MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Laura Tepper (ESOL/TRS) participated in the Learning Communities strand of 2016 High Impact Practices Summer Institute for Faculty: Growing a High Impact Culture through Course Redesign.  Here are her reflections 8 months after the Institute.

How have you implemented what you learned about Learning Communities at the HIPs Institute?

Teaching in a learning community last fall was a great experience!  I used what I learned in the HIPs Institute to redesign my course and to maximize my students’ learning.  I redesigned my TRS 100 course so that it could be integrated with the COS 133 course.  I did this using purposeful educational activities and active learning strategies.

I increased the amount of technology I use in the class.  This is one way Jessica and I connected our classes.  We had reflection questions on a shared discussion area on Blackboard.  These reflection questions were on topics that were connected and discussed in both classes.  The students were required to go onto the discussion board and answer reflection questions, and then responded to their peers.  This gave the students a chance to utilize more technology, helped to connect our classes and allowed the students to interact with each other outside of class.

Furthermore, I implemented a variety of active learning strategies. I used the Four “A’s” Text Protocol.  I asked the students to use this strategy on articles we were reading in class.  I also used the Low-Tech Clickers to review topics covered in class.

What were some highlights from your class last fall? 

Some highlights from last semester were how well the students got to know each other.  They made some great connections! Another highlight was the amount of support they had.  They got to know both of their professors and their peers very well. I believe this kept the students motivated and helped them succeed.

What are your next steps with Learning Communities?

Honestly, I have put the redesign of my courses as a Learning Community on hold for right now. I am not sure when or if I will get the chance to teach in a Learning Community again.  However, many of the things I learned in the HIPs Institute I have integrated in to my current classes. A few examples include, my continued integration of active learning strategies in to my class, my use of Backwards Design when planning my lessons, and asking the students to reflect on their own learning often.  

What impact have you seen on your students?

I believe the Learning Community had a positive impact on students. Some of the positive impacts were the retention rates.  All of the students persisted throughout the entire semester. We did not have anyone drop the class or stop attending. I also think that the students developed more confidence in their own abilities, and made some great friends and connections.

What are some challenges that you needed to overcome?

One challenge that I needed to overcome was finding the time to meet with Jessica to plan and integrate our courses.  We wanted to meet as much as possible so our courses would be closely aligned.  We overcame this by meeting regularly, but also by talking on the phone, and doing a quick check-in with each other on an almost daily basis.  She taught her class first, so we would check in before my class and talk about any topics, issues or discussions that should be carried over to my class.  I think as our communication expanded during the course of the semester, the sense of community in the classroom flourished.