Integrated Learning-Living Communities

By Katie Talty

When applying to college, I realized I was about to venture on the most important four years of my life. These next four years are going to determine how the rest of my life plays out. I did not want to do this journey alone, so I decided to join the Women in Science and Engineering, Living Learning Community. Joining the WISE LLC meant that I would live with other girls studying to be similar majors as me and going through the same classes as me. Also, joining the WISE LLC meant that we would join the WISE LLC Chemistry Class.

Our Chemistry class is a flipped class style learning taught by Dr. Crosson. Flipped class learning is a style of teaching that allows the students to learn subjects at home by watching videos or reading textbooks on topics that next day would be presented through “homework” in class.

This style of learning allows for students to ask their questions during class instead of struggling through homework alone. For me, this flipped classroom for chemistry allows for a change in my schedule compared to my other classes, and allows for my brain to be challenged.

During class, Dr. Crosson hands out worksheets that go over topics that we have learned at home and then we work on them during class. This has helped me to learn chemistry more easily, and I think I am really understanding chemistry better now because I am being challenged to try and learn it on my own. Without flipped classrooms, classes would be dull because every professor would be teaching the same way. Changes in the classrooms are good, and flipped classrooms allow for change.