ERIC Number: EJ1112530
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2375-804X
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Available Date: N/A
It Is Time to Count Learning Communities
Henscheid, Jean M.
Learning Communities: Research & Practice, v3 n2 Article 9 2015
As the modern learning community movement turns 30, it is time to determine just how many, and what type, of these programs exist at America's colleges and universities. This article first offers a rationale for counting learning communities followed by a description of how disparate counts and unclear definitions hamper efforts to embed these programs ever more deeply into the fabric of higher education. Two "camps" of definitions are described as are existing national attempts to tally learning communities in each camp. The article concludes with recommendations that rely heavily on the collaborative spirit that animates learning communities. On its face, the (not so) simple act of counting may seem a labor-intensive sideline to the immediate task of supporting this work on individual campuses. This article makes the argument that undertaking a count aligns with efforts to improve the quality of this practice and is just the disciplined collective exercise the national movement needs as it enters its fourth decade.
Descriptors: Communities of Practice, National Surveys, College Students, Teaching Methods, Educational History, Educational Innovation, College Faculty, Educational Research
Evergreen State College's Washington Center, the National Resource for Learning Communities. 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW, SEM II E2115, Olympia, WA 98505. Tel: 360-864-6606; Fax: 360-867-6662; e-mail: washcenter@evergreen.edu; Web site: http://washingtoncenter.evergreen.edu/lcrpjournal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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