• Introduction
• Definitions and Models
• The Five Models
• Currents and Causes
• Creating Learning Communities at GMU: Institutional Climate
• The Precursors
• Two Early LC Versions: BA/SIC and Core
• The Mason Topics Program
• New Century College: Coordinated Studies Model
• The Upper Levels
• Faculty Challenges: The Need for Faculty Development
• Outcomes and Benefits: Students
• Outcomes and Benefits: Faculty and the Scholarship of Pedagogy
• Conclusion
• Endnotes and References
• Printable Text of Article

© Copyright 2000 by Ashley Williams. The right to make additional exact copies, including this notice, for personal and classroom use, is hereby granted. All other forms of distribution and copying require permission of the author.

Outcomes and Benefits: Faculty and the Scholarship of Pedagogy

As the brief look at assessment data above suggests, learning communities have generally been found to benefit students. One outcome of the LC experience for many students is the formation of new relationships with peers and faculty. Likewise, faculty often experience new ways of relating to students as collaborators and co-learners. In addition, one of the important outcomes of LC experiences at George Mason has been the creation of new relationships between faculty and staff and among faculty from different disciplines. In turn some of these collaborations have led to research and scholarship related to teaching.

As the brief look at assessment data above suggests, learning communities have generally been found to benefit students. One outcome of the LC experience for many students is the formation of new relationships with peers and faculty. Likewise, faculty often experience new ways of relating to students as collaborators and co-learners. In addition, one of the important outcomes of LC experiences at George Mason has been the creation of new relationships between faculty and staff and among faculty from different disciplines. In turn some of these collaborations have led to research and scholarship related to teaching. As a result of Linked Course experience, for example, faculty from several disciplines have made presentations at a national Writing Across the Curriculum conference.

In NCC, University librarian Jim Young has played an important role both as a member of the teaching team of a first year LC and in helping integrate information technology and research skills across the first-year curriculum. With Lesley Smith (NCC) and NCC student Rebecca Kelly, he has conducted research into how students acquire technology skills. Prof. Smith and Ms. Kelley presented a paper, "Assessing Information Technology: Separating Access from Competence," at the Assessment Conference of the American Association of Higher Education in June, 2000.

Paula Gilbert (Foreign Languages) and Kim Eby (NCC), who have taught a learning community focusing on issues of violence and gender, are currently completing a textbook on that subject. They have also described their innovative work with undergraduate teaching assistants in their LC in this publication (1999). These examples represent only a few of the scholarly projects which have begun with LC collaboration, but they suggest the effect learning community involvement can have on the scholarship of pedagogy.

Outcomes and Benefits: Students

Conclusion