Developing Diversity
Through Learning Communities
Roberta S. Matthews,
at Marymount College, New York
Learning Communities, "help participants
explore new frontiers and provide a
safe environment for difficult dialogues,"
explains Roberta Matthews. In this brief
description of how schools are developing
diversity through learning communities
she provides key references for further
reading and contact information.
Learning communities model the habits
of mind necessary to promote respect
for diversity and to explore difference
in non-pejorative contexts. These conscious,
intentional curricular structures support
collaborative, multi and interdisciplinary
explorations of large issues and commonly
held problems. Both content and process
promote and support collaboration among
disciplines, faculty and students; learning
communities break down traditional boundaries
and encourage the development of multiple
perspectives. By building community
among constituents and across disciplinary
lines, learning communities help participants
explore new frontiers and provide a
safe environment for difficult dialogues.
Students and faculty in learning communities
are given time together to interact
around substantive issues and communicate
across significant differences. They
thus have the opportunity to acquire
the breadth of vision necessary to move
beyond the narrow, unexamined assumptions
that separate people in any number of
ways.
For examples of *Learning Communities,*
please see the resources compiled by
the Washington Center. Their site includes
Coordinated Studies Programs, Linked
Courses, Course Clusters, and other
Learning Community models.
For further reading...
"Learning Communities" by
Roberta S. Matthews and Daniel J. Lynch
in The Good College: Democratic Education
in a Age of Difference. Ed. by Richard
Guarasci and Grant Cornwall. SF: Jossey-Bass,
April, 1997
"Learning Communities"
by Roberta S. Matthews, Barbara Leigh
Smith Jean MacGregor and Faith Gabelnick
in the Handbook for Undergraduate Education,
ed. by Gerry Gaff and Jim Ratcliff,
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, October,
1996
Learning Communities: Creating
Connections Among Students, Faculty
and Content by Gabelnick, MacGregor,
Matthews and Smith. New Directions for
Teaching and Learning, # 41, Spring,
1990
There's also a splendid article by
Phyllis Van Slyck of LaGuardia Community
College in the latest College
English (vol 59,#2, Feb1997)
which addresses head-on the challenges
of teaching a diverse body of literature
to an equally diverse body of students
--in a learning community for developmental
students.
If you have specific questions...
For further information about specific
kinds and contents of learning communities,
contact Roberta S. Matthews, Vice President
for Academic Affairs Marymount College,
Tarrytown, New York : matthe@mmc.marymt.edu
The Cultural Pluralism Project of the
Washington Center for Improving Post-Secondary
Education involved 27 two and four year
colleges in the State of Washington
in curriculum and organizational transformation.
Many redesigned curriculum using the
learning community model. Information
about the project is available by calling
Barbara Smith, Provost at Evergreen
College: 360-866-6000x6401
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