Discussion and Recommendations
Obstacles identified:
- faculty loading
- small campuses have difficulty getting enough students to make it work/justify
- loading
- making curriculum problem-based raises issues of credits
- special programs have small student numbers
- FTSE
- students have preconceived ideas of schedule building
- billing based around course competencies => PBL (examine these)
- requirements for transfer
- efficient use of student time (two courses at same time)
- NCA requirements
- how do we get adjunct into the process?
- utilizing AF in different ways ... i.e., hire to lead discussions
- focus on specific programs?
- create modules that add up to xx courses
Benefits:
- Integrating / embedding learning in content
- Curriculum revision
ISSUES:
- Issue of competencies-are they currently at a recall level? Shouldn't they be raised to problem-solving level?
- Evergreen is making this work
- Should we create modules that add up to XX courses
- MCC struggling with engineering learning community
- Should a college be created from ground up???
- Are the consequences endangering guarantees of RFP
- Would students support a streamlined curriculum
- Does "x" number of hours and "x" number of students equal learning
- Assessment has to be present to show competency accomplishment
- No seat time in distance learning
- Check out the pilots which have been run
- How to keep momentum/enthusiasm going - JUST DO IT
What Next?
Suzann and other learning community developers should convene a district-wide forum to assess what has and hasn't worked.
Deans of Instruction need to dialogue on how to make learning communities work within and outside of the present structure for loading faculty.
Experiment with learning community in which seat time is less than usually associated with 6 hour block - but competency of both courses are covered.
I commit to ongoing exploration of learning community activities at individual and division levels at GWCC. (Elizabeth Skinner)
Really begin to look at semester vs. quarter (or other system) which allows for creativity/exploration in designing a learning environment that fits the needs of today's learner.
I commit to working toward that end with other folks.
