| This descriptive case study took place at a comprehensive university composed mainly of commuter students. The researcher interviewed 20 former developmental students one to two years after they had participated in a linked-classes Learning Community program. As part of a retention initiative, cohorts of developmental students enrolled in Basic Writing and one or more of the following: Basic Math I or II, College Reading or College Reading and Study Skills, and in some cases, University Orientation. Instructors did not coordinate course content, but all emphasized to students the importance of developing skills, attitudes, and behaviors that lead to persistence in college. The instructors met weekly to discuss their students and to formulate approaches to help the students succeed.;The purpose of this study was to determine former Learning Community participants' perceptions of the role that the Learning Community program played in their continuing enrollment. The data, presented as extended quotations from student interviews, showed that students credited their persistence in college largely to personal determination, to disciplined time management, and to effective study habits. Other factors that aided persistence were encouragement from friends and family, reliable child care, the availability of tutoring, positive relationships with faculty and staff, and student participation in campus life, including on-campus employment. Students credited the Learning Community experience with helping them adjust to college by aiding the formation of personal connections with students and faculty and by helping them develop skills necessary for future college work. Student suggestions for improvement of the Learning Community program focused on the formation of a strong team spirit among students and faculty and on the establishment of formal mentoring relationships. Implications of the study include a theory of developmental student persistence and a model for learning communities that link developmental courses, with emphasis upon cross disciplinary assignments, additional Learning Community activities, increased intervention, and peer and faculty mentoring beyond the Learning Community semester. Suggestions for further research are also included. |
