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Learning Community meetings.

 

Being part of a learning community is a strategy used by many successful students - often without realising they are doing so. The best learning communities have some basic rules.

Membership: work with a small number of students doing at least some of the same subjects. Overall the members should overlap all your subjects. Typically 3 to 5 students is a workable size.

Set a time and place to meet and work. Negotiate a common time slot, and a place where you can spread out your notes and have a vigorous discussion, as well as work quietly. Exchange contacts such at mobile numbers, email, home phone etc. Meet often - at least once a week. A learning community meeting is ideal when you have a large gap between classes - use the time constructively.

Allow plenty of time for each meeting (2 to 3 hours) as once you get into the topics you will find plenty to do.

There should be a full commitment from each member. If someone is missing from a meeting make a point of phoning and check up on him/her. Make the meetings a "never miss".

Some agenda items for each meeting could be:

• Review recent lectures or classes. Take turns to give an interpretation of the "big ideas" from a recent lecture or class. Compare and compile a list of what you think was put forward, and then check against the subject handout/ objectives/ study design. Did you pick up all the topics? What was missing? Read up about anything that seems to have slipped past - it was probably mentioned and no one noticed.
  
  
• Map out tasks to be completed. Work together to analyse assignments or other major items.
  
  
• Share resources for tasks. Finding references or doing other "hard yakka" can be distributed, and the outcomes shared and discussed in the group.
  
  
• Build up a "big ideas" database as they become apparent. As you improve your understanding add to your definition, or add examples.
  
  
• Classify all notes against the big ideas. Give each big idea a code symbol and code the textbook and the notes you have against your database. If you can't find an appropriate code, you may not have identified all the big ideas.
  
  
• Take a question from the text or one that has been set: Have one person explain how the answer was derived while the others try to find any misunderstanding. Link the question to the course - what big idea did it relate to? Ask a few "what if" questions based on the one discussed.
  
  
• Challenge another person to explain a "big idea" while the rest of the group tries to pick holes in the understanding. One person may take on the "devil's advocate" role and look to dispute every point. [DeBono's six thinking hats method could also be used to discuss a "big idea"].
  
  
• Generate an analogy for each big idea: "It is like....." Defend it to the other members.
  
  
• Share all marked work. What was right and wrong? Why? Each person can explain their thinking at the time when they gave the answer, and what their understanding is now.
  
  
• Convert information from one medium to another. If you have notes, draw a picture to represent the information; if you have a diagram try to write down some clear descriptive statements of what the diagram is about. Role play situations with your colleagues (e.g. classes and their communications in object oriented programming).
  
  
• Revise by compiling all notes and building a summary, with agreement needed before ideas are added to the collective wisdom. A concept map of key ideas can be done as a group, leading to vigorous discussion about what terms mean, where they belong, and how important they are.
  
  
• Code old exam papers. Don't attempt the questions until you have coded them against the big ideas of the subject. The hardest part of any exam is knowing what topic the question is about - usually the doing part is the easiest. Practice identifying the topic.
  
  
• Match up two different texts that cover the same work. How are they different? Which is better and why? What inconsistencies are there? As you read, write pencil questions to the author beside the text.

 

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