A qualitative study investigating the effect of living-learning communities on the university student experience

Abstract

This research paper investigates how students describe the effect their living-learning community has had on their university experience. It is a qualitative study involving second year students living on campus at Ball State University who participated in a living-learning community their freshman year and hall directors who have worked in a living-learning community at Ball State University. The literature reflects that the creation and implementation of living-learning communities and the integration of academic and social environments is supportive of student academic achievement and persistence. The researcher used focus groups and interviews in the research design and inductively analyzed the data to extract relevant themes. The findings are discussed within the following themes: Effects of Living Environment, Effects on Learning, and Changes in Patterns. The conclusion includes discussion of how students' transition from high school to university is affected by a living-leaning community, resulting in changes to previously practiced living patterns and learning patterns. Finally, suggestions for further research are presented.