College of DuPage Offers New Learning Community Classes for Spring 2016

College of DuPage will be offering three new classes through its Learning Communities program starting in the spring term 2016.

Learning communities are unique, innovative learning experiences that typically involve students enrolling as a cohort in two or more courses connected by a common theme.

According Professor of English and Learning Community program Coordinator Dr. James Allen, learning communities provide a variety of benefits to students.

"In learning communities, students gain much greater opportunities to connect with their professors and fellow classmates," said Allen. "They also engage the topics of the course in a unique way, receiving a greatly enhanced learning experience and a deeper understanding of the subject matter."

New learning communities for the spring 2016 term include:

• Body Language: Designed for health care majors, this learning community focuses on mastering the language of medicine while exploring the mechanics of human anatomy. Students must co-enroll in Survey of Human Anatomy and Physiology and Biomedical Terminology. For more information on this exclusive learning community, contact Nancy Feulner at (630) 942-2124, feulner@cod.edu or John Myers at myersj146@cod.edu.

• Decision 2016: Rhetoric, Research and Reality: Focused on the upcoming 2016 presidential election, this learning community examines the elements that shape and inform such campaigns while applying information literacy skills to explore key issues, fact-check candidates and the media and advocate for policies relevant to the elections ahead. Students must co-enroll in English Composition II and American Politics. For more information on this exclusive learning community, contact James Allen at (630) 942-3421, allenj@cod.edu or Chris Goergen at (630) 942-2012, goergen@cod.edu.

• People and the Planet: Making connections Between Life and Chemistry: This learning community combines the study of biology and chemistry, this learning community explores the complex connections between living organisms and their environment, covering such topics as food and agriculture, global climate change, energy sources and sustainability. Students will be able to connect classroom discussion with practical experiences during field trips. (A $25 fee includes transportation costs. Tuition is extra.) Students must co-enroll in Environmental Biology and Contemporary Chemistry. For more information on this exclusive learning community, contact Shamili Ajgaonkar at (630) 942-2123, sandifor@cod.edu or Mary Newberg at (630) 942-4066, newberg@cod.edu.

• The Tribe has Spoken: Groups and Social Change: This Learning Community combines the study of arts and cultural diversity with small group communications, this learning community will study group process, interpersonal relations and leadership while exploring the foundation of U.S. cultural diversity rooted in the influences of African, Asian, Latin American and Native American civilizations. Students must co-enroll in Arts and Cultural Diversity and Small Group Communication. For more information on this exclusive learning community, contact Lauren Morgan at (630) 942-2007, morgan@cod.edu or Josh Price at (630) 942-2695, pricej@cod.edu.

Click here for more information about learning communities at College of DuPage, or contact James Allen at (630) 942-3421 or allenj@cod.edu.