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Learning Communities and Basic WritingLearning Communities and Basic Writing Introduction While learning communities and their various models can be used for all students, some are designed specifically for students who have been labeled basic writers. LCs can offer an opportunity for basic writers to transition more smoothly and confidently into college and their future coursework. First, LCs offer an alternative to the separation vs. mainstreaming placement issue. Additionally, some programs require BW students to take and pass introductory composition courses that bear no credit in order to move on to other coursework. LCs can often offer credit for formerly non-credit-bearing courses through their integration with general education courses or their extended time frames. Learning communities also take into consideration the “…larger environment that greatly influences whether or not basic writing students persist on campus and are academically successful” (Wiley 2). They not only provide a social and academic support system for BW students who may come from otherwise unsupportive environments, but they also offer a way to integrate writing with other subject areas so as to help students make explicit connections between writing and various academic disciplines. This last piece is one main reason why LCs can benefit BW students – they provide an opportunity for the students to build confidence in their writing abilities and see how writing is not an isolated skill. How do the practices of learning communities most benefit basic writing students? Learning communities offer a wonderful opportunity that can also pose a mighty challenge: What is the best LC model to implement at a given institution? The answer to this question is very context-specific, since each institution has its own set of needs, desires, and guiding philosophies that must be considered. This is true, as well, of English and composition departments that implement LC programs focused on basic writing students. Based on the general definition of a learning community and the three basic models of LCs, I have investigated two specific implementation methods of LCs that include a BW component. The first method involves LCs that include what I will term a freshman seminar component, and the second type involves LCs that integrate and/or link a BW course with one or more general education courses. I also describe many specific classroom practices that illustrate best practices in learning communities that focus on BW students. |