Journal of Education & Social Policy

The Impact of Learning Communities on Student Engagement Efforts at Community Colleges
Tara Dunn Ross, Felix A. Okojie

Abstract
This study examined the impact of learning communities on student engagement efforts at community colleges. The study showed the results from community colleges who used the Community College Center for Student Engagement survey to assess student engagement. Learning communities, a high impact practice, are being used in higher education as a way to improve engagement efforts, and as a result improve learning outcomes, retention, and graduation rates. Using Astin’s student involvement theory (1984), the study compared learning communities to five student engagement benchmarks including active and collaborative learning, student effort, academic challenge, student-faculty interaction, and support for learners. Results showed that in all five areas of student engagement, participation in learning communities’ impacted student engagement efforts at community colleges. This was compared to students who intended or did not participate in a learning community. Only in the areas of active and collaborative learning, student faculty interaction, and support for learners was there a significant difference between those who intended to participate in learning communities compared to those who participated in learning communities.

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