Career-Focused Learning Communities for Second Semester Community College Students

Teaching courses in isolation does not demand integration of concepts across disciplines. Linking career-related courses for learning communities addresses this challenge. To that end, we integrated two content-based courses along with career-based seminars emphasizing the application of the contents of the courses. This oriented students towards connecting ideas across the linked disciplines, stimulated critical thinking, and enhanced deeper understanding of the application of the courses to careers. We will discuss our steps in selecting and designing the linkage, our teaching approaches with integrative thematic seminars, and the development and administration of assessment tools. We will invite audience participation to critique our findings focusing on the scope for improvement. This will clarify the mechanics of integration and guide the audience in creating their own career-focused learning communities

Religiousness and Social Support: A Study in Secular Norway

Previous research has shown that religiousness is related to social support, but most studies on this subject have been conducted in highly religious contexts. In the secular culture of Norway, we investigated the level of perceived social support among religious and non-religious individuals using the scale from the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. Of the 3,000 randomly selected persons aged 18–75 years, 653 (22 %) participated in this cross-sectional postal questionnaire study in 2009. The results showed that the association between religiousness and social support differed by age, and was moderated by gender and by one’s view of life enrichment. Among older adults (60–75 years), non-religious people reported higher levels on all five dimensions of social support compared to religious people, and for affectionate support, positive social interaction and tangible support this relationship depended on high view of life enrichment. In contrast, no differences in social support were seen among middle aged adults (40–59 years). Gender differences in social support were found in the younger adults (18–39 years), as religious men reported more tangible and emotional support compared to non-religious men, while the opposite was found for women. Results are discussed based on previous empirical findings on religiousness and social support, as well as the role of religiousness in society