Frequently Asked Questions
What are Learning Communities?
Our vision is to help students achieve academic excellence! One successful way of doing so is to encourage student participation in a Learning Community. Our definition of a Learning Community is simple: Learning Communities bring together innovative and caring faculty, students, and curriculum to promote a deeper level of learning.
The primary goals of our Learning Communities are
- To increase student-student interaction
- To increase student-faculty interaction
- To increase student learning and academic achievement
- To increase students' motivation, engagement, and retention
- To increase students' critical thinking, reading, writing, and verbal expression skills
- To increase students' technological skills
- To connect students with educational support resources
What models of Learning Communities are offered at LCCC?
We offer various models of Learning Communities. The primary model links together two courses, two instructors, and one group of students and focuses them on one interdisciplinary theme.
For example, we have linked English 106: College English II with Psychology 243: Abnormal Psychology, forming the Learning Community Madness and Metaphors: Psychology in Literature. One group of students enrolled in both courses, and the faculty teaching the courses collaboratively developed course material so that students read literature and wrote essays that related to the concepts being studied in Abnormal Psychology.
We have linked courses within individual majors, courses that are general elective courses, and courses from both categories.
Do I have to sign up for both classes? What happens if I decide to withdraw from one of the courses?
Yes. In order to make sure that one group of students enrolls in both of the linked courses and participates in the Learning Community, we require students to sign up for both courses at the same time.
Likewise, if you decide to withdraw from one of the linked courses at some point during the semester, you must withdraw from the other course, too. You do not have to withdraw from any other courses that are not linked together.
Where can I find information on what Learning Communities are offered each semester?
You can access this information by going to http://www.lccc.edu and clicking on Learning Communities under Quick Links. That link brings you to this website: see the list of courses offered for Spring 2008, along with general information about Learning Communities and descriptions of Learning Communities that have been offered at LCCC.
The credit catalog and both the Fall and Spring/Summer editions of the credit tabloids advertise Learning Community offerings for their respective semesters.
Furthermore, feel free to contact Larissa Verta, Director of Learning Communities and Faculty Development. E-mail her at lverta@lccc.edu or call her at (610) 799-1087.
Most importantly, talk with an academic advisor about which Learning Communities are right for you. You can call Academic Advising at (610) 799-1137.
Who teaches the Learning Communities?
The majority of Learning Communities at LCCC have been taught by full-time faculty. These faculty are genuinely interested in the overall well-being of their students, both academically and socially. They challenge their students, but they also provide students with the educational resources and support that students need to succeed.
Faculty teaching linked courses spend a significant amount of time designing and developing their Learning Communities in order to ensure that the courses connect. They consult with one another frequently throughout the semester to discuss the progress of their Learning Community, the quality of the experiences their students are having, and whether any changes are needed to meet the needs of the students.
Sometimes faculty members teach their courses together, alongside one another, when they teach a particular topic or concept. As a result, students learn various perspectives on the subject at hand and have the ability to engage in a discussion with both faculty members at once.
How do Learning Communities affect my credits and grades?
Students who enroll in a Learning Community receive the same college credit for courses that are linked as for courses that are not linked. In fact, each of your Learning Communities courses is listed as an individual course on your transcript, exactly as it would be if you took it unlinked.
Students in Learning Communities earn a grade for each course in a pair or group of courses linked together. Each course has its own objectives and, often, its own assignments. However, some faculty assign joint projects for their linked courses and then grade those projects together: one assignment produces grades for both courses.
How can I tell if courses listed in the master schedule are part of a Learning Community?
In Bannerweb and the college's publications that list credit courses, an L included in the section number designates the course as part of a Learning Community. For example, an English 105 that is part of a Learning Community at main campus is designated as ENG 105-L1. The course linked with that course is identified directly under the ENG 105-L1 course number and section.
Will the courses that are offered in a Learning Community transfer to another college or university?
