Does your student have the opportunity to sign up for a Learning Community at college? Perhaps you’re confused. Isn’t college just one big learning community? The answer is yes — and no. Of course, in one sense when you go to college you join one big learning community. College is about learning, after all. But a ”Learning Community” as your student’s college is using the term, is more specialized.
What is a Learning Community?
Not all colleges or universities have Learning Communities. And Learning Communities may look very different at different institutions. Essentially, a Learning Community often refers to a situation in which the same students are registered for two or more courses that are, in some way, linked. This linkage may be very loose, with little or no coordination between instructors, or it may be quite extended, with instructors teaching parallel units or even occasionally changing or swapping classes. Sometimes, linked courses may deliberately be scheduled back-to-back to facilitate extended assignments.