Learning Communities' Impact on Student Success in Developmental English

Abstract

Recent efforts to improve developmental education have included references to learning communities as examples of effective practices in basic skills education. The study “Basic skills as a foundation for student success in California community colleges” (2007) cited research from Tinto that suggested that learning communities and collaborative learning activities were effective in improving academic performance and persistence of developmental students. The improvement is because “students encounter learning as a shared experience rather than isolated experience,” and that learning communities “emphasizing collaborative learning have a positive impact on student attitudes toward learning” (Tinto, 1997b, cited in “Basic skills as a foundation for student success in California community colleges,” 2007, p. 58). The problem under investigation in this study was whether learning communities were effective in improving student success in community college developmental English courses, and whether there were differences in learning community outcomes among gender and racial/ethnic groups. Student success was defined, for the purpose of this study, as successful course completion. This study of the impact of a learning community on success in developmental English in an urban community college demonstrated that learning communities are effective in assisting students to succeed in higher level developmental English courses. This level of success was not demonstrated in the lowest level developmental English courses, however.