Linked Learning Communities. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report
Author: What Works Clearinghouse (ED)
Date: 2014-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Community Colleges,Communities of Practice,Undergraduate Students,Outcomes of Education,Standards,Academic Achievement,Educational Attainment,College Credits,Remedial Instruction,Active Learning,Social Integration,Program Implementation,Costs,Intervention,Statistical Analysis,Program Effectiveness

Linked learning communities in postsecondary education are programs defined by having social and curricular linkages that provide undergraduate students with intentional integration of the themes and concepts that they are learning. The theory behind these programs is that active learning in a community-based setting can improve academic outcomes by increasing social as well as academic integration. The WWC identified six studies of linked learning communities and their impacts on the enrollment and achievement of postsecondary students in developmental education. All six studies meet WWC standards without reservations and included about 7,400 undergraduate students across six community colleges. Overall, the effects of linked learning communities on academic achievement, degree attainment, postsecondary enrollment, credit accumulation, and progress in developmental education for postsecondary students were neither statistically significant nor large enough to be considered to be substantively important. Therefore, the WWC considers linked learning communities to have no discernible effects on these outcomes for community college students in developmental education. Appendices include: (1) Research details for Sommo et al. (2012); (2) Research details for Weiss et al. (2010); (3) Research details for Weissman et al. (2011) [Houston]; (4) Research details for Weissman et al. (2011) [Queensborough]; (5) Research details for Weissman et al. (2012) [Baltimore]; (6) Research details for Weissman et al. (2012) [Merced]; (7) Outcome measures for each domain; (8) Findings included in the rating for the academic achievement domain; (9) Findings included in the rating for the degree attainment domain; (10) Findings included in the rating for the postsecondary enrollment domain; (11) Findings included in the rating for the credit accumulation domain; (12) Findings included in the rating for the progress in developmental education domain; (13) Summary of subgroup findings for the academic achievement domain; (14) Summary of subgroup findings for the postsecondary enrollment domain; (15) Summary of subgroup findings for the credit accumulation domain; and (16) Summary of subgroup findings for the progress in developmental education domain. [Three of the studies examined in this intervention report can be found in ERIC: (1) Weiss, M. J., Visher, M. G., &amp; Wathington, M. (2010). &quot;Learning communities for students in developmental reading: An impact study at Hillsborough Community College&quot;, see ED510961; (2) Weissman, E., Butcher, K. F., Schneider, E., Teres, J., Collado, H., Greenberg, D., &amp; Welbeck, R. (2011). &quot;Learning communities for students in developmental math: Impact studies at Queensborough and Houston Community Colleges&quot;, see ED516646; and (3) Weissman, E., Cullinan, D., Cerna, O., Safran, S., &amp; Richman, P. (2012). &quot;Learning communities for students in developmental English: Impact studies at Merced College and the Community College of Baltimore County&quot;, see ED529251.]