Yes. Courses taken in a Learning Community carry the same transferability as if taken independently. They are listed as individual courses on your transcript, so they look identical to courses taken outside of Learning Communities.
By the way, Learning Communities are not unique to LCCC. Because they focus on helping students to see and to understand connections between courses, and because of their proven success with students, Learning Communities are highly regarded. The Learning Communities model is a method of teaching and learning that is used at many colleges and universities! Check out Temple University, for instance.
Do I need to take a Learning Community? Am I required to enroll in linked courses?
No. We strongly encourage you to enroll in Learning Communities because many students involved in them excel academically and socially. Learning Communities are available for all students: first-year students; students who need further preparation in order to meet the demands of college coursework; transfer students who are beginning or continuing coursework; and high-achieving honor students who want challenging academic opportunities before transferring to colleges and universities anywhere.
If you want to achieve academic excellence, make many friends, develop critical thinking skills, and learn through innovative educational technology, join a Learning Community!
What are students who have been involved in Learning Communities at LCCC saying about their experience?
- "My favorite thing about the learning community is that there are times when both professors are there at the same time. The students are able to ask questions about things and get two answers from two different viewpoints. Also, with these two classes, the choices of literature and other media are excellent. Being able to discuss aspects of abnormal psychology and then seeing them applied in stories or movies helps explain and give life to the disorders discussed. If there are other learning communities available for my major, I will definitely be interested in taking those classes."
- "I liked the l.c. because the stories we read in English were great examples for the disorders we were learning in Psychology. The stories make it easier to understand everything. It felt more relaxed. It was more personal. We had time to have one on one help if we needed it for the assigned work. My other classes are big and there isn't that connection between the students and teachers as there was in the learning community."
- "I liked the learning communities between classes. They're really well thought out and put together and makes the honor experience more enjoyable."
- "Single words don't do it justice, but alright...Nurturing, enriching, enlightening, holistically educational, personal, supportive, inspiring, challenging, spontaneous, truly enjoyable, memorable..."
- "The best thing about this particular learning community was the way the assignments related together and I did not make me feel like I was in two separate classes."
- "The Learning Community gave me the opportunity to communicate with students within the same course but from opposite backgrounds."
- "Stressful, difficult, up-all-night-on-redbull...but fun, challenging, leave-class-with-your-head-spinning, and technological (super classroom)."
- "Seeing the connections between two classes that I originally thought had little in common was interesting. These connections have me a better understanding in both subjects. Plus, I was able to use information from both classes as examples for the other class in the learning community. Being able to apply what I learned really encouraged me to learn more."
- "Projects that blended together. Amazing teachers."
- "It is very interesting to see how the two subjects connect. It was very enjoyable."
- "I loved the fact that the two classes were taught together...it formed a bond between the subjects that made both of the subjects easier to grasp. I love this learning community, I've learned more than I've learned in the three years I've been in college! The fact that the subjects are studied so in-depthly (is that a word?) made me understand what I was learning. I will definitely be taking something from this course and I recommend that this course be taught again and again."
- "The relationships that I developed."
- "I liked the fact that both of my professors talked/worked together so that some of our assignments had a common theme, and so that the material in one class was (generally) relevant to the other. Also, their communication with each other was helpful in that we did not have a large assignment in each class due at the same time. I also liked the fact that we all received a free jump drive!"
- "My classmates."
- "I really enjoyed the strong sense of community that the class had formed by the end of the semester. We all plan to keep in touch. I feel that my understanding of both subjects has deepened because of the connections between the two of them."
- "The Honors Scholars Experience is an intense, stretching, challenging experience that maximizes your potential even though you don't know you have it in you to complete the challenge."
- "The topics were presented magnificently by both professors. I have never been interested in a class as I was by this learning community. The best part of this course was the inevitable and logical connection between the two courses taken. Both professors clearly demonstrated and were passionate about this connection and the subjects they dealt with."
- "It would be great if there are more 'learning community' courses available so that the honors group can spend more time together."