforthefuturehb1842.weebly.com/ Red Red State http://redredstate.weebly.com Students Against Guns in College http://studentsagainstgunsincollege.weebly.com/ Operation CEM http://operationcem.weebly.com/ The Message Can Wait http://themessagecanwait.weebly.com Smoke Reapers http://smoke-reapers.weebly.com/ College Rights Association http://collegerightsassociation.weebly.com/ Minimum Wage Warriors http://minimumwagewarriors.weebly.com/ Students for the Prevention of Ovarian Cancer http://Studentsforthepreventionofovariancancer.weebly.com

17. Potential Challenges • Students may focus too much on socializing and not enough on the academic tasks. • Students may bond “too well,” creating an “us versus them” situation. • Personality and scheduling conflicts may arise. • Learning communities require more maturity from students because the teaching-learning process is more complex. • Students are not aware of learning communities offered (nor of the benefits), so they miss signing up for these opportunities.

18. How to Recruit Students? • Traditional flyers in high traffic areas • Be friends with counselors and advisors • Face-to-face presentations (most effective) Click image to expand.

19. Face to Face Presentations • Appeal to the uniqueness of the classes • Schedule • More Credit Hours • Field Trips • http://www.fox4news.com/good-day/-slavery-at-jefferson-s-monticello-exhibit-comes-to-fair-park • Socratic Method • Graphic Novels • https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/the-harlem-hellfighters-video • Podcasts • Movies https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hsimp=yhs-att_001&hspart=att&p=peter+jackson+ww1+documentary#id=3&vid=b06e1fb0bac89324eb4e0369a2486cd1&action=click

20. What Our Students Say: