(520) 515-0500
(800) 966-7943

Our Vision for the Learning Environment

“Creating environments that embrace communities, celebrate cultural differences, nurture and hone practical and advanced skills, and encourage innovation and collaboration is the implicit challenge in designing 21st century educational facilities”

- Diane Troyer, Ph.D., President, Cy-Fair Community College,
84th AACC Annual Convention

Click here for a printable PDF copy
of this document.

Cochise College Vision
“Cochise College strives to be a learning community held in high esteem by members of its communities, providing high-quality learning opportunities for its citizens.”

A learning community

Places its highest priority, resources and energy on learning.

Creates an environment and experiences, real or virtual, that encourage students to be active members of the learning community.

Makes learning possible not only in the classroom but outside, through a myriad of activities and experiences, using any number of tools to enhance learning.

Extends learning not only to students but to all members of the college community so that a feeling of collegiality abounds.

Empowers students, faculty and staff to create a personally meaningful learning environment, where each accepts responsibility for contributing to the same.

Vision of the Cochise College Learning Environment
K. Patricia Cross would say that learning is about making connections: neurological, cognitive, social and experiential: “The old image of the classroom with a clear separation and/or an actual physical dividing line between teacher’s podium/desk and row upon row of students aligned to prevent communication with one another is giving way to small groups of interacting students and teams of students and teachers working together on common problems.” (Learning is About Making Connections, League for Innovation in the Community College, The Cross Papers, Number 3, June 1999)

Such a learning environment typically is characterized by
purposive groupings of students, shared scheduling, significant use of collaborative learning/teaching approaches, an emphasis on connecting learning across course and disciplinary boundaries, supported by an institutional philosophy of and commitment to:

High faculty/staff expectations with high student support
A vision of faculty and students - and sometimes administrators, staff, and the larger community - working collaboratively toward shared academic goals in environments in which competition is de-emphasized
A place in which faculty and students alike have both opportunity and responsibility to learn from and help teach each other
A place in which faculty become less transmitters of information and more designers of learning environments and experiences, expert guides, coaches, and practicing master learners.

Based on these principles and philosophy, the 21st century community college committed to a learning community would also be committed to:

Producing substantive changes in students
Engaging learners as full partners in the learning process
Creating as many options for learning as possible
Enabling collaborative learning
Using data to measure the results

It would create the following organizational structures:

Collaborative workplaces
Integration across departments
Emphasis on working in teams
Reduction in traditional silos
Continuous learning
The merging of credit classes and continuing education
The emergence of greater seamless classes and labs
The emergence of more ‘hybrid’ classes that combine face-to-face instruction with delivery using technology
The expansion of more time and place options (traditional semesters, 8-week terms, open entrance/open exit terms, delayed terms, truncated terms, etc.)
One-stop enrollment center(s) - along with other one-stop services (e.g., transcript requests, etc.), many of which are available using technology
Transitional studies, programs and services
Other structures that combine services and provide students high support

It would provide the following characteristics in its learning environment:

A safe and secure environment where students, faculty and visitors feel safe on the site and in its buildings, along with an inclusive place for students of all backgrounds, ages, interests and persuasions
The feeling of ‘inclusion’ and ‘self-actualization’
The sense that technology is omni-present and transparent through technology/computer interaction and presence; the sense that it is an environment responsive to current and future educational technologies
The sense that it is designed and organized to emphasize and encourage personalized instruction, faculty-student relationships, and other venues for active learning
The demonstration that it is responsive to varied group sizes and provides access to various outdoor gathering and learning areas

Impact on facilities:

Classroom design: shift from intact classrooms to collaborative learning options (little spaces, medium spaces, large spaces and flexible spaces)
Greater emphasis on informal ‘soft’ student spaces and places where students, faculty and staff gather, talk, learn and share (“learning is messy”)
Faculty offices in clusters (assigned randomly or strategically or both) that promote cross-disciplinary conversation, dialogue and collaboration
Design of classrooms for collaborative learning or learning communities (“learning occurs on the edges” - Cy-Fair Community College) and through active engagement, including emphasis on inter-disciplinary course offerings, service learning and civic engagement
Ubiquitous use of technology - shifting to how today’s students learn
Built-in flexibility - that is, a physical environment that can adapt or adjust to meet contemporaneous objectives, student choice, changes, and growth
Classroom clusters
Internet access and wireless
Learning studio/multimedia studio (faculty/staff “playpens,” i.e., ‘safe’ places for faculty and staff to be able to go and learn how to use new technology or learning strategies)
‘Learning commons’ where students meet for learning assistance; a learning center that is cross-disciplinary; a learning center that includes opportunities for small groups and large groups to interact formally and informally with faculty, tutors, and other student development staff (highly interactive)
One-stop centers where students go for information/services, e.g., counseling, advising, financial aid, registration, etc.

Information Programs of Study Continuing Education Online Learning Workforce Training Adult Education Military Programs Departments/Directories
Visitors \| Students \| News & Events \| Library \| CC Foundation \| Site Map		(520) 515-0500 (800) 966-7943 Apply & Register Catalog Class Schedules Contact Us Financial Aid / Veterans Official Transcripts Pay Online Tuition & Fees Scholarships Athletics Employment Library Map & Directions News & Events Check My Email My CC Account Employee Resources Emergency Alerts WebStudy \| Blackboard
CC Home President's Office Administration Administrative Policies Cabinet Agendas/Minutes Column Column Archives Governing Board Agendas/Minutes Board Policies Master Facilities Plan Demographics (PDF) MFP News Our Vision	Our Vision for the Learning Environment “Creating environments that embrace communities, celebrate cultural differences, nurture and hone practical and advanced skills, and encourage innovation and collaboration is the implicit challenge in designing 21st century educational facilities” - Diane Troyer, Ph.D., President, Cy-Fair Community College, 84th AACC Annual Convention Click here for a printable PDF copy of this document. Cochise College Vision “Cochise College strives to be a learning community held in high esteem by members of its communities, providing high-quality learning opportunities for its citizens.” A learning community Places its highest priority, resources and energy on learning. Creates an environment and experiences, real or virtual, that encourage students to be active members of the learning community. Makes learning possible not only in the classroom but outside, through a myriad of activities and experiences, using any number of tools to enhance learning. Extends learning not only to students but to all members of the college community so that a feeling of collegiality abounds. Empowers students, faculty and staff to create a personally meaningful learning environment, where each accepts responsibility for contributing to the same. Vision of the Cochise College Learning Environment K. Patricia Cross would say that learning is about making connections: neurological, cognitive, social and experiential: “The old image of the classroom with a clear separation and/or an actual physical dividing line between teacher’s podium/desk and row upon row of students aligned to prevent communication with one another is giving way to small groups of interacting students and teams of students and teachers working together on common problems.” (Learning is About Making Connections, League for Innovation in the Community College, The Cross Papers, Number 3, June 1999) Such a learning environment typically is characterized by purposive groupings of students, shared scheduling, significant use of collaborative learning/teaching approaches, an emphasis on connecting learning across course and disciplinary boundaries, supported by an institutional philosophy of and commitment to: High faculty/staff expectations with high student support A vision of faculty and students - and sometimes administrators, staff, and the larger community - working collaboratively toward shared academic goals in environments in which competition is de-emphasized A place in which faculty and students alike have both opportunity and responsibility to learn from and help teach each other A place in which faculty become less transmitters of information and more designers of learning environments and experiences, expert guides, coaches, and practicing master learners. Based on these principles and philosophy, the 21st century community college committed to a learning community would also be committed to: Producing substantive changes in students Engaging learners as full partners in the learning process Creating as many options for learning as possible Enabling collaborative learning Using data to measure the results It would create the following organizational structures: Collaborative workplaces Integration across departments Emphasis on working in teams Reduction in traditional silos Continuous learning The merging of credit classes and continuing education The emergence of greater seamless classes and labs The emergence of more ‘hybrid’ classes that combine face-to-face instruction with delivery using technology The expansion of more time and place options (traditional semesters, 8-week terms, open entrance/open exit terms, delayed terms, truncated terms, etc.) One-stop enrollment center(s) - along with other one-stop services (e.g., transcript requests, etc.), many of which are available using technology Transitional studies, programs and services Other structures that combine services and provide students high support It would provide the following characteristics in its learning environment: A safe and secure environment where students, faculty and visitors feel safe on the site and in its buildings, along with an inclusive place for students of all backgrounds, ages, interests and persuasions The feeling of ‘inclusion’ and ‘self-actualization’ The sense that technology is omni-present and transparent through technology/computer interaction and presence; the sense that it is an environment responsive to current and future educational technologies The sense that it is designed and organized to emphasize and encourage personalized instruction, faculty-student relationships, and other venues for active learning The demonstration that it is responsive to varied group sizes and provides access to various outdoor gathering and learning areas Impact on facilities: Classroom design: shift from intact classrooms to collaborative learning options (little spaces, medium spaces, large spaces and flexible spaces) Greater emphasis on informal ‘soft’ student spaces and places where students, faculty and staff gather, talk, learn and share (“learning is messy”) Faculty offices in clusters (assigned randomly or strategically or both) that promote cross-disciplinary conversation, dialogue and collaboration Design of classrooms for collaborative learning or learning communities (“learning occurs on the edges” - Cy-Fair Community College) and through active engagement, including emphasis on inter-disciplinary course offerings, service learning and civic engagement Ubiquitous use of technology - shifting to how today’s students learn Built-in flexibility - that is, a physical environment that can adapt or adjust to meet contemporaneous objectives, student choice, changes, and growth Classroom clusters Internet access and wireless Learning studio/multimedia studio (faculty/staff “playpens,” i.e., ‘safe’ places for faculty and staff to be able to go and learn how to use new technology or learning strategies) ‘Learning commons’ where students meet for learning assistance; a learning center that is cross-disciplinary; a learning center that includes opportunities for small groups and large groups to interact formally and informally with faculty, tutors, and other student development staff (highly interactive) One-stop centers where students go for information/services, e.g., counseling, advising, financial aid, registration, etc.
	CC Home \| Site Map \| Contact Us \| Need Help? \| Text View Default View Cochise College - Cochise County, Arizona • All rights reserved 2005, 2006