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The communication research team as learning community. Education | December 22, 2007 | Janusik, Laura A.; Wolvin, Andrew D. | COPYRIGHT 1999 Project Innovation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)Copyright [pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]Ads by Google Rapid eLearning Software Create Flash courses in hours Remote authoring capabilities www.atlantic-link.co.uk One important thread in the undergraduate reform movement of higher education is the need for community on campuses (The Boyer Commission, 1998; National Institute of Education (NIE), 1984). This has led campuses to develop learning communities, most typically smaller units of students connected by some common goal or theme, often housed in a special residential facility, with curricular and co-curricular activities designed by faculty and staff especially for that group. Learning communities have become increasingly popular on college campuses, with at least 24% of seniors at over 700 American colleges and universities claiming that they have been involved in a learning community during their academic career between 2002 and 2004 (National Survey on Student Engagement, [NSSE], 2004). Even though support for learning communities has been strong, many schools have resisted due to the time and expense it takes to establish them. Further, many claims for the benefits of learning communities are theoretical in nature without much empirical support to back them. This study investigates whether a smaller, discipline-specific research team with no funding can be an acceptable alternative to traditional learning communities. In addition, the study investigates some of the theoretical claims of learning communities within the context of the research team. Literature Review In response to the academic and integration challenges faced by college campuses, learning communities were advocated in the NIE's influential Involvement in Learning: Realizing the Potential of American Higher Education report. "Every institution of higher education should strive to create learning communities, organized around specific intellectual themes or tasks" (1984, p. 35). The importance of learning communities as a way to provide valuable academic and social integration was echoed in 1990 (Gabelnick, MacGregor, Matthews & Smith, 1990). The learning community experience for students was conceived to foster a sense of belonging; emphasize collaborative learning experiences; build intellectual connections; and generate fresh perspectives that expand student discovery and definition of self. Students in learning communities are encouraged to share ideas and help each other. In essence, "students learn to work in teams and learn how to make teams work" (Riel & Fulton, 2001, p. 518). Collaboration and comradeship is what separates a learning community from "a mere assignment to the same room and time slot" (Christensen, 1991, p. 20). In fact, Angelo (1996) argues that teamwork is critical not only for students to learn, but that the faculty must display the same skill successfully to teach the students. Thus, learning communities are important for students and faculty alike. What is a Learning Community' A learning community brings together individuals who have a curiosity for learning about a given subject (Gabelnick, et al., 1990; Shapiro & Levine, 1999). The communities are based on the relationships of the individuals who share a vision of a learning outcome (Jilk, 1999), and the individuals "share a particular way of talking about the phenomena, tools, and sense-making approaches" (Riel & Fulton, 2001, p. 519). The initial NIE report (1984) identified characteristics of learning communities that included (1) a smaller unit; (2) a clear sense of purpose; (3) a system to enable faculty to interact with students; (4) a system to enable faculty to interact with each other at content and pedagogical levels; (5) curricular continuity and integration; and (6) a strong sense of group identity, cohesion, and feeling special. However, theoretical ideals and practical applications often are dialectical, so as learning communities have emerged, they continue to be redefined. A broader definition for a learning community simply requires two basic elements: shared knowledge and shared knowing (Tinto & Riemer, 1998). An equally broad definition identifies curriculum, differentiation, and membership as the two relevant factors for a community (Palloff & Pratt, 1999). The curricula must be intentionally designed to create a community that includes students and faculty (Stein & Hurd, 2000). The shared goal directs students' learning for greater intellectual growth, social coherence, and involvement (Gabelnick et al., 1990). Popular models of learning communities often are characterized by paired courses, cohort groups, team-taught programs, or residentially based communities (Shapiro & Levine, 1999). In paired courses and cohort groups, students are linked by classes. For example, at Jackson Community College, students are connected by three courses that they all take together (Howser, 1998). In a residentially based learning community all students, and sometimes faculty, live in the same building. At the University of Maryland (UMD), for example, the College Park Scholars (CPS) program requires students to live in designated dorms, attend special seminars and classes, and participate in field trips and internships during their first two years. Due to the large size of the student population and the campus, the program is a way for students to build strong ties during their first two years, the years most susceptible to students dropping out (Gabelnick et al., 1990). With the technological explosion of the last decade, learning communities also may exist solely in cyberspace (Mating & Wiseman, 1997; Paloff & Pratt, 1999; Russell, 1999; Shrivastava, 1999) where students in an on-line course interact with each other in a designated chat room. On-line learning communities often are centered on a common need or interest (Russell, 1999), and physical location is no longer necessary as long as differentiation and membership are maintained (Palloff & Pratt, 1999). Consequently, in successful learning communities, outsiders want to become insiders (Maring & Wiseman, 1997). Perhaps the most inclusive definition of a learning community without geographic or curricular requirements is that a learning community is a group of interdependent people who share common practices, identify themselves as a larger group, and make a long-term commitment to the group (Shaffer & Anundsen, 1993). In addition, learning takes place both inside and outside of the classroom (Jilk, 1999). The literature is mixed on the numbers of students required to form a learning community. While coordinated studies programs might require 50 students, other communities are dictated by faculty load and union contracts (Gabelnick et al., 1990). For example, cohort groups of 30-40 students may be enrolled at once (Angelo, 1996). Whatever the number, much dedication is required to coordinate and maintain the program, and sustainability often is more important than numbers (Angelo, 1996; Gabelnick et al., 1990; Shapiro & Levine, 1999). Beyond defining a learning community, many scholars concentrate on the processes and outcomes of the group. Angelo (1999), a leading education scholar, identifies the important components of working collaboratively toward shared goals where each person has the ability to be the learner and the teacher. In addition, he cites the need to eliminate, or at least deemphasize, competition. Finally, the faculty members are viewed more as expert guides and master learners, as opposed to those who purvey information. Reviewing what is known about campus learning communities, Shapiro and Levine conclude that "learning communities have emerged as a practical, pedagogically sound concept for addressing the criticisms and challenges leveled at higher education today" (1999, p. 14). One important element of learning communities can be undergraduate research opportunities, which have become an important part of higher education, especially in research universities. The Boyer Commission (1998) encouraged talented senior researchers to provide research opportunities for students to make "research-based learning the standard" (p. 15). Both the Boyer Commission and the National Survey on Student Engagement (2004) emphasized that colleges and universities must provide opportunities for intellectual and creative development to foster deep learning through inquiry instead of simple transmission of knowledge. Technical models of education, like the banking model where the teacher "deposits" information into the student's head (Friere, 1971), no longer are effective. Rather, the teacher should become a facilitator among a group of learners as opposed to being the outside authority. Over 100 years ago, Dewey (1902) insisted that the student's experience must form the foundation of the curriculum, and the learning experience should …