Learning Communities at the Communty College of Baltimore County

1
Learning Communities atthe Communty
College of Baltimore County

• March, 2009
• The League for Innovation at Community College
• Donna McKusick, Ed.D
• Dean , Developmental Education and Special
  Academic Programs

2
CCBC is

• One college, three campuses, two extension
  centers
• Largest provider of higher education and
  workforce development in the Baltimore
  metropolitan area
• 28,251 credit students
• 33,653 continuing education students
• 15,567 FTE

3
CCBCs Learners
4
CCBCs Learners

• 62 work 20 hours or more weekly
• 37 receive financial aid
• 69 of credit students (80 of students who take
  placement tests) place in developmental courses

5
Purpose at CCBC is to offer developmental
students

• a more integrated, contextualized learning
  experience through greater curricular coherence
  and increased collaboration of students and
  faculty in the pursuit of learning.
• an enriched and supportive learning experience
• an opportunity to accelerate into credit courses

6
Contextualization

• The most logical goal for college reading and
  learning programs would be to teach students a
  repertoire of strategies and tactics that will
  prepare them for the tasks and texts they
  encounter in college.
• Stahl, N. A., Simpson, M. L., Hayes C. G.,
  (1992), Ten recommendations for teaching
  high-risk college students, Journal of
  Developmental Education, 16 (1).

7
Contextualization

• If transfer to other academic coursework and
  future learning tasks does not occur, these
  programs are of little value to students or to
  the institution
• Weinstein, C. E., Husman, J., Dierking, D.
  (200). Self-regulation interventions with a focus
  on learning strategies. In M. Boekaerts, P.
  Pintrich, M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of
  self-regulation (pp. 727-747). San Diego
  Academic Press.

8
Supportive Learning Experience

• the successful developmental education teacher
  must develop the whole student rather than solely
  deal with cognitive skill deficits
• Smittle, P. (2003). Principles for effective
  teaching. Journal of Developmental Education, 26
  (3).
•  

9
Acceleration

• The issue is not so much about ability but
  sustainabilitythe gap between students ability
  to perform and the performance they can actually
  sustain over the semester.
• Inside Higher Education, Rethinking
  Remedial Education January 29, 2008

10
Goals

• Improve success as measured by student pass
  rates, retention, graduation and transfer
• Increase student learning and achievement
• Assist students with connecting their learning
  across courses and disciplines

11
CCBCs Learning Communities Quick Facts

• 40 learning communities a year, including general
  education, developmental education, ESOL, and
  Honors communities.
• Many developmental learning communities pair RDNG
  052 or ENGL 052 with an introductory or general
  education course.
• Some communities pair developmental reading with
  developmental English.

12
Developmental Learning Communities

• Pair a developmental course with a gen ed credit
  course
• Courses frequently paired include PSYC 101, SOCL
  101, SPCM 101, HLTH 101, HIST 116,
• Content for the developmental course is based on
  the curriculum of the credit course
• Have Master Learners, faculty who attend the
  credit course and conduct a one hour a week
  seminar on learning-to-learn.

13
Integrating Aspects of the Learning Community

• Use of authentic reading tasks
• Use of authentic writing tasks
• Use of an integrative assignment
• Strategy and skill transfer

14
The Master Learner

• Attends the credit class
• Models good student behavior
• Meets with students once a week in the Master
  Learner Seminar.
• Shares techniques with students about
• achieving academic success
• Meets with the instructors in the credit course
• and developmental course to discuss student
  concerns and align topics

15
In the Master Learner Seminar

• Students.through an SI type of experience
• Learn a variety of study strategies
• Practice note-taking techniques
• Discuss time-management strategies
• Learn test-taking skills
• Review course material
• Receive support and encouragement
• Share educational experiences
• Reflect to develop metacogition

16
Benefits of Developmental Learning Communities

• Provide content validity
• Transfers skills
• Stops the cycle of deficit background knowledge
• Uses student power to foster retention
• Accelerates entry into credit courses
• Provides meaningful professional development to
  faculty

17
Benefits of Developmental Learning Communities

• Provide content validity
• Transfers skills
• Stops the cycle of deficit background knowledge
• Uses student power to foster retention
• Accelerates entry into credit courses
• Provides meaningful professional development to
  faculty

18
Challenges to Instituting a Learning Communities
Program

• Partnering among college departments
• Getting students to register
• Helping faculty understand the integrative nature
  of learning communities
• Behavioral Issues-- hyperbonding

19
Participating faculty say that, as a result of
the program, they have

• Developed self-awareness of teaching
• Placed more attention on delivery systems
• Used more collaborative learning techniques
• Developed more compassion for students
• Become better listeners
• Become more flexible teachers
• Given students more responsibility for learning

20
Learning Communities Outcomes 2002 to
2007
21
Learning Community Expenses

• 1,000 stipend for revision of course materials
  syllabus, lesson plans, integrative assignments,
  and resources.
• 500 stipend for partial revision of materials
  or for teaching in an existing LC
• One-credit stipend or course release time during
  the semester the faculty teach the LC
• Three-credit stipend or course release time for
  Master Learners

22
Future at CCBC

• Cost efficiency
• Taking it out of the realm of boutique programs
• Incorporating the Student Success course
• A platform for advising
• Bundling with other accelerated programs
• Part of a menu of high impact experiences

23
Questions?