Assessment of Faculty Learning Communities: Considering Social Dimensions of Participant Choice
Abstract
The authors describe a study of changes in scholarly practice and collegial discourse in “Teaching Labs” at Everett Community College in Washington state. A type of learning community, a Teaching Lab is a group of faculty and staff who meet regularly to study a topic related to teaching, learning, or postsecondary organization. A survey was administered to current and former participants. The findings suggest that participants gained useful knowledge. This study illustrates the need for assessment methodologies that recognize the social nature of learning in faculty learning communities.
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