In an attempt to create a more fulfilling educational experience at Iowa State, some instructors recently have started to take part in creating learning communities.

One such learning community class, a combination of American Government (Political Science 215) and Introduction to Literature (English 201), will begin next semester.

Connie Post, associate professor of English, said the course will be called Ways of Knowing. Post will be teaching the course with Mack Shelley, professor of political science, and Susan Carlson, professor of English.

Post said the new course should get students to look at situations in a couple of different ways to find differences and similarities between the two disciplines of English and political science.

Shelley said, “I think students too often think only about getting through their classes and don’t look for links between different courses or departments.”

Shelley said the learning communities help to bring students together both socially and academically.

“It makes [learning] more of a holistic experience,” he said.

Shelley said the new course was made possible because ISU President Martin Jischke allocated about $500,000 over three years to be used to develop innovative curriculum such as Ways of Knowing.

“The overall goal for these types of programs is to make learning more interesting and fulfilling,” he said.

Corly Brooke, director for the Center of Teaching Excellence, said learning community classes provide ways to connect students to each other, their professors and to learning.

“They’re a way to make the large universities small,” Brooke said.