Why+do+it?

**Student engagement** requires that the learner is both motivated to learn and engaged in active learning. By establishing a Learning Community, instructors are creating an environment that integrates motivation and active learning.

Active Learning involves the learner answering for themselves the questions "How does this relate to what I already know and how does this benefit me?". By working within a Learning Community: the need for the student to be part of a social community is addressed; synergy is optimized as learners utilize their classmates strengths and backgrounds to relate the learning to their own situation; and, learners are empowered through the subtle shift in focus from being instructor-centric to learner-centric.

Students need to be challenged to be motivated. In a learning community the learners provide part of the challenge for their peers. When learners are challenged to work just outside what they already know they are in an optimal learning zone, referred to as the Zone of Proximal Development. This challenge leads to developing higher order thinking skills which are essential in today's knowledge economy.

Collaborative learning practices utilize a wide variety of techniques apart from the traditional lecture methodology to address other key concerns for learners such as how they are doing, how they can apply the learning and where they fit in to the larger scheme. This is accomplished by students working together to investigate and master new material.

The concept of the learning community touches upon and enhances the fundamental motivational theories of [|behaviourism], [|needs], [|expectancy], [|attribution], [|achievement], [|expectancy-value] and [|cognitive dissonance] motivation. This is achieved through the opportunities inherent in group interaction. While it would appear to be a very tall order, creating the learning community is not as complicated as one would image.