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BC Learning Communities increase student success
By: Bakersfield College
Topics: Bakersfield College, learning, school
Posted by amberc Tue Dec 16, 2008 12:45:35 PST
Viewed 452 times
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In answer to the concerns of Bakersfield College instructors who have observed that students lack sufficient reading skills to understand the concepts and difficult terminology presented in the textbooks used in transfer level classes, Bakersfield College has developed Learning Communities, which pair a transferrable academic course with a critical reading course.
“Learning a specific discipline is a lot like learning a new language,” said anthropology professor Karen Kettner. “Pairing critical reading with a specific course discipline allows the student to fully comprehend the text and succeed in the coursework.”
Program area instructors have teamed up with reading instructors to provide a more supportive environment for their students. Through the Learning Communities, students can take a critical reading course concurrently with a regular transferable academic course such as American history or geology. Each pair of classes is worth six to seven units and the classes run back to back for student convenience. Paired classes also share the same textbook, so reading skills are more likely to be developed by using relevant material to the student’s program of study.
“Studies have shown that students in a learning community are more likely to succeed because they take two or more courses together thereby becoming a support network for each other,” said Susan Pinza, Bakersfield College instructor and co-chair of the Learning Communities program.
“The reading class and the science class together is so unbelievably helpful to me especially because I am not a science major,” explained current Learning Communities student F. Miller. “Science is one of my most difficult subjects to understand and the reading class makes me accountable for the work I need to be doing. It's almost like a tutor support group because everyone else has a difficult time understanding science as well!”
Bakersfield College Learning Communities courses offered for Spring 2009 include: earth science, geology, anthropology, American history and English as a second language. Students can register for these classes on the Bakersfield College website at www.bakersfieldcollege.edu. Look for Learning Communities in the course schedule of classes.
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