米国学生寮LLC（Living Learning Community）の実態と課題 : 教育的アプローチの開発に着目して

Due to the internationalization of higher education and the progress of learner-centered principles, the review of education and learning resources has progressed. In recent years, the movement to reform residential life has spread from the United States to East Asia, Australia, and European countries, including Japan. As a strategic educational program aimed at promoting student learning, the Living Learning Community (hereinafter LLC) has been developed in the United States and is being introduced at universities around the world. However, even in the United States, the practice of the LLC is leading the development, and there is almost no unified view on the theoretical framework and its effects that form the basis of program development and practice.
In this paper, we will discuss how the LLC first appeared in higher education in the United States and the changes in the position of residential life. The types and characteristics of educational programs in residence halls are discussed by comparing the LLC with other forms of educational and living-learning programs. Drawing on the results of the nation-wide survey “The National Student Living-Learning Programs (NSLLP),” the educational impact on students and issues adhering to LLCs will be discussed.
The underlying idea of LLC can be summarized in that it needs to provide students with “integrated learning opportunities.” This can be realized through the integration of the formal curriculum and a co-curriculum, as well as students’ everyday lives which take place in LLC. When constructing LLCs, it must also be clearly presented to students that the learning contents and support provided by the LLC are systematically and structurally integrated based on learning goals. It is also a responsibility of university faculty and staff to ensure that the mission of the entire university is represented in the learning goals of LLCs, as the reported cases have exemplified. Collaboration among academic affairs, student affairs as well as faculty members are inevitable for realizing an integrated learning environment. To further explore educational approaches to maximize the impact of residential life, it is important to conduct field studies on LLCs to examine their current use of assessments and collect more cases that can shed light on ways in which LLC can further be improved.