http://www2.pvc.maricopa.edu/is/

The first learning community at PVCC integrated reading and writing courses and was taught by one faculty member, who was supported in this work for two years by an internal grant that included nine of the ten Maricopa colleges.

At the conclusion of that grant, representatives from four Maricopa colleges applied to participate in a FIPSE grant directed by the Evergreen State College to strengthen the learning communities initiative nationally. Through participation in this FIPSE project, more faculty became involved in learning communities, and a permanent standing committee, the Learning Communities Steering Committee, was created to coordinate the learning communities effort.

Learning Communities take many forms. At Paradise Valley Community College, learning communities involve two or more courses which are linked together under a common theme. Most learning communities involve two courses, although college faculty are now undertaking learning communities which link three or more courses under a common theme and incorporate coordinated experiences outside the classroom.

In some cases, learning communities are team-taught. For example, "Learning in Living Color: Transcending Cultural Barriers" incorporates team teaching by members of the English and education faculty and links both their physical presence and the content of two courses (Children's Literature and Cultural Diversity in Education.) In yet other cases, such as "The Literate Scientist," diverse areas such as Technical Writing and Organic Chemistry are each instructed as unique courses by individual instructors, but writing assignments are linked to inquiries and studies in a subject matter area. A third learning community to be offered in fall, 2000, "Got Culture?" will explore how differently people live and why through Cultural Anthropology 102; students in developmental reading and writing courses will utilize readings about culture from around the world and write about those cultures.

Learning Communities are developed by interested faculty. The eight learning communities being offered in the fall, 2000, semester represent two categories: (1) those for first year, general education students and (2) those for students in career programs, such as business, education, and science. Learning Communities are recognized on campus as a restructuring of the curriculum that aligns with our becoming a more learning-centered college.

 

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