Pedagogies of Engagement: Fostering Civic Engagement and Leadership Through Community Based Learning

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Pedagogies of EngagementFostering Civic
Engagement and Leadership Through Community Based
Learning

• May Faculty Summer College, 2005
• St. Lawrence University

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Pedagogies of Engagement

• Emphasize student ownership of their learning.
  Student is an active agent in learning.
• Stress the collaborative process, where student
  learn to respect and incorporate the views of
  others.
• create opportunities for students to develop and
  apply the theories and skills to authentic
  situations, whether in a laboratory, a field
  setting or in a community

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Pedagogies of Engagement

• Classroom Based Practices
• Problem Based Learning
• Cooperative Learning
• Research Projects (independent and
  collaborative)
• Technology
• E-portfolios
• Angel In Touch options
• Experiential Learning
• Internships
• Community Based Learning
• Community Service and Co-curricular activities

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Distinctions Among Approaches to Experiential
Learning (Furco, 1996)
Recipient
Provider
Beneficiary
Focus
Service
Learning
Community Based Learning
Community Service
Field Education
Volunteerism
Internship
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Community Based Learning

• is a course based educational experience in which
  students
• 1. engage in organized service activities that
  address community, human and environmental needs
• 2. are offered opportunities to reflect on those
  activities in ways that promote learning and
  development
• (Jacoby, 1996 Bringle and Hatcher 1995)

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Central Features of Community Based Learning

• Reflection
• classroom activities and assignments
• community experience as text
• Reciprocity
• Community as an equal partner
• Avoid imposing student or course agenda
• Collaboration
• Defining and assessing community needs are done
  collaboratively Students, community partners and
  faculty working together in their serving and
  learning
• Understanding Difference
• Best done through experiencing the other
• Democratic Imagination

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Outcomes (based on review of literature by
Elder, Giles and Gray, 2000)

• Academic/Learning Outcomes
• effect on motivation to work harder
• effect on analytical and critical skills
  (problem solving)
• effect on understanding of concepts
• ?effect on grades/GPA
• Personal/Social Development Outcomes
• effect on sense of personal efficacy, identity,
  moral development
• effect on interpersonal skills (communication,
  working with others)
• effect on tolerance, reduced stereotypes
• effect on social responsibility (over long term)
• effect on commitment to service (over long term)

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Reasons Why CBL is Not Embraced Myths

• It isnt academic Students shouldnt get
  credit for volunteering in a nursing home
• Community Experience is synonymous with learning
• Not rigorous or academically challenging
• More hierarchies of importance?
• No room in my course to incorporate CBL
• The Add-on myth
• I dont have the right to require service
• The pedagogy is not applicable to my class

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More Reasons Why CBL is Not Embraced

• Its at the lower end of the hierarchy (My guess)
• Content vs. Process
• Professor vs. Student centered
• Instructor vs. Facilitator role
• Objective vs. Subjective assessment
• In-class learning vs. out of class learning
• Rigor vs. Fluff (legitimacy)
• It is not easy to implement or master
• Faculty are too busy to incorporate it (unless
  there is money involved)
• It can be frightening!

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Principles of Good Practice in Community Based
Learning

• Academic credit is for learning, not for service
• Do not compromise academic rigor
• Establish learning objectives
• Establish criteria for selection of placements
  and partnerships
• Provide reflection strategies that integrate the
  classroom and community

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Principles of Good Practice in Community Based
Learning

• Prepare students for learning from the community
• Minimize the distinction between community role
  and classroom role
• Rethink the role of the faculty member
• Be prepared for variation in, and some loss of
  control in student outcomes
• Maximize community responsibility orientation of
  the course

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Other things to keep in mind

• All Placements should be set by end of add/drop
  period. Ideally, partnership placements are set
  before course even begins
• Number of hours is dependent on course, although
  we recommend forty hours for a standard 1 unit
  course. Hours should be spread across semester.
• Variable unit credit can be used to incorporate
  CBL into a course. However, additional partial
  units should not be added to account for time in
  community (and, they must be approved by Academic
  Affairs)
• Best to require all students to participate in
  CBL. But when requirement is optional, an
  additional partial unit option works best.

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Guidelines for Reflection(Eyler, Giles and
Schmiede 1996)

• Continuous
• Connected
• Challenging
• Contextualized
• Built in feedback loops (Bringle and Hatcher
  1999)

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Working with Community Members and Building
Partnerships

• Most community partners are overworked and
  underpaid.
• May not know what to do with a student placed in
  their agency. Emphasize importance of purposeful
  and meaningful service
• May be suspicious of students and/or SLU
• Not all agencies are good fits for students
• Most agencies are, however, very excited to work
  with students and SLU
• Scheduling is always a headache

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Working with Community Members and Building
Partnerships

• Get to know the agency/organization.
• Get to know the people who the students are
  working with. Take them to lunch.
• Establish an equal partnerships where everyone
  benefits. Everybody should own the partnership
• Our students should be (and ARE) vital resources
  in partnership building
• Make sure to introduce students to the community
  (both strengths and needs).

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Partnerships and Initiatives

• Senior Buddies Program
• Town Bicentennial Activities
• Performing Arts Project
• Akwesasne Semester
• Culture Club and Global Citizenship programs
• Family Court and Supervised Visitations
• Food Distribution Program

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The Center For Civic Engagement and
LeadershipSt. Lawrence University

• Democracy has to be born anew every generation,
  and education is its midwifeJohn Dewey, 1899

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Center for Civic Engagement and
LeadershipOverview

• Create and enhance opportunities for students to
  develop citizenship and leadership skills
• Integrate academics, student life and the local
  community
• A living-Learning Community with the FYP on the
  ground floor
• Owned and Operated by our students

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Center for Civic Engagement and
LeadershipIntegration and Coordination
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Center for Civic Engagement and LeadershipThe
Community Mentor (CM) Program

• CMs will be paid staff members of the center
• They will be primarily responsible for the
  development and coordination of the community
  partnership programs
• They will mentor and manage other students
  incorporated into their programs through course
  work and/or volunteer programs.
• They will have other specialized tasks related to
  Center programming
• And, they will be expected to successfully
  complete CBL101