Successful community colleges today are those with the best input and process measures. Enrollment growth, high participation rates, revenue growth, curriculum expansion and acquisition of physical resources are seen as indicators of a successful college in the instruction paradigm. In the learning paradigm, however, colleges that have identified goals for learning and student success outcomes and can document achievement will be the most successful. Rather than focusing on the quality of entering students, these colleges will be concerned about the quality of exiting students and how much the students have learned. Under the instruction paradigm, faculty primarily are lecturers.
Students often are competitive and individualistic.
Faculty members carry out their functions independently of one another. Teachers classify, sort and grade students. In contrast, under the learning paradigm, faculty primarily are designers of learning methods and environments. They are managers, promoters and facilitators of student learning. They and their students work in teams with each other and with other college staff.