Benefits for Students • Become more engaged in learning • Interact with exceptional faculty • Fulfill requirements for your major or to transfer • Develop lasting friendships with students who have similar interests • Build a community with students from diverse backgrounds • Make connections between different subjects Benefits for Faculty • Collaborate with other faculty • Interact more with students • Create more engaging teaching experiences • Work with faculty from other disciplines • Foster a climate of innovation What students have to say about Learning Communities: • “The learning community has given me confidence enough to be comfortable in myself and want more than I did before.” • “I learned effective ways of working with others in a group. I also learned how to be a more responsible student.” • “It is really nice to be on such a personal level with my classmates. It makes it easier to plan study groups and to speak out my opinions.” • "My time in this English class and the learning community has been very good. I got to grow and strengthen my skills in writing, and read a book I normally wouldn’t have chosen. I was able to learn more about myself and experience an online class. Overall, I would recommend the learning community to anyone entering Ohlone." • “I think that the most valuable thing that I have learned is basically how to be a better person.” • “It has helped me to stay motivated to come to class.” • “I enjoyed the experience of the learning community. Having all of my professors talking to one another and combining subject matter was an interesting way to go.” • “The most valuable thing about being in a learning community was the ability to learn and connect the different subjects together to gain a more complete understanding of all subjects.” • “It was a great experience that I would definitely recommend!” • "It had been over a year since I had taken an English class, and the last English I took was ENG-151B, which I dropped. I was a little scared. However, participating in the weekly discussions really helped, and made me feel I was part of the class. It helped me in my critical thinking, which was something that really needed to be worked on. I am glad I took the class." Benefits of Learning CommunitiesLearning communities promote student success by fostering connections across disciplines, incorporating active, collaborative, and technology based learning methodologies, and promoting greater curricular coherence. In order to ensure that your learning community is a success, make sure to follow these steps: Step 1: Talk with your Dean When you have an idea for a learning community, because it will affect the courses you teach, your teaching load, or your teaching schedule, it is critical that you discuss participating in a learning community with your Dean. Once your Dean has approved that you are able to teach in a learning community, you can move forward by talking with the Learning Communities Coordinator. Step 2: Talk to the Learning Community Coordinator (Allison Bly) The Coordinator assists faculty in developing their communities and informs students about the benefits of learning communities. It is therefore important that the Learning Community Coordinator know as soon as possible that you are interested in offering a learning community. If you have a learning community idea but are unsure of which other faculty to include in the community, talk with your Dean or the LC Coordinator. It is important that you recruit faculty who are passionate about what they teach and who would be enthusiastic about starting a learning community. The Coordinator also works with Curriculum and Scheduling to get the learning community information printed in the Class Schedule. In order to have your learning community listed in the Class Schedule, you must contact the Coordinator with your intention to offer a community by the following dates. The earlier you let the Coordinator know, the better: For a Fall Community: Dec. 1 For a Spring Community: April 1 Learning Community Coordinator Contact Information: Allison Bly, x6519, [email protected] Step 3: Create a Theme Once the faculty have come together, decide on what the theme will be for your learning community. It should be one that encompasses topics covered in all learning community classes. Teams will also want to create a catchy title that will appeal to students. Here are some examples of learning communities offered at both Ohlone and other colleges: • Debate Today’s Issues with Tomorrow’s Leaders (Ohlone) • On with the Show. In English? (Ohlone) • What’s a True American Woman? (Cabrillo) • California Dreamin’ (Ohlone) • Less Stress, More Success (San Jose City College) • Between Two Worlds (Hartnell) *Notify the Coordinator once a theme and title have been decided. Creating an Ohlone College Learning CommunityStep 4: Develop Connections In order to have an effective learning community, there needs to be a connection among students and faculty across disciplines. Use the “Learning Community Planning Worksheet” handout to assist you in developing connections in the following areas: • Student learning outcomes • Learning activities using active and collaborative learning methods • Assessments Step 5: Determine Necessary Resources Determine what resources you will need to ensure students’ success in the learning community. Money may be available to use for projects or field trips. Contact the Learning Community Coordinator with any funding requests or for assistance with acquiring other resources. Step 6: Advertise! All learning communities that are created before the deadlines (see Step 2) will be listed in the learning community portion of the Class Schedule. Students who attend a New Student Orientation will also receive a handout of current learning communities and a general learning community brochure. It is also possible to create a small advertisement for your learning community that can be included in the Class Schedule. If teams would like an individual learning community advertisement, please submit ads to the Learning Communities Coordinator before the following deadlines: For Fall Semester: January 30 For Spring Semester: May 1 Make sure to follow the guidelines for Class Schedule advertisements (see