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INTEGRATING MINI-LEARNING COMMUNITIES INTO STEM GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES

Abstract

In this digital age, the way students interact has dramatically changed. In the past, students would meet to work on homework together or study for an exam, but this has largely been replaced by impersonal group chats and quick internet searches for answers. This shift has reduced the sense of community among students and prevented the development of support networks for current and future classes. The incorporation of mini-learning communities, which we refer to as Pods, into general education courses across four different STEM discipline areas, has yielded significant academic benefits. Pods are created after the add/drop period. Faculty members group the students based on majors to foster relationships among students within the same major. Students are asked to sit together and complete various assignments together. After the Fall 2025 semester, the Pods faculty leaders administered a survey asking the students for feedback regarding their Pod experience. 143 students responded to the survey. Student responses to many questions were generally very positive, indicating the benefits of working in Pods outweigh the detriments. Qualitative feedback suggests enhanced perceptions of community and belonging among participants. Student responses also indicated that they perceived value in the Pod structure and found Pods to be useful for succeeding in the class. This presentation will detail our methodology and findings.

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