Learning Communities in the Community CollegeSan Jose City College

SJCC Learning Communities Reinforce Information Competency Enhance Computer Skills Improve their technology skills through the use of learning

communities. Stimulate critical thinking skills Promote group interaction and learning through group

processes Enhance task oriented, goal oriented, and production centered

activities Reinforce group leadership and sharing of decision-making Incorporate learning styles of both men (orientation and

opinions) and women (group solidarity and avoidance of antagonism)

Objectives of Learning Communities Integrate fundamental computer technology courses into the

college curriculum Define and promote a common set of technology skills across

courses and programs Increase student retention so that students remain to

complete certificate or degree programs instead of enrolling in one or two isolated courses

Close the gap between technology skills of our students and skills required in the current job market in Silicon Valley

Enhance group participation skills through dialog and discussion

What is a Learning Community A blend of related disciplines, a learning community

weaves the learning, the skills, and the assignments in two or more classes together into a unified mosaic of educational objectives.

Typically, two or more instructors work together to create a course syllabus that reflects the objectives of the learning community

An organizational environment in which

Benefits for Students

Discovering how concepts learned in one class can be applied to projects assigned in another class

Working together to solve class-related problems Reinforcing their own skills by teaching fellow students Learning how experts in each field coordinate classroom

activities across disciplines Enjoying a variety of classroom environments Making friends with students enrolled in a similar group

of classes Arranging a convenient class schedule

Benefits for Faculty Working together to reach a consensus (norming) Inspired to try new approaches to teaching (performing) Observing other successful teaching approaches Learning new material (Chemstry, computer

technologies, etc.)

Workplace Competencies Communication Skills Information Management System Management Effective Communication Skills Group interaction and task building skills

Make a Difference with a Learning Community Becoming a member of a learning community inspires faculty

members to try new approaches to teaching. As a result of working together as partners to develop an interwoven

curriculum, faculty members observe other successful teaching approaches that they can incorporate into their own repertoire of classroom techniques.

In a learning community with Chemistry and the Internet, the Computer Applications instructor incorporated the scientific principles of inquiry into the methodology students used to evaluate the validity of web sites they explored.

In ESL and computer applications, students learned how to discuss computer terminology and ask each other questions in English

Assessment of Student Outcomes Student Evaluations Rate of student success compared with baseline data Retention rate within a class Number of students earning program certification Number of students earning an Associates Degrees Number of students transferring to a four-year

institution

Student Self-Assessment

Creating and Promoting a Learning Community

Are the courses logically paired so that the content and skills overlap?

Will the concurrent enrollment in both courses improve students’ abilities to synthesize ideas?

Are the courses popular enough to attract students who wish to enroll in both courses or are the courses assured of enrollment because they are required transfer or degree courses?

Gaining Support for Learning Communities

Obtain the approval of the Division Deans who evaluate how to fit the courses into the overall departmental curriculum offerings.

Obtain the approval of the Learning Community coordinator, who is able to evaluate how the specific learning community fits within the larger program of learning communities that are offered on the campus.

Instructor Collaboration

Decide the best times to offer the learning community given the student population and their requirements, such as employment and other required courses.

Distribute copies of the integrated learning community syllabus to the Division Deans and the Learning Community coordinator the semester before the LC is offered.

Advertise the learning community throughout the college by visiting feeder classes; posting notices in the Schedule of Classes; and alerting counselors, registrars, librarians, and staff members about the new LC.

Evaluation Guidelines

Schedule time to complete surveys designed to assess faculty and student reactions to the learning community.

Enlist the participation of academic advisors, counselors, the Admissions and Records office, Deans, and the catalog and scheduling staff members.

Assessment of Program Outcomes Faculty evaluation of the LCs Student evaluations of the LCs Observable effects that are expected

Group interaction Critical thinking Success across the curriculum and departments Scholarships, awards, and grants

Student assessments during pre- and post-tests

College Success Rates

College Success Rates

College Fall 1995 Fall 1996 Fall 1997 Fall 1998 Fall 1999 Fall 2000 Fall 2001 SJCC 67% 66% 66% 67% 65% 65% 66% EVC 67% 69% 67% 67% 67% 65% 67%

% Success at SJCC

by Benchmark Ethnicity

Fall 1995 Fall 1996 Fall 1997 Fall 1998 Fall 1999 Fall 2000 Fall 2001 ASN 74% 74% 75% 74% 71% 71% 72% BLK 60% 57% 57% 59% 57% 54% 57% HSP 59% 59% 59% 61% 58% 57% 58%

WHT 71% 73% 73% 74% 69% 68% 70% OTH 68% 65% 67% 70% 65% 66% 66%

0Figure 1. Success by Ethnicity

Learning Community Success Learning Communities promote group success Learning Communities enable students to interact

with each other to achieve a common productive goal