Description
The purpose of this study was to compare the academic performance of students who participated in a counseling class that was not linked to a learning community to the performance of students who had taken a counseling course as part of a learning community. Academic progress in this study was defined by three performance outcomes: GPA, retention, and persistence. The study focused on archival data made available from Fall 2009 to Fall 2011 from Western Community College (WCC). Comparisons in academic performance were also made between learning community students with a one-unit counseling class, and learning community students with a three-unit counseling class. The study utilized a quantitative methodology. In order to measure learning community students' perceptions of satisfaction, support and engagement, this study utilized data from a survey tool developed and standardly administered by the institution. Potential benefits of examining the success rate of students who take a counseling course as part of a learning community can have implications as to the number and composition of learning communities that will be offered each semester by community colleges as a means to foster student success
