Communication Skills Comparison

The students in the Learning Community ENC 1102/SPC 1026 from spring 2005-2 had distinct differences in communication competency when compared to a typical SPC 1026 course. Since there is no ENC 1101 or ENC 1102 pre-requisite or co-requisite requirement, many times students come to SPC 1026 with rudimentary or nonexistent writing and speaking skills. Therein also lies the challenge of non-native English speakers and the exasperating incapacity to comprehend their speech. None of these archetypal problems were present in the Learning Community. This abnormality, if you will, can be attributed to, to several key factors:
•           Students had already completed ENC 1101, teaching them the necessary writing skills to complete the SPC 1026 Gordon Rule requirement, which in this case, was completed in conjunction with ENC 1102.
•           The type of student who enrolled in a Learning Community appeared to be a student with advanced analytical skills and an expanded vocabulary; this was evidenced by the fact that much of what I discussed in class was comprehended with little or no extensive explanations.
•           The comfort level of students amongst each other assisted in alleviating a great deal of the communication apprehension typically present during a communication course.
•           Through literary discussions, guest speakers, and classroom activities the students were able to voice their opinions and therefore, became more comfortable communicating in small groups, interpersonally and in front of an audience.
This class developed a camaraderie that does not develop in regular classes, but was markedly present in the Learning Community. The students communicated more efficiently and exhibited a level of skill I would have expected from much older adult learners.

Grades Comparison

Participants in the Learning Community were successful in completion of the courses ENC 1101/SPC 1026, and grade distribution for the classes was commendable. When weighed against an equally sized SPC 1026 class during the same semester, students who participated in the ENC 1102/SPC 1026 Learning Community earned slightly higher grades. There are no students in the Learning Community who withdrew (W) from the course; however, three students were withdrawn by the instructor (IW) for lack of attendance and/or failure to complete major assignments. This would indicate stronger retention in the Learning Community. The regular SPC 1026 class had two students withdraw on their own and three students fail (F) the course; the Learning Community had only one student receive a failing grade for not completing the final writing and speaking assignment. The majority of students in both classes received “A”s; however, slightly more students in the Learning Community received “A”s and “B”s cumulatively than in the regular class. The total experience of the Learning Community was a more positive experience both socially and academically for the students. The Learning Community students had an experience that extended beyond the classroom into a Service-Learning Project where they were able to use the knowledge they were attaining in class to construct an artifact to share with others. Again, the knowledge the students gained cannot be evaluated or calculated, which makes the Learning Community more successful than any class could ever be.

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