Using grounded theory to discover the differences between learning communities and freestanding classes.

摘要

Despite the fact that no specific teaching methods can be singled out for teaching all college students, there is a growing awareness of the need for facilitating supportive relationships and for making interdisciplinary connections in the classroom as a means of increasing academic achievement and retention on college campuses. The principal objective of the present study is to discover what distinguishes learning communities (i.e., two or three linked classes with collaborative and interdisciplinary themes) from freestanding classes.; Qualitative research methods were used in the present study to provide a thorough analysis of learning communities using ethnographic methodologies (e.g., class observations and videotaping, student interviews, surveys, academic histories) that reflect the day-to-day realities of college learning, both in freestanding classes and learning communities. The main purposes of the research were twofold: First, to establish that the instruction and social interaction in learning communities did differ from freestanding classes. Second, to provide a detailed description of these differences. Both freestanding and learning community classes were taught by the same instructors and were almost identical in terms of class activities, assignments and student evaluation. Based on observations across three semesters and between four learning communities and freestanding classes, the following categorical dimensions were found to distinguish learning communities from freestanding classes: (a) fluidity of interpersonal connections among students and between students and faculty, (b) level of active participation, (c) enthusiasm and liveliness in the classroom, (d) effectiveness of collaboration among students to complete a task, (e) quick voicing of concerns and questions, (f) regularity of attendance and use of support services, (g) number of failures, (h) student perception of curricular connections, and (i) effectiveness of faculty-student interventions. In summary students in learning communities: (1) were more likely to attend class, (2) were less likely to fail or withdraw, (3) studied more with each other, (4) socialized more with each other, and (5) were more lively in the classroom. These data provide support for differences between learning communities and freestanding classes and further support for the benefits of linking college classes to create more connections across the curriculum.