From the Paired Sociology 101 & Level III Reading Perspective G. Figaro – Spring 2015 Bergen Community College

 Small Cohort  Paired Sociology/Reading Course  Common Learning Goals  Ongoing Interaction between students, instructors, and tutor  Integrated Assignments  Common Goals G. Figaro2

According to Tinto, Learning Community Research and Assessment: What We Know Now, Preface  “situated where student need is greatest and at critical transition points”  “an intervention strategy for student success where attention is paid to subsets of students whose completion rates lag behind their peers”  How so?  These ESL students are transitioning out of the American Language ESL program and are at the threshold of taking college level courses. The LC eases the transition by allowing them to have one foot in ESL while the other is in a college course. They are thus initiated into the rigors of a college level course while being bolstered by the ESL course. G. Figaro3

 Bergen Community College has opened up a number of pathways to student success and Learning Communities is one of them.  Through LCs students become exposed to content area texts that enhance their knowledge, vocabulary, and study skills.  They are better prepared for college level courses and are poised for success. G. Figaro4

 Two linked classes  Same students in both classes  Integrated Experiences: Assignment, Project, Library Instruction  Co-graded assignments (all essays are co-graded)  Common SLOs  Meet and 5 times in 15-week semester ( updates)  Academic Support Services – (in-class tutor; English Language Resource Center; Tutoring Center)  Common Moodle Site (plus Reading 3 Moodle Site for targeted reading/writing strategies)  Evaluation/Survey G. Figaro5

ALP Level III Reading/Sociology 101 Learning Community has aided student success by: 1.Exposing students to content area texts 2. Increasing critical thinking skills through the frequent use of “sociological imagination” in problem solving 3. Increasing vocabulary and speaking skills through reading and discussions in the content area 4. Increasing writing skills through the integration of reading, discussing and writing about content area topics G. Figaro6

 Instructor has to learn content area material in order to lead discussions  Students have to get used to the demands of mastering the volume and complexity of content area material: *Learn new subject matter *Master new terminology *Master unfamiliar vocabulary G. Figaro7

Instructor:  Studying  Summarizing  Outlining each lesson  Posting summary on Moodle as a study aid  Seeking or coming up with models that exemplify a particular point G. Figaro8

Students are encouraged to do the following to succeed in the course: - allot enough time to study - choose a quiet place to study - make notes in the margins or notebook - use highlighting strategically - summarize - use resources provided by instructors - attend study sessions with the tutor G. Figaro9

 Dear Gemma, I am sorry that I couldn't be in touch with you and anybody for the past three weeks. I was out of state to two conferences... I was thinking to tell you that I am very satisfied with the performance of our students at the second test. Roxhensa responded correctly to 49 out of 50 questions, getting 98 points. Hamza and Aysegul also had almost perfect scores, getting more than 90 points. Paloma and Seonmi got over 80, Patrick got 70 something, and Rafiullah got 60. I have no doubt that their positive results are at least partially due to your hard work and effective teaching style.  Dr. Camelia-Manuela Lataianu Assistant Professor of Sociology Bergen Community College Phone: G. Figaro10