ABSTRACT
In recent decades, calls for improvement of the undergraduate experience have addressed the need for attention to what best fosters student learning on college campuses. Recognizing that learning hinges on student experiences both within and outside the classroom, educators need to commit to build a campus community that maximizes student learning (Boyer, 1987; Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Gabelnick, MacGregor, Matthews, & Smith, 1990; Study Group on the Conditions of Excellence in American Higher Education, 1984; Watson & Stage, 1999). By considering the classroom environment itself as a community setting, this article provides a view of the classroom through a sociological lens. We focus on what social factors either advance or inhibit student learning. Considering how social factors affect the teaching and learning exchange between faculty and students and among peers in a classroom enables educators to address structural inequities and promote learning for students of varying backgrounds.
