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Residential Learning Communities: Knowledge, Connectedness and Involvement

Monica Kimbrell, Dana McGuire, Samantha Mills

Background & Significance

Living On-Campus @ VT

• Traditional Residence Hall

• Living Learning Communities (i.e. Residential Learning Communities)• Academic major

communities

• Enhanced learning communities

• Residential colleges

• Themed housing

http://www.housing.vt.edu/llc

What is a LLC/RLC

• Target first year students

• Promote learning while sharing living space

• Grouped by• academic discipline• specific support service• extracurricular interests (wellness or community

service)

• Main objectives:• student development • student success Zhao & Kuh,

2004

Benefits of RLC

• Community

• Academic support

• Social support

Domizi, 2008

Student Involvement Theory

Positive Linear Relationship

Student Involvement

Student learning & personal development

Astin, 1999

What do students say about RLC ?

• More engaged

• Perceive RLC to be more socially & academically supportive

• Easier transition to the next academic year

• Positively enhance academic experience

Inkelas & Weisman, 2003; Wawrzynski & Jessup-Anger, 2010

Slusher Hall & The Wing

• Traditional halls

• LLC• Themed housing

• The Wing

• Application process

• Seminar course

• Focus on academic & essential life skills

• Target population: first year students

http://www.housing.vt.edu/llc/communities/wing

Why study LLC?

• Highly discussed topic

• Limited research

• Value to community

Tinto, 2003

Purpose

• Examine and compare the experiences of students living in a traditional hall and students living in a LLC

1. Why do students choose their preferred living arrangement?

2. Do RLC residents have more knowledge about and access to academic and social resources?

Traditional Hall

Hypothesis

We believe that the results of this study will demonstrate that students who participate in LLC during the first year of college will have access to more academic and social resources than first year students who do not participate in LLCs.

METHODS

Snowball!

Traditional Hall

What we did…

• Two focus groups

• Semi-structured format

• 30 minute recorded sessions

• Analysis• Listened for themes individually• Further developed themes as group

What we found…

What do you do?

Intramurals

Traditional Hall

What if you were struggling?

Traditional Hall• All were aware

of academic resources

• Learned through scavenger hunt in wing class

• Seek help fromhall mates

• One member on academic probation• Knows all resources -

now

Need academic help?

“It’s neat that we know where they are”

Need academic help?

“I’m sure there’s a lot we could do, but that’s all we would do. Everything we need is on our hall.”

Traditional Hall

How or did you know/decide about LLC?

Traditional Hall• Learned

through family or friends

• One learned once on campus

• Aware but uninterested

• Reasons: • All same major

• Students in LLC on different academic level

• Wanted co-ed hall

• “Way too serious, or kind of a joke”

• Reasons: • To make friends

• Location

• Desire to be with first-year students

How or did you know/decide about LLC?

“We know about them;

We don’t care.”

Traditional Hall

Relationships on and off hall?

• On floor relationships were very strong

• Off floor relationships were not as significant

Traditional Hall

How or did you know/decide about LLC?

“The people on my hall are my family...”

Traditional Hall

Connected to VT Community?

Traditional Hall• Felt connected

to community

• Equated involvement with being part of community

• “No”• All but one student

• Hall was primary community

• Felt most connected when away from campus and during football season

• One mentioned feeling most connected through athletic events

Discussion

Knowledge, Connectedness, and Involvement

• Knowledgeable about campus resources for academic support

• Connected to the floor and greater Virginia Tech community

• Involved in various student organizations and clubs

Traditional Hall

• One student knowledgeable about campus resources for academic support

• Connected to the floor, only to Virginia Tech community during big athletic seasons and off campus

• Involved in fewer student organizations, very involved in the floor (i.e. sports).

Limitations

• The group size

• Time constraints

• Groupthink

Future Research

• More focus groups with more traditional hall floors involved

• Incorporate different LLC

• Use varying types of residence halls

ReferencesAstin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher

education. Journal of College Student Development, 40, 518-529.

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (2010). The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/

Domizi, D. P. (2008). Student perceptions about their informal learning experiences in a first-year residential learning community. Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 20, 97-110. Retrieved from http://www.ahsi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/student-perceptions-about-thier-informal-learning-experiences-in-a-first-year-residential-learning-community.pdf

Inkelas, K. K. & Weisman, J. L. (2003). Different by design: An examiniation of student outcomes among participants in thress types of living-learning programs. Journal of College Student Development, 44, 335-368. doi: 10.1353/csd.2003.0027

Tinto, V. (2003).Learning better together: The impact of learning communities on student success. Higher Education Monograph Series, 1-8.

References (cont.)

Virginia Tech. (2011a). Housing and residence life. Retrieved from http://www.housing.vt.edu

Virginia Tech. (2011b). Housing and residence life: Living and learning communities. Retrieved from http://www.housing.vt.edu/llc/index.php

Virginia Tech. (2011c). Housing and residence life: The wing. Retrieved from http://www.housing.vt.edu/llc/communities/wing.php

Wawrzynski, M. R. & Jessup-Anger, J. E. (2010). From expectations to experiences: Using a structural typology to understand first-year student outcomes in academically based living-learning communities. Journal of College Student Development, 51, 201-217. doi: 10.1353/csd.0.0119

Zhao, C. M. & Kuh, G. D. (2004). Adding value: Learning communities and student engagement. Research in Higher Education, 45,115-138. doi: 10.1023/B:RIHE.0000015692.88534.de