Learning College
Learning College Information
What is a Learning College?
“The learning college places learning first and provides
educational experiences for learners anyway, anyplace,
anytime.”
Terry O’Banion
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What is the role of a Learning College?
“The role of the Learning College at Aims Community College
is to contribute and shape scenarios that empower learning through
discovery, shared learning environments, and construction of
knowledge.”
Learning College Vision Statement
Learning College Task Force - December 2008
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What are the Learning College objectives at Aims Community College?
The overall Learning College objective at Aims Community College
is that students and employees engage in learning collectively.
Specific objectives used as a framework for developing and
assessing Aims learning initiatives are:
- Organizational Culture: Aims cultivates an organizational
culture where policies, programs, practices, and personnel support
learning as a major priority.
- Staff Recruitment & Development: Aims creates or
expands (a) recruitment and hiring programs to ensure that
new staff and faculty are learning centered and (b) professional
development programs that prepare all staff and faculty to
become more effective facilitators of learning.
- Technology: Aims uses information technology to improve
and expand student learning.
- Learning Outcomes: Aims addresses strategies to improve
learning outcomes, improve assessment processes that measure
the acquisition of the learning outcomes, and improve on means
for documenting achievement of outcomes.
- Underprepared Students: Aims creates and expands
learning centered programs and strategies to ensure the success
of underprepared students.
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What are the Learning College guiding principles at Aims Community
College?
Aims Community College has adopted its Learning College guiding
principles from the work of Terry O’Banion. They are:
- Creating substantive changes in individual learners.
- Engaging learners as full partners in the learning
process, with learners assuming primary responsibility for
their choices.
- Creating and offering as many options for learning
as possible.
- Assisting learners to form and participate in collaborative
learning activities.
- Defining the role of learning facilitators by the
needs of learners.
- Documenting improved and expanded learning for its
learners.
How does Aims Community College promote learning?
Aims Community College promotes the Seven Principles for Good
Practices in Undergraduate Education:
- Encouragement of contact between students and faculty.
- Development of reciprocity and cooperation among
students.
- Encouragement of active learning.
- Receipt of prompt feedback.
- Emphasis of time on task.
- Communication of high expectations.
- Respect of diverse talents and ways of learning.
Adopted from Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson (1987)
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What values does the Aims Learning College embrace?
- Integrity
- Respect
- Honesty
- Risk Taking
- Ethics
- Excellence
- Communication
- Accessibility
- Individual
Worth
- Diversity
- Success
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What beliefs does the Aims Learning College embrace?
- Everyone is capable
- Students need clear goals
- Empowerment = Responsibility
- Increased engagement improves learning
- Learning is multidimensional
- Students have multiple learning styles
- People learn from each other
- Success is achieved incrementally
- Diversity improves learning
- Change is good
- Pioneering innovation
- Student involvement
- Open System vs. Closed Process
- Get out of the box
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What does being a Learning College mean to students attending
Aims Community College?
As a Learning College, every decision made within the college
is done so with “student learning” at the center
of the decision. The institution has committed to a journey of
continual improvement in instructional methods, program offerings,
campus technology and facilities, and student support services.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to work together to
enhance existing learning environments and to foster new opportunities
that will promote learning.
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