Transcript Slide 1

Community Engaged Teaching
and Learning
Presenters:
Dr. John Begeny, Assistant Professor of School Psychology, Psychology
Dr. Leslie Parkins, Associate Director APPLES Service-Learning
Program, Carolina Center for Public Service
Dr. Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, Assistant Professor, Crop Science,
Agroecology Minor
Dr. Audrey Jaeger, Facilitator, Associate Professor, Leadership, Policy
and Adult