An Invitation to Inquire
North Seattle Community College
Teaching and Learning Center
Community Learning Groups (CLGs)
Application Form
What are Community Learning Groups (CLGs)?
CLGs are informal, dynamic year-long inquiry groups organized by the groups’ members and
supported by the college’s Teaching and Learning Center. Because CLGs are self organizing
(they form because of mutual interest or issue) as well as self regulating (members develop
their own norms, roles and responsibilities), these groups can reflect multiple kinds of
membership: faculty only; staff only; faculty and staff; faculty, staff, and students; and faculty,
staff, students and other stakeholders. Although relatively small in size (usually no more than
12 members), CLGs actively support community building across campus, cross-disciplinary
collaboration, systemic innovation, and lifelong learning. They also provide time with others to
research and reflect on issues affecting important issues affecting student learning and student
success.
Phases of Year-Long Inquiry Process
Because CLGs are year-long inquiry groups, they typically follow an inquiry cycle that begins fall
quarter with an initiating and defining process, proceeds to an active investigation process in
fall, winter and spring quarters, and concludes at the end of spring quarter presenting and
evaluating the inquiry discoveries.
Application Form
Please complete all of the following questions:
1. What is the instructional issue/challenge/problem that your Community Learning Group
plans to study:
TLC Community Learning Group Application Form 2009
Page 1
2. Who are the initial members of your CLG? How is your group inclusive?
TLC Community Learning Group Application Form 2009
Page 2
3. Who will serve as the facilitator of your CLG?
4. How often are you planning to meet?
5. What support do you need from the Teaching and Learning Center? (E.g.
documentation/videotaping, creation of ground rules, facilitator training, inter-library loans,
assistance with database searching, setting up a blog/wikis, etc.)
6. What are the questions that will guide your inquiry process?
7. Describe in two paragraphs your project:
8. What methods (for example, surveys, videotaping, interviewing, focus groups, database
searches, etc.) will your group use to investigate this issue?
9. What are the connections between your learning community and student learning and
student success?
10. What do you expect will be accomplished by mid winter quarter 2010 (when there will be a
CLG mid-year session)? By the end of spring quarter 2010?
11. In what form do you anticipate communicating your learning/discovery from your inquiry
process? (For example, a poster, visual media, presentation at a conference, etc.)
Please note: all CLGs will be asked to meet in winter quarter to share their progress and in
spring quarter to present their discoveries at the end of the school year.
May 2007 © InSites
CP.07.dld.M6050AtA.8-1.doc/pdf
Example of a Completed CLIP Application Form
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May 2007 © InSites
CP.07.dld.M6050AtA.8-1.doc/pdf
Example of a Completed CLIP Application Form
4