Faculty Resources - Examples of Learning Communities

These are the most common configurations but do not exhaust the possible forms of linking classes.

Linked or Paired Courses

• Students co-register in paired classes.
• Faculty work to coordinate syllabi and assignments but teach their classes separately
• Often skill courses and content courses are linked together

  Examples of paired classes from Lane:

  • Afro Blue: Ethnic Studies and English Composition
  • BioBonds: Chemistry and Biology
  • EcoTrails: Global Ecology and English Composition
  • Food for Thought: Culinary Arts and Math and Writing
  • Thinking Indian: Anthropology and Writing
  • Transitions to Success: Life Transitions and Career and Life Planning
    
  Examples of paired classes from other colleges:
  • "The Galactic Village ": Astronomy and English classes ( Bellevue Community College )
  • "Culture, Poverty and Diet": Sociology and Nutrition Classes ( Skagit Valley Community College )
  • "Everything but the Kitchen Sink": Material Science/Welding and Developmental English Composition Class ( Clark College )

Course or learning clusters:

• Students enroll in 3-4 courses linked together by a common theme
• A cohort of students enroll in all classes
• Faculty coordinate syllabi and assignments
• Often include an integrative seminar

Examples or Course or Learning Clusters:

"Earth Trek: An Examination of the Relationship of Nature and Humanity"
Environmental Biology, English Composition and Art ( Spokane CC)

Coordinated Studies Learning Communities

• Three or more courses that often form a full load (12-15 credits)
• Fully team-taught as an integrated program; all faculty present in all classes
• Cohorts of students enroll
• A team-taught 3 class model would enroll 60-75 students and be comparable to 9 conventional classes; three for each instructor
• Faculty participate as learners as well as teachers
• Most difficult to establish but most rewarding for faculty and students

  Examples of Coordinated Studies at Lane and Elsewhere:

  • Go For Baroque: Humanities, History, Literature, Writing and Music Classes
  • "Of Mice and Matter: A Successful Journey through the Scientific Maze": General Biology, Introduction to Chemistry and Learning Strategies ( Bellevue Community College )
  • "Women in History, Literature and Film": Women's Literature, English Composition and Women's Studies ( North Seattle Community College )
  • "Leonardo to Voltaire: A Renaissance of Ideas and Images": Western Civilization, Art, English Composition and Library Studies Classes ( Spokane Falls Community College )

Team-Taught course pairs

• Similar to coordinated studies but only involves 2 team-taught classes
  

  Examples of Team-taught course pairs:

  • "Lighting the Green Fuse"
  • English Composition and Field Botany ( Skagit Valley College )
  • "Journey to Ground Zero: Humans and the Desert"
  • Art and English Classes ( Solano Community College )
  • "China Business and International Trade"
    Business Management and Eastern Asian Studies Classes ( Western Washington University