Assidere Fall 99: Putting Our Best Foot Forward in the Learning Community

Upon returning to college for the spring semester, my academic advisor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College explained that I could fulfill my English and Humanities credits with one class-- a "Learning Community." Although "Learning Community" was a new concept to me, I was excited that I would be in this innovative "block" of classes. Knowing I would be able to integrate my learning in World Literature (ENH202) with my writing for First-Year Composition (ENG102), I would then be able to research and word process it all in an Internet computer class (CIS120).

I looked forward to less work. However, I had no idea what a learning community was really about. Looking back, the best advice I could have heeded would have been, "Hold on to your hat, honey, we're goin' for a ride!" The ride turned out to be a processa process of assessment-- where we, as a community of students, helped one another through peer assessment and, in helping others, we helped ourselves. This process of assessment through the medium of the Learning Community helped me build my self-confidence and raise the quality of my work.

In order to be a true community, we were asked to participate as community members, whether we were ready or not. Interaction was the rule, not the exception. I don't think there was a class that went by in which we weren't involved in some type of group activity and, much of the time, the activities were centered around peer assessment. We all know the far-reaching effects of peer pressure. Using this same type of emphasis in assessment was also very effective. It seemed much easier to take criticism from my classmates rather than from our instructor's pen. Gradually, I saw the quality of my writing improve, and I felt better about expressing myself on paper. Our fellow community members acted as a catalyst that led to improvements in our work.

In a class period after a particular reading assignment, we would divide into small groups using some random method, such as counting off, "1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5; all 5's go here, 4's go there" etc. Each student would move to where their respective numbers were, and that group would become our assessment group for the day. We would trade our reaction papers and write positive comments about a group member's reading log. Then, we would trade again and receive another response. Knowing my reading log would be read by my peers was another great motivator to have read the assigned literary works and to thoughtfully describe my impressions on paper for an audience other than just the teacher. It was important to me that my peers would see my best efforts; consequently, even the smallest assignments were more conscientiously written.

As I look back through my portfolio of work, I smile while reading my peers' comments on my free writings, reading logs, viewing logs, essays, paper copies of web pages and PowerPoint presentations, and final reflections. "I thought this quote was funny, too," wrote one, with an added, "Great reflection and thoughts." On another I read, "Good interpretation of these poems. You got a lot (more) out of the first one than I did. Great job." This feedback meant acceptance to me since I was an older re-entry student, a mom returning to school. I wasn't sure what these younger, more "modern" individuals thought of my writing and me.

The same process held true for the rough drafts of our essays. Much of the editing and revisions were influenced by peer evaluations. The final rough draft for the essay was turned in after making changes suggested by our fellow students. With the help of our fellow classmates, we were able to submit a piece of work to our instructor in which we felt confident of its quality.

Our instructor was the anchor in this process of assessment. We were continuously being guided along the way in the correct methods of assessing one another. In addition to group activities, we were given initial direction and instruction for writing our essays, including a handout entitled, "Essay Evaluation Criteria Sheet." Written in a question format, we were guided through the exact steps we should take from the process of writing to the peer assessment activities. This criteria sheet made sure we had included the correct parts of the essay in our writings. The criteria sheet also served as a quick reference to evaluate my essay and compare it to the instructor's expected criteria. This handout was just one example of how our instructor was not only teaching us to assess ourselves, but also to apply these skills to better assess our colleagues in the classroom.

As our class progressed, the continuous circle of constructive feedback enhanced my self-esteem. With the help of my fellow students, I felt confident that my work was good, better than it had ever been. I was excited to be given the freedom to choose which of my works from my portfolio I would ultimately post on my web pages or "web folio." Our individual web site included written transitions to make the flow from one work to the next smooth and consistent. Also, it included animations, backgrounds, graphics, anything that would reflect our personal self. Our best class writings were displayed within this self-stylized format. We also chose which of our works we would design into a PowerPoint presentation, based on our writing and research. It was fun to present our "web folio" and our PowerPoint to the rest of our class and to get feedback from them. Class members would pull up their "web folio" or PowerPoint presentations on their computers and take turns going from computer to computer to view and assess each presentation. We wrote notes giving feedback to help our classmates improve their work. After the first draft of my PowerPoint presentation, I remember some of the comments which included, "Watch for parallel sentence structure, also use capital letters on main points throughout presentation." I was then able to go back and make revisions for the final presentation, which was presented orally to the class. This time the feedback notes from classmates were words of encouragement and approval. After looking at my Career PowerPoint presentation on teaching, Matt wrote, "Good presentation. I liked how you used the picture of molding and linked it to your career. Good job." Once again my confidence was boosted.

Perhaps the greatest confidence builder and indicator of the quality of my work was the emotional effect I found my work could have on other people outside of our Learning Community. Because of the profound influence our study of Vietnam had upon me, I chose to write my Asia essay about the Vietnam Memorial Wall. Later, I put that writing in a PowerPoint presentation. It was complete with pictures that made my essay come to life. In developing my web page, I decided to include my "Vietnam Wall" essay and PowerPoint presentation. I did this with some trepidation knowing my feelings for the Vietnam conflict would be available to others who might not share the same feelings or may criticize my views. However, I was so pleased with the works that I posted them, and I was actually glad to have the opportunity to publicly share them with others! I called everyone in my family in Utah, Nevada, and Hawaii, gave them my web address, and waited for them to read and respond to the site.

It wasn't long before my sister called me at home and told me how moved she was by my writing on the "Vietnam Wall;" she cried when she read it. What an awesome feeling of satisfaction I had when she shared her reaction with me!

As the semester progressed, we as a Learning Community of active, contributing members worked together. We helped one another learn, and we helped one another put our best foot forward. For us, the emphasis was not placed on the grade we would get, but rather on the quality of the work we presented to an audience which went beyond just our teacher. The tangible product of our learning became the focal point. We always asked ourselves, "How would our community of peers critique our work, and which of our works were the best?" By the end of the semester, we were able to confidently present a body of writing. This range of work was posted on the web for the world to see. It was a reflection of ourselves at our finest.

Because of my experiences in the Learning Community, I am no longer afraid of my classroom peers, but I rather look forward to getting to know them. I enjoy writing my thoughts on paper and know that my best writing is when I express myself, and I am able to share my thoughts and ideas with others. I know that if I put my best foot forward, even if I am uncertain, someone will step up and meet me, and things will be clear again. I feel that others around me want to help me, and I can contribute to their success as well.

The process of assessment in the Learning Community was a great ride; I'm glad I jumped on!