Why Learning Communities?
Learning communities improve teaching and keep
students enrolled.
by Terry M. Wildman, Virginia
Tech
Given the choice between a superficial learning experience
or a powerful one, students will tend to make the good choice.
The learning communities concept—students working together to
accomplish significant and shared goals—has resonated throughout higher
education long enough to be taken seriously!
But some faculty may question whether we can really engage our students in
authentic learning communities without throwing everything we've been doing out
and starting over. If we put energy into learning communities now, others ask,
are we investing for the long term in our courses and our teaching?
The experience on my campus and others suggests a cautious "yes"
to both questions. First, students will form learning communities as a natural
progression in any program. What they need are some basic resources—better
academic work, more control over their own learning, and freedom from
constraints preventing collaboration and dialogue.
Many faculty and student affairs professionals are already providing this
support. Furthermore, our best learning research fits very well with the
learning community concept. If the movement fails, it won't be because the
effort didn't make good sense conceptually.
In this article I'll discuss how we can take
advantage of interest learning communities.
Meet Terry Wildman
Terry Wildman is a professor of educational psychology and
currently the director of the Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
at Virginia Tech. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in
educational psychology and related topics and continues to teach a graduate
course on college teaching. His research and development activities have
focused on the support of teaching at both public school and higher education
settings. Wildman currently chairs Virginia Tech's initiative on learning
communities. He has particular interests in the promotion of learning
communities and teaching circles. He can be contacted at Virginia Tech, 112A
Hillcrest Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0453 or by E-mail at wiley@vt.edu.
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