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www.miracosta.edu/contextualizedlearning

Contextualized Learning represents a range of ways to connect curriculum to learning that intentionally broadens and deepens students’ experiences. At MiraCosta College, the Contextualized Learning program encourages faculty to utilize any of the following three approaches in their classes.

Infusions

Infusions are small yet impactful ways to provide contexts for students. They are implemented in single courses by individual instructors.

The five areas of context that we encourage faculty to use for infusions are as follows:

• Careers 
• Equity 
• Community 
• Ethics
• Interdisciplinary  

Themes

These are independent courses with full context for themes connecting to the discipline. They help students connect their class to other areas of study. Examples at MiraCosta include the following: 

• ENGL 100 + ENGL 52: “ChildDevelopmentStart”: Highly supported English for child development majors.  
• ENGL 100 + ENGL 52: “HealthStart”: Highly supported English for allied health majors. 
• ENGL 201: “Composition, Coding, & Cyborgs: C^3”: Critical thinking and composition for computer science majors. 

Learning Communities

Learning communities are two linked courses with overlapping themes and materials. Two (or more) instructors from different disciplines work with each other to connect the courses. Students take both courses as a cohort together. Examples at MiraCosta include the following: 

• ENGL 100/ENGL 52 + COUN 100 - “Mana I: Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)” 
• ENGL 201 + SOC 101 - “Mana II: Crossing Cultural Oceans” 
• ENGL 100 + COUN 100  - “A Learning Community for Student Athletes ”