Powerful Learning Communities: A Guide to Developing Student, Faculty, and Professional Learning Communities to Improve Student Success and Organizational Effectiveness
Learning communities have been demonstrated to dramatically improve student outcomes by engaging students in their learning.

This book constitutes a comprehensive guide for readers who want a broad strategic view of learning communities, enabling them to identify which type of LC best meets the learning needs of their students, and the context and mission of their institution. It also provides the tools for planning, designing and implementing what the authors define as “powerful” LCs, and for understanding the assessment implications of their decisions.

The potential power of LCs is realized through effective facilitation, appropriate team-building activities, linkages, planning, and active collaboration that promotes learning of the group and the individual group members – all of which topics are covered in this volume.

This book is organized around the three themes of setting the stage, designing an LC, and building or enhancing a powerful LC, and covers three types of learning communities – student, professional (faculty, staff), and institutional LCs concerned with student learning – providing a range of tools and forms to facilitate planning. The authors also address designing and maintaining hybrid and virtual LCs.

This book is intended as a practical resource for anyone at any level in higher education who wants to champion, develop or redesign student or professional LCs, or even explore broader initiatives to develop their institution into a “learning organization”. Administrators in academic and student affairs will find guidance for setting appropriate policies and allocating resources.

The book may also serve as a textbook for graduate courses in institutional leadership and policy studies, curriculum and instruction, student affairs, or assessment/evaluation.
1128917573
Powerful Learning Communities: A Guide to Developing Student, Faculty, and Professional Learning Communities to Improve Student Success and Organizational Effectiveness
Learning communities have been demonstrated to dramatically improve student outcomes by engaging students in their learning.

This book constitutes a comprehensive guide for readers who want a broad strategic view of learning communities, enabling them to identify which type of LC best meets the learning needs of their students, and the context and mission of their institution. It also provides the tools for planning, designing and implementing what the authors define as “powerful” LCs, and for understanding the assessment implications of their decisions.

The potential power of LCs is realized through effective facilitation, appropriate team-building activities, linkages, planning, and active collaboration that promotes learning of the group and the individual group members – all of which topics are covered in this volume.

This book is organized around the three themes of setting the stage, designing an LC, and building or enhancing a powerful LC, and covers three types of learning communities – student, professional (faculty, staff), and institutional LCs concerned with student learning – providing a range of tools and forms to facilitate planning. The authors also address designing and maintaining hybrid and virtual LCs.

This book is intended as a practical resource for anyone at any level in higher education who wants to champion, develop or redesign student or professional LCs, or even explore broader initiatives to develop their institution into a “learning organization”. Administrators in academic and student affairs will find guidance for setting appropriate policies and allocating resources.

The book may also serve as a textbook for graduate courses in institutional leadership and policy studies, curriculum and instruction, student affairs, or assessment/evaluation.
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Powerful Learning Communities: A Guide to Developing Student, Faculty, and Professional Learning Communities to Improve Student Success and Organizational Effectiveness

Powerful Learning Communities: A Guide to Developing Student, Faculty, and Professional Learning Communities to Improve Student Success and Organizational Effectiveness

Powerful Learning Communities: A Guide to Developing Student, Faculty, and Professional Learning Communities to Improve Student Success and Organizational Effectiveness

Powerful Learning Communities: A Guide to Developing Student, Faculty, and Professional Learning Communities to Improve Student Success and Organizational Effectiveness

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Overview

Learning communities have been demonstrated to dramatically improve student outcomes by engaging students in their learning.

This book constitutes a comprehensive guide for readers who want a broad strategic view of learning communities, enabling them to identify which type of LC best meets the learning needs of their students, and the context and mission of their institution. It also provides the tools for planning, designing and implementing what the authors define as “powerful” LCs, and for understanding the assessment implications of their decisions.

The potential power of LCs is realized through effective facilitation, appropriate team-building activities, linkages, planning, and active collaboration that promotes learning of the group and the individual group members – all of which topics are covered in this volume.

This book is organized around the three themes of setting the stage, designing an LC, and building or enhancing a powerful LC, and covers three types of learning communities – student, professional (faculty, staff), and institutional LCs concerned with student learning – providing a range of tools and forms to facilitate planning. The authors also address designing and maintaining hybrid and virtual LCs.

This book is intended as a practical resource for anyone at any level in higher education who wants to champion, develop or redesign student or professional LCs, or even explore broader initiatives to develop their institution into a “learning organization”. Administrators in academic and student affairs will find guidance for setting appropriate policies and allocating resources.

The book may also serve as a textbook for graduate courses in institutional leadership and policy studies, curriculum and instruction, student affairs, or assessment/evaluation.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781579225827
Publisher: Stylus Publishing
Publication date: 10/01/2013
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 370
File size: 20 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Oscar T. Lenning is retired from academics and is now Director of Lenning Consulting Services. After 15 years of research, writing and consulting at ACT and NCHEMS—and 20 years as academic VP and dean at colleges in New York, Iowa and Oklahoma—he spent eight years leading development of innovative new programs at three different collegiate institutions. Author of 130+ professional publications, his chapter on “Assessment and Evaluation” in1981 and 1989 in Delworth and Hanson’s Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession became the standard for the student affairs profession in that area during the 1980s and much of the ‘90s.

Denise M. Hill is Assistant Professor at Des Moines University teaching health law and ethics. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Drake University Law School and an of counsel attorney at the Whitfield and Eddy law firm in Des Moines. She is active in promoting cross-curricular and institutional learning opportunities and founded the first MHA student chapter in the nation of the American Health Lawyers Association. A trained mediator and frequent public speaker, previously she practiced law at two large law firms, was Manager of Public & Regulatory Affairs for the Iowa Medical Society and served as a labor relations attorney for the Iowa Department of Personnel.

Kevin P. Saunders is Director of Academic Assessment at Drake University. Previously he served as the coordinator of continuous academic program improvement, chaired the learning communities assessment subcommittee, and taught research and evaluation courses at Iowa State University. He is a former resource faculty member for the Evergreen State College Learning Community Summer Institute and is a current Teagle Assessment Scholar.

Andria Stokes is the director of the Center for Transformational Learning and Assistant Professor of Education at Avila University in Kansas City, MO. Her specialty is cognitive education; her focus has been on inquiry and constructivist learning that involves facilitating deep understanding and conceptual thinking systems. Throughout her career Dr. Stokes has designed and implemented numerous student and professional learning communities. In recent years she published the cognitive education program, “Moving Toward Cognitive Excellence, Finding Out Real Knowledge” a high school literacy program, and has been a University of Kansas Cohort member on Creating Digital Portfolio Assessments for Students with Special Needs.

Alisha Solan is a Communications Instructor at Grossmont College in the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District and Miramar College in the San Diego Community College District. In the past she has taught at Gateway College in the Maricopa Community College District in Phoenix, at Austin Community College in Texas, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A & M University, Southwestern University and St. Edward’s University in Texas. In addition to a focus on learning, she is a communications expert with a PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Solan also freelances as an editor and dissertation coach.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword
Vincent Tinto

INTRODUCTION: WHY WRITE THIS BOOK?
The Audience for This Book
How to Use This Book
New Data: The “100-Institution Survey”
Definition of Concepts and Key Terminology
Why Create Learning Communities?

1) THE SCOPE AND TYPES OF LEARNING COMMUNITIES
The Scope of LCs
Factors/Facets of LCs
A Typology of LCs
LC Subtypes for Membership Facet
Conclusion
For Reflection

2) PREPARING FOR POWERFUL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Creating Purposeful LCs That are Powerful
Conducting an Environmental Scan
Principles for Design of Powerful LCs
Designing Powerful LCs
Conclusion
For Reflection

3) CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING OPTIMAL FACE-TO-FACE, VIRTUAL, AND HYBRID LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Comparison of Outcomes In Face-To-Face, Virtual, and Hybrid LCs
Essential Processes Common to All Three Delivery Modes
Essential Processes Unique to Face-To-Face LCs
Essential Processes Unique to Online LCs
Processes Unique To Hybrid LCs
Conclusion
For Reflection

4) CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS FOR CREATING POWERFUL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Focusing on Learning in LCs
Instructional Design Frameworks
Holistic Frameworks
Development Frameworks
Overall Guiding Framework in the Creation of Powerful LC
Conclusion
For Reflection

5) ACHIEVING OPTIMAL STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH POWERFUL SLCs, PLCs, AND LOs
Developing Powerful SLCs
Developing Powerful PLCs
Developing Powerful LOs
Conclusion
For Reflection

6) CREATING ETHICAL AND LEGAL LCS
Membership and Access
Relationships
Integrity, Privacy, and Liability
Conclusion
For Reflection

7) ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF LCS
Connections to Research
The Assessment Cycle
Strategies to Create Powerful LC
Conclusion
For Reflection

8) ADDRESSING POTENTIAL PROBLEMS FOR POWERFUL LCS
Overcoming Potential Problems for LC Success
Conclusion
For Reflection

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A—COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SELECTED FOR THE 100-INSTITUTION SURVEY

APPENDIX B—COMPENDIUM OF KEY FACTORS RECOMMENDED IN THE RESEARCH TO BUILD POWERFUL LCs

APPENDIX C—POWERFUL LC PLANNING FORM

APPENDIX D—EXPERIENTIAL EVIDENCE THAT FACE-TO—FACE AND VIRTUAL LCs DEPEND ON THE SAME PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES

APPENDIX E—100-INSTITUTION SURVEY RESPONSES REGARDING WHAT MAKES THE INSTITUTIONS’ SLCs UNIQUE OR INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE/POWERFUL

APPENDIX F—KEY LAWS AND LEGAL RESOURCES IMPACTING LCs

REFERENCES

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

INDEX

ADDITIONAL APPENDICES

APPENDIX G—A BRIEF HISTORY OF LCs

APPENDIX H—A CALL FOR AND EVIDENCE OF EDUCATIONAL CHANGE

APPENDIX I—WITHIN-CLASS LCs DEFINED

APPENDIX J—MORE DETAILS ABOUT LEARNING PERTAINING TO DELIVERY FORMATS FOR SLCs

APPENDIX K—THE ROLE OF CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS IN LCs

APPENDIX L—WEBSITE URLs PERTAINING TO LCs FOR 100-INSTITUTION SURVEY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

APPENDIX M—EXAMPLES OF INSTITUTIONAL LC SUPPORT MATERIALS
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