News Release

News Release MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY Contact: Jessica Novak Office of Marketing and Communications	Learning Communities Date Posted: Monday, July 27, 2009 Topic: Lakeland students develop stronger study partnerships through 'learning communities' this fall
Printer Friendly Version: Lakeland students develop stronger study partnerships through 'learning communities' this fall
National trend in learning communities at college campuses growing Research shows that students perform better in college when they take part in “learning communities.” Lakeland Community College now offers this option whereby a group of students remains intact across two or more courses that are taught by different instructors. As they experience the course content together with the group, they develop support with and for each other, leading to increased learning. According to a 2008 article in CHANGE The Magazine of Higher Learning, colleges and universities nationwide are implementing learning communities to increase student engagement. Lakeland also tracks student engagement through recent participation in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). “In a commuter campus such as Lakeland, this is especially important,” said Bram Hamovitch, instructor of sociology at Lakeland and co-director of learning communities at Lakeland. “Students often don’t connect with each other due to the individualistic atmosphere.” Hamovitch also noted that course pairings were selected based on faculty interest in the program and on the compatibility of linked courses. Students receive separate grades for each class and each instructor has his or her own guidelines and assignments, some will be connected with the other course. Learning community courses available this fall at Lakeland include: Principles of Sociology (SOCY 1100) and Logic (PHIL 2600); Survey of British Literature (ENGL 2280) and Western Civilization I (HIST 1100); English Composition II (ENGL 1120) and Information Literacy for the Information Age (INFL 1901), and Fundamentals of College Literacy (ENGL 0111) and Skills for College Success (COUN 1300). Any student may join a learning community sequence at Lakeland, provided that prerequisites are met. For more information on signing up for learning community, call 440-525-7313, or e-mail bhamovitch@lakelandcc.edu.