Powerful learning communities : a guide to developing student, faculty, and professional learning communities to improve student success and organizational effectiveness / Oscar T. Lenning [and four others] ; foreword by Vincent Tinto.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lenning, Oscar T., author.

Contributor:

Tinto, Vincent, writer of foreword.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

College teachers--In-service training--United States.

College teachers.

Professional learning communities--United States.

Professional learning communities.

Teacher-student relationships--United States.

Teacher-student relationships.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

New York, NY ; Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge, 2023.

Summary:

Learning communities have been demonstrated to dramatically improve student outcomes by engaging students in their learning. This book constitutes a comprehensive guide for readers who want a broad strategic view of learning communities, enabling them to identify which type of LC best meets the learning needs of their students, and the context and mission of their institution. It also provides the tools for planning, designing and implementing what the authors define as "powerful" LCs, and for understanding the assessment implications of their decisions. The potential power of LCs is realized through effective facilitation, appropriate team-building activities, linkages, planning, and active collaboration that promotes learning of the group and the individual group members - all of which topics are covered in this volume. This book is organized around the three themes of setting the stage, designing an LC, and building or enhancing a powerful LC, and covers three types of learning communities - student, professional (faculty, staff), and institutional LCs concerned with student learning - providing a range of tools and forms to facilitate planning. The authors also address designing and maintaining hybrid and virtual LCs. This book is intended as a practical resource for anyone at any level in higher education who wants to champion, develop or redesign student or professional LCs, or even explore broader initiatives to develop their institution into a "learning organization". Administrators in academic and student affairs will find guidance for setting appropriate policies and allocating resources. The book may also serve as a textbook for graduate courses in institutional leadership and policy studies, curriculum and instruction, student affairs, or assessment/evaluation.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction: Why Write This Book?

The Audience for This Book

How to Use This Book

New Data: The ''100-Institution Survey''

Definition of Concepts and Key Terminology

What is Community?

What Are LCs?

What Are the Three Primary Types of LCs?

What Are Powerful LCs?

What is ''True Community''?

Why Create LCs?

1. The Scope and Types of LCs

The Scope of LCs

Factors/Facets of LCs

Membership

Delivery Format

Duration

A Typology of LCs

LC Subtypes for Membership Facet

Learning Organizations (LOs)

Professional LCs (PLCs)

Student LCs (SLCs)

Conclusion

For Reflection

2. Preparing for Powerful LCs

Creating Purposeful LCs That Are Powerful

Conducting an Environmental Scan

Principles for Design of Powerful LCs

Designing Powerful LCs

Building Partnerships to Support Powerful LC Development

Developing an Effective Partnership Between Academic and Student Affairs

Developing an Effective Partnership with Institutional Research/Student Assessment

Selecting Members

3. Creating and Implementing Optimal Face-to-Face,Virtual, and Hybrid LCs

Comparison of Outcomes in Face-to-Face, Virtual, and Hybrid LCs

Essential Processes Common to all Three Delivery Modes

Planning and Preparation of Powerful LCs

Implementing and Operating Powerful LCs

Sustaining and Improving Powerful LCs

Essential Processes Unique to Face-to-Face LCs

Essential Processes Unique to Online LCs

Essential Processes Unique to Hybrid LCs

4. Conceptual Frameworks for Creating Powerful LCs

Focusing on Learning in LCs

Meaning

Practice

Community

Identity

Instructional Design Frameworks.

Holistic Frameworks

Development Frameworks

Overall Guiding Framework in the Creation of Powerful LC Strategies

Information Gathering

Building Understanding

Productive Thinking

Strategic and Reflective Thinking

5. Achieving Optimal Student Success Through Powerful SLCs, PLCs, and LOs

Developing Powerful SLCs

Relevant 100-Institution Survey Revelations

Exemplary SLCs of Different Types and Pertinent Suggestions

Additional Suggestions for Building Powerful SLCs

Developing Powerful PLCs

Exemplary Institutional PLCs with Broader Membership

Exemplary Institutional Faculty, Staff, and Administrator PLCs

Exemplary PLCs Across Institutions

Suggestions for Building Powerful PLCs

Developing Powerful LOs

Exemplary LOs

Suggestions for Building Powerful LOs

6. Creating Legal and Ethical LCs

Membership and Access

LC Membership Issues

LC Access Issues

Relationships

Promoting Positive, Healthy Relationships Within the Community

Relationships Between the LC Coordinator and Members

Member-to-Member Relationships

Integrity, Privacy, and Liability

LC Content and Communications

Liability

7. Assessment Guidelines for Different Types Of LCs

Connections to Research

Connecting Assessment and Learning

Three Essential Findings About Learning

A Critique of Current Efforts

The Assessment Cycle

Strategies for Assessment to Create Powerful LCs

Identify Desired Results

Determine Acceptable Evidence

Collect Needed Evidence

Analyze and Interpret the Evidence

Discuss and Use Results

Review Desired Results, Evidence Needed, and Other Steps of the Assessment Cycle.

Conclusion

8. Preventing and Addressing Potential Problems

Overcoming Potential Problems for LC Success

Administrative

Assessment

Curricular

Faculty/Staff Participation

Faculty/Staff Interaction

Collaboration

Recruitment

Logistical

Student Conduct

Other Potential Problems

Appendices: A Note About the Appendices

Appendix A-Colleges and Universities Selected for the 100-Institution Survey

Appendix B-Compendium of Key Factors Recommended in the Research to Build Powerful LCs

Appendix C-Powerful LC Planning Form

I. Setting the Stage

II. Designing Powerful LCs (Blueprint)

III. Building Powerful LCs (Foundation)

IV. Assessing and Sustaining Powerful LCs

Appendix D-Experiential Evidence that Face-to-Face and Virtual LCs Depend on the Same Principles and Techniques

Appendix E-100-Institution Survey Responses Regarding what Makes the Institutions' SLCs Unique or Innovative and Effective/Powerful

Figure E.1-How the Institutions' SLCs are Unique or Innovative.

Figure E.2-What Helps Make the Institutions' SLCs Effective/Powerful.

Appendix F-Key Laws and Legal Resources Impacting LCs.

Table F.1-Membership and Access Laws and Legal Resources Related to LCs.

Table F.2-Relationship Laws and Legal Resources Related to LCs.

Table F.3-Ownership, Privacy, and Liability Laws and Legal Resources Related to LCs.

References

About the Authors

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-00-344638-8

1-000-98052-9

1-003-44638-8

1-4619-5191-7

1-57922-581-0

9781003446385

OCLC:

1389363966