ERIC Number: EJ762085
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 20
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-0251
EISSN: N/A
Learning Communities: Examining Positive Outcomes
Andrade, Maureen S.
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, v9 n1 p1-20 2007-2008
Learning communities, designed primarily to increase student persistence and academic achievement, are a common first-year initiative on university campuses. Assessments of learning communities frequently examine indicators that are easily quantifiable such as student persistence and academic achievement, but also examine factors thought to affect these outcomes such as student involvement and satisfaction. This article reviews published studies to determine the degree to which learning communities successfully affect involvement, satisfaction, achievement, and persistence, and attempts to identify the characteristics that produce positive results. The review concludes that first, learning communities do attain positive outcomes, but second, that it is difficult to determine which characteristics of learning communities (i.e., integrated course content, coordinated assignments, academic skills training, mentoring) account for their success due to the small number of studies, the heterogeneity of programs, and self-selection effects.
Descriptors: Course Content, Campuses, Academic Achievement, Academic Persistence, School Surveys, College Students, College Freshmen, Participation, Student Adjustment, College Environment, Grade Point Average, Majors (Students), Course Selection (Students), Focus Groups, Participant Satisfaction, Student Motivation, Retention (Psychology), Social Integration, Outcomes of Education, Teacher Student Relationship
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Survey of Student Engagement
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A