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100 9 reuniting the arts and Sciences via interdisciplinary learning Communities Xian liu, Kate Maiolatesi, and Jack Mino for more than a decade, holyoke Community College (hCC) has been helping students pursue their learning in more intentional, connected ways using interdisciplinary learning communities (lCs). as a self-described “learner-centered institution,” hCC’s mission statement identifies lCs and interdisciplinary courses as two of the “contemporary assortment of instructional strategies” supported by the college. our campus mission of providing access, equity, and excellence in teaching and learning infuses the learning Community program’s mission—to provide interdisciplinary learning communities to promote integrative learning across disciplines in the general education curriculum and career programs, and affirm the value of community for increasing student involvement in learning. learning communities engender competence in both students and faculty, with their explicit valuing of relationship and community, emphasis on collaborative teaching and learning, shared epistemology, and integrative assessment. Crosscutting texts, conceptual organizers, integrative reading, thinking-writing-discussion prompts, seminars on primary source texts, and collaborative-integrative projects are all examples of the instructional strategies lC faculty use to foster interdisciplinary learning. The lC we taught for seven years—Sustainability: Surviving the 21st Century—integrates english 101 (eng101), a first-year composition course, and introduction to Sustainability Studies, the first course now in the Sustainability Studies program. The course description during 2003–2010 goes as follows: as one community, the earth’s inhabitants are faced with many critical problems in the 21st century—extinction, diminishing energy resources, increasing population, Reuniting the Arts and Sciences | 101 and human civilizations’ limited vision of alternatives. Whether Homo sapiens can learn to make sustainable choices will impact the long-term survival of all the species on this planet. The challenge of finding and forging a sustainable relationship with the earth animates this learning Community (lC). The course offers general background on ecology and biodiversity. participants will explore in class discussion and expository writing three major focuses in the current environmental debate: 1) sustainable agricultural practices, 2) green building practices and 3) sustainable energy systems. Student-led seminars, laboratory experiments, community-based learning activities, and expository writing are all integral components of the course. in its various rhetorical modes, expository essays will be assigned, discussed, and practiced within the context of all learning activities. in keeping with an integrative approach to science education, our chapter begins with a story—the academic and personal journey of three lC students. We then examine the opportunities and challenges of this interdisciplinary lC model in pedagogy and curriculum design. finally, we conclude with a personal reflection on lC teaching, learning, and faculty development. Sustainable development—Students’ Stories This is a story about the academic and personal journey of three Sustainability lC students, Jane, Carol, and debbie from the fall of 2005. Jane, a traditional age student, entered the class, uncertain about what she wanted to do in life or what her strengths were. She had yet to declare a major, but knew it would not be in the sciences. Carol was an accounting major. She had a family and wanted to finish school as soon as possible . She had grown up on a farm and always thought of the natural environment in utilitarian terms. She saw nothing wrong in her view and was confident that she could accomplish the dual mission of finishing her english and lab science requirements in this course. Carol saw writing as her strength. debbie, in her midthirties, was coming back to school after raising a family. She had been doing some work as a naturalist and wanted more education in the field of environmental science. although she knew she could contribute to the class, she felt a little disconnected from the other students in the beginning. Soon after a midterm project, these three women decided to work together on their final project. The assignment was to offer suggestions for hCC to reduce its ecological footprint. They chose to focus on four aspects: habitat restoration, green roofs on existing buildings, a water catchment system, and natural ventilation systems in the campus buildings. The course’s integrative approach required them to conduct research on their topics as well as effectively articulate their ideas and proposals visually and verbally. The completion of this project consisted of a research paper, a color poster, and a group presentation. each student brought her own expertise to this project and helped to make the process easier for all. Carol was the primary writer; Jane produced excellent posters with...

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