Building Learning Community in Post-Secondary Large Lecture Courses: A Blended Approach to Fostering Communities of Learners

This design-based research study examined the ways in which a learning community approach can be enacted in large undergraduate lecture courses through a scaffolded, complex curricular design that utilizes active and inquiry-based learning. By combining a traditional lecture with breakout tutorials, the study involved two iterations, firstly by adopting the Fostering Communities of Learners (FCL) pedagogical model (Brown Campione, 1996) then by augmenting the model by blending its methodology with elements from the Knowledge Community and Inquiry (KCI) model (Slotta Peters, 2008; Slotta Najafi, 2010). The first iteration ( N = 236) consisted of a twelve week course, combining lectures with 12 breakout tutorial sections (N = 20). The course addressed a variety of foundational business concepts for undergraduate media students. The second iteration (N = 231), conducted the following year, included a digital Collaborative Knowledge Base (CKB) which was populated by student inquiry exercises and served to coordinate or index their subsequent inquiry activities. Both iterations were evaluated for adherence to, and enactment of, the FCL principles. The second iteration was further evaluated for adherence to the newly introduced KCI-inspired CKB, which measures included the enactment of the curricular design, achievement of course learning outcomes, the group inquiry project, tutorial activities, pre- and post-term surveys and focus groups for TAs and students. Findings provided evidence of the viability and effectiveness of a learning community approach in large lecture courses at the undergraduate level when combining FCL learning principles with a student-populated dynamic knowledge base. Students achieved both individual and group success in meeting learning outcomes through individual inquiry and collaborative, active learning, with the CKB providing a forum for students to share their research and access ideas for their inquiry. It also served as a nexus, connecting lectures and tutorials with community content, thereby encouraging a class-wide learning community. This dissertation outlines a promising source of evidence and guidelines for instructors who seek to adopt a learning community approach for large lecture courses. It adds to the existing body of research on learning communities and makes connections to emerging areas of active learning for higher education.Ph.D