ABSTRACT
Discussions of student learning in universities have invariably taken on the view of the university that asks how it can act to improve to student learning, how they can get their students to spend more time on their studies and improve their learning. This chapter takes a different perspective, namely that of the students to ask what would lead students to want to spend more time on their students and learn. To answer this question, it draws from motivational theory to argue that students’ willingness to learning is shaped by their self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and perceptions of the relevance of the curriculum. The chapter then presents findings from a qualitative study of learning communities in the United States to argue that students learn more and better when they learn together and that student learning is greatly enriched when the community of learners are from diverse backgrounds and traditions.
