Curriculum: Learning Communities

Although there is no single definition of learning communities, they are usually a curricular structure that links interdisciplinary courses around a common theme. They enroll a cohort of students with the intention of building community among students, their teachers, faculty members, and disciplines. Learning communities may be non-residential or may be residential living/learning communities. The first link below is an introduction to learning communities. The second link is a mega-site with information about all aspects of learning communities. The following sites provide examples of various structures and the final link is an extensive bibliography on learning communities.

Learning Communities: National Learning Commons--Frequently Asked Questions (Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, Evergreen State University).
Provides an overview of learning communities by answering frequently asked questions about them.
Link: http://www.evergreen.edu/washcenter/lcfaq.htm

Learning Communities: National Learning Commons (Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education, Evergreen State University).
A comprehensive site on Learning Communities, set up to "serve as a national resource for curricular learning community work." Contains links to publications from their national monograph series and online resources for starting, maintaining, and assessing learning communities. Includes a searchable directory of national learning community projects and a moderated listserv.
Link: http://www.evergreen.edu/washcenter/project.asp?pid=73

"Participation in Living-Learning Programs at the University of Michigan: Benefits for Students and Faculty," Karen Kurotsuchi Inkelas (CRLT Occasional Paper #15, 2000, University of Michigan, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching). PDF/Adobe Acrobat.
Describes U of M's seven different living-learning programs and their benefits for students and faculty.
Link: http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no15.pdf

Michigan Learning Communities (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor).
An overview for students of U of M's learning communities with answers to FAQs and a match-up tool for students to see which learning community is the best fit.
Link: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/mlc/default.asp

Learning Communities at Syracuse University
Description of residential and non-residential learning communities at Syracuse U.
Link: http://lc.syr.edu/

Academic Residential Communities at Seattle University.
Describes Seattle's program for freshman learning communities and the themes available for students to choose from, including "theme floors" in the residence halls.
Link: http://www.seattleu.edu/student/housing/page.asp?pID=18

Louisiana State University Learning Communities
Gives an overview of LSU's non-residential learning communities with links to the themes and interdisciplinary syllabi used in past years and presently.
Link: http://appl003.lsu.edu/acadaff/aaffairs.nsf/$Content/Learning+Communities?OpenDocument

University of Nebraska at Lincoln Learning Communities. PDF/Adobe Acrobat.
The handbook used at UNL to form, maintain, and dissolve a learning community. Includes a brief history of the learning communities initiative at UNL.
Link: http://www.unl.edu/learncom/lc_manual.pdf

Learning Communities Annotated Bibliography (University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Engineering).
A well-annotated bibliography of publications on learning communities.
Link: http://www.engr.wisc.edu/services/weel/coalition/bibliography.html

MSU Resources

Academic Scholars Program: http://www.msu.edu/~asp/

Honors College: http://www.msu.edu/unit/honcoll/

James Madison College: http://www.jmc.msu.edu/

Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University: A Residential College for the Natural Sciences and Their Impact on Society: http://www.lymanbriggs.msu.edu/

MRULE Multi-Racial Learning Experience: http://www.mrule.msu.edu/

RISE Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment: http://naturalscience.msu.edu/students/rise/

Residential College in the Arts and Humanities: http://www.rcah.msu.edu/

ROIAL Residential Option In Arts and Letters: http://www.roial.msu.edu/