'Stay Local, Go Global' theme encourages collaboration
Student success means more than retention rates at Berkshire Community College (BCC). It's about making effective connections that last beyond the classroom and into the working world. Those connections are at the core of "learning communities," now part of the curriculum. At BCC, a learning community is a small group of students, enrolled together in two joined courses, who work in collaboration toward shared academic goals.
Based on a national model, learning communities at BCC enroll a maximum of 22 students and are taught by two faculty members, creating the opportunity for students and faculty to form connections in a supportive academic environment of curiosity and growth. During the current fall 2022 semester, BCC is offering two inaugural learning communities based on the theme of "Stay Local, Go Global." The first learning community, called "Diasporas: Identity and Belonging Away from Home" includes introductory English and Liberal Arts classes, while the second, "Language and Culture in Our Global Society," comprises communications and history classes.
"Research shows that learning communities promote equity, a stronger sense of belonging and a deeper engagement in course content," said Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Laurie Gordy, who said she expects positive student outcomes including a greater sense of connection to faculty and peers; a clearer sense of personal and academic goals; higher rates of student success; and development of skills that employers want, such as teamwork, critical thinking and effective communication.
Dr. Laurie Gordy
Dr. Constance Berman, Chair of the Department of Communication, Language and Humanities, and June Tooley, Chair of the Department of History and Government, work together to teach the Language and Culture learning community and have observed positive reactions from students enrolled in their classes. An informal poll of these students yielded comments like, "It is helping me understand more about how others think and about cultures that are new to us," "It's good to be able to bounce ideas off each other," "You take two classes but it feels like one" and "Great collaboration leads to a successful path as a group."
"The collaborative learning experience for our students is rich. They are finding ways to deepen their education by making connections with the scholarly material in concrete ways," Berman said. "They see communication and world history touching their own lives."
The learning communities are also impactful for faculty. "As professors, we relish bouncing ideas off each other and finding new ways to be effective," Tooley said.
For more information about learning communities at BCC, contact Dr. Laurie Gordy at lgordy@berkshirecc.edu.