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Guidelines for Instructor Teams

Evaluations of Purdue's learning communities confirm national findings about effective educational practices in undergraduate courses. These practices include careful advance organization of each community; student involvement in course activities, especially in the form of active learning; frequent and prompt faculty feedback on student assignments; and high expectations for student performance. Efforts to bring about deep learning rather than short-lived memorization pay off for students well after their learning community courses are over.

Semester Planning

Before the semester begins:

  • Attend Instructors' Workshop.
  • Discuss goals and expectations for your learning community. (How will the courses overlap? What teaching techniques will you employ? What kind of student group dynamics might you create?)
  • Coordinate syllabi: Students benefit most when they perceive that their course content is integrated and when they believe that their instructors are working as a team.
  • Complete a Learning Communities Team Plan.

During the first two weeks of classes

  • Share class lists and student information (make sure you're teaching the same cohort of students).
  • Refine the goals of your learning community; clarify tasks and expectations.
  • Attend the LC Meet-and-Greet to connect with your Learning Community Ambassador and Resident Assistant (if your LC has a residential element)
  • Execute an event/activity for your Learning Community.

Four weeks into the semester

  • Have students complete at least one graded assignment, so that they have some early feedback. If they are doing poorly, let them know early in the term so they can seek assistance.
  • With your colleague(s), discuss students who are encountering problems and provide assistance as needed.
  • Review your Community Plan to make sure you are completing events and also to plan or adjust upcoming events.

Mid-semester (October)

  • If you can, visit each others' classes, give feedback, and reinforce overlapping topics.
  • Review your Community Plan to make sure you are completing events and also to plan or adjust upcoming events.

End of semester:

  • Plan a wrap-up event/activity with your Learning Community.

Learning Communities  HILL 1301 3rd Street, West Lafayette, IN 47906 - (765) 494-2020, learningcommunities@purdue.edu

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