2008 Woodie Awards
Learning communities empower BHC students
Cutting edge technique looked at countrywide
Ben Hendricks
Issue date: 4/2/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
One in three students at Brookhaven College takes a developmental math course. This averages out to 3,000 students a semester.
Brookhaven is pioneering a new program that, on average, raises grades by more than 30 percent, according to Math and Science Dean Doris Rousey.
The program, dubbed Learning Communities, is designed to help students grasp mathematics better and provide a smooth transition into the collegiate lifestyle.
Learning Communities is a combination of three classes, two semesters of math and one semester of human development.
One professor teaches math, and another human development. The catch is, the students are the exact same in every class.
Rousey said this semester 24 students are enrolled in the developmental math Learning Community.
Four days a week these students sit in class and learn together.
Developmental math professor Kathleen Long said, "It creates a better social environment."
She said students learn to rely not only on each other for help, but also develop better relationships with the teachers.
"I get to know the students better," Long said. "They develop a personal connection with me."
The worst thing? "Battling boredom," Long said. "Keeping students interested by the end of the semester isn't easy."
The American Educational Research Journal said there is a direct correlation between social integration in higher education and drop out rates.
The Journal stated that the more socially involved a student is, the less likely the student is to drop out of college
The success of the program has garnered national attention.
In January, Brookhaven representatives attended a national conference in Arizona and gave a presentation about Learning Communities. Soon, the Brookhaven model may be implemented around the nation.
Whether the program goes national or not, Rousey said: "We are a community college. Our goal is to meet the needs of the community." And developmental math is one of those needs.
Brookhaven is pioneering a new program that, on average, raises grades by more than 30 percent, according to Math and Science Dean Doris Rousey.
The program, dubbed Learning Communities, is designed to help students grasp mathematics better and provide a smooth transition into the collegiate lifestyle.
Learning Communities is a combination of three classes, two semesters of math and one semester of human development.
One professor teaches math, and another human development. The catch is, the students are the exact same in every class.
Rousey said this semester 24 students are enrolled in the developmental math Learning Community.
Four days a week these students sit in class and learn together.
Developmental math professor Kathleen Long said, "It creates a better social environment."
She said students learn to rely not only on each other for help, but also develop better relationships with the teachers.
"I get to know the students better," Long said. "They develop a personal connection with me."
The worst thing? "Battling boredom," Long said. "Keeping students interested by the end of the semester isn't easy."
The American Educational Research Journal said there is a direct correlation between social integration in higher education and drop out rates.
The Journal stated that the more socially involved a student is, the less likely the student is to drop out of college
The success of the program has garnered national attention.
In January, Brookhaven representatives attended a national conference in Arizona and gave a presentation about Learning Communities. Soon, the Brookhaven model may be implemented around the nation.
Whether the program goes national or not, Rousey said: "We are a community college. Our goal is to meet the needs of the community." And developmental math is one of those needs.
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