An Introduction to Learning Communities

Abstract

The learning community as a distinct way of teaching and learning serves a unique purpose in today's educational environment. This movement reflects the need of our society in 2005 to be part of something larger than us. This need is relevant not only for students, but also for instructors as they work with others to create a course and build community in and beyond the classroom. The purpose of this article is to introduce the learning community concept and its place in the urban and suburban context, to discuss design, to emphasize the value of an interactive learning team, to suggest guidelines for implementation of a learning community, and to survey learning community practices.