Impact of Learning Communities on Retention at a Metropolitan University

Abstract

The authors of this study investigated if participation in Learning Community (LC) programs had an impact on the academic success and satisfaction of freshmen who attend a primarily commuter metropolitan university. The LC model used in this study clustered three courses together without thematic linkage or integration. A variety of methodologies were used to assess program impact, including matching learning community students to a control group on the basis of demographic information, academic information, major, and course-taking patterns. Some of the significant differences between the LC and non-LC students were that students who enrolled in LCs had higher grade point averages, earned more hours, were more satisfied with their college experiences, and were less likely to be placed on academic probation. This research demonstrates that LC programs which simply cluster courses can make significant differences in the lives of students who attend commuter campuses.

“I don’t think that word means what you think it means”: A proposed framework for defining learning communities

“…Sarason (1974) gave an early argument for the psychological needs of a community, which he defined in part as the absence of a feeling of loneliness. Other researchers have agreed that an essential characteristic of learning communities is that students feel ''connected'' to each other (Baker and Pomerantz 2000) and that a characteristic of ineffective learning communities is that this sense of community is not present (Lichtenstein 2005).…”

Mechanical Engineering Education: Preschool to Graduate School

“…[41][42][43] While living and learning residential hall programs are fairly common in engineering programs across the country, curricular learning communities are rare in the engineering curriculum. [44] Zhao and Kuh [45] indicate the simple cluster enrollment model of a cohort of students co-enrolled in two or more courses is improved upon when the faculty involved in these courses design activities that require the application of topics from all clustered courses.…”

Peer Cohorts and the Unintended Consequences of Freshman Learning Communities

“…There is now considerable evidence that FLCs enhance student retention rates and academic performance (Baker andPomerantz, 2000/2001;Hotchkiss, Moore, and Pitts 2003;Johnson 2000Johnson /2001Pike, Schroeder, and Berry 1997;Soldner, Lee, andDuby 1999/2000;Tinto 2000), student engagement (Zhao and Kuh 2004), and student motivation and cognitive development (Stefanou and Salisbury-Glennon 2001).…”