Learning Abstract - Using Learning Communities to Develop Basic Skills by Sue
Raftery and Randall VanWagoner
Using Learning Communities to Develop Basic Skills - By applying the power of a
learning community to the needs of developmental education students, Omaha's
Metropolitan Community College has creatively advanced a critical component of
its comprehensive mission. Read about the Academic Improvement for Success
Program in the September Learning Abstracts.
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Using Learning Communities to Develop Basic Skills
Sue Raftery and Randall VanWagoner
Across the country, colleges and universities are facing the challenge of
serving increasing numbers of students with basic academic skill deficiencies.
The issue is so widespread that over the past two decades many community
colleges have come to include developmental education in math, reading, and
writing as part of their institutional mission.
Serving these individuals is a high priority and a continual challenge for
those of us who struggle to find effective ways to help people succeed in
postsecondary education. While academic difficulties provide a major challenge,
individuals with developmental needs often face many other barriers to
educational success. Financial, social, and emotional barriers often prove to
be as difficult to overcome as academic ones.
During the past five years, one strategy that has flourished at Omaha's
Metropolitan Community College (MCC) is the Academic Improvement (AIM) for
Success Program. AIM is a learning community program offered specifically for
students with severe developmental needs. It is designed to help students
improve basic skills, develop sound learning strategies, and set realistic
goals prior to beginning college-level coursework. While many learning
communities are designed for academically prepared students, AIM uses the
supportive environment of a learning community to build skills and foster
self-confidence in those students who are most at risk. The support of faculty,
counselors, and classmates, along with an integrated curriculum, make AIM an
ideal place for students who are unsure of their abilities to succeed in an
academic environment.
MCC has an open admission policy but strongly encourages students to take
advantage of COMPASS and ASSET placement testing. Currently, over 50 percent of
MCC students taking the exams need basic skills development in at least one
area. For this reason, the college has a strong commitment to provide
accessible developmental education on all three of its campuses. MCC is now
finishing its second year of a five-year Title III grant focused solely on
strengthening its developmental education offerings collegewide.
What AIM Offers Students
AIM offers students many advantages:
A block schedule that requires students to enroll as a cohort in reading,
writing, math, and personal and career development courses during a one-quarter
program
A campus-based team of professionals consisting of a counselor, faculty
members, and tutors who provide a strong system of academic and counseling
support
Diagnostic testing
Interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning
Career exploration as well as cultural and extracurricular activities
Access to learning center and tutoring services
Campus teams meet weekly to discuss lesson plans and individual student needs.
This schedule allows for immediate counselor intervention when problems arise,
provides faculty with time to build lessons around a common theme, and
encourages a feeling of pride to develop among team members when students are
successful and barriers are broken.
The cohesiveness of the team and the students is an essential element, and
students, faculty members, and counselors all must possess several specific
qualities for the program to be successful. To enhance chances for success,
students need skills above the ABE/GED level, time to commit to the program,
and the motivational drive to handle three courses that require them to attend
classes, complete homework, and balance other areas of their lives
successfully. Faculty and staff must be flexible and willing to share
everything from teaching strategies to overlapping class time. Students,
faculty, and staff must all agree to support each other in the learning
environment.
Retention and Completion Rates
Reported benefits and advantages of the program include increased collaboration
between faculty and student services personnel and improved class attendance,
completion, and retention rates. Because AIM helps students connect with the
institution, they are more likely to seek help when they need it and to enroll
in subsequent courses. Course completion rates average 84 percent and retention
rates are also impressive: 87 percent after one quarter and 63 percent after a
year, compared with 44 percent for non-AIM developmental students.
Many former AIM students have gone on to earn associate's degrees at MCC.
Others have taken advantage of the college's strong articulation agreements
with other postsecondary institutions and have pursued bachelor's degrees.
AIM's reputation has also led to program growth, with enrollment increasing
from 13 students in one learning community in Fall 1998 to 71 students in five
communities in Fall 2001. Rather than view AIM as a remedial program, students
now see it as a way to gain the foundation skills they will need in
college-level courses.
Future Plans
Plans include implementing a second level of AIM programming this winter that
will allow students to receive additional support for two quarters. This will
give students the chance to take a course within a program area of their choice
along with the next level of developmental courses in math and English.
Paired courses will also be offered starting in Winter 2003 with English and
reading, science and college success strategies, and other paired course
options being planned. This way, students who may not be able to handle the
time commitment or academic rigor of three classes can still participate in a
learning experience offering the same high level of counselor support, peer
involvement, and faculty collaboration.
Providing a friendly, nurturing atmosphere helps students become comfortable
with the learning process and gain the skills and self-confidence they will
need throughout their educational journey. By applying the power of a learning
community to the needs of developmental education students, colleges can
creatively advance a critical component of their comprehensive mission.
Sue Raftery (<mailto:sueraftery@metropo.mccneb.edu>) is Director of
Developmental Education/Title III activities and coordinates the AIM for
Success program, and Randall VanWagoner
(<mailto:rvanwagoner@metropo.mccneb.edu>) is Vice President of Educational
Services at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska.
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Dr. Susan Salvador
Office for Student Services
10/08/2002 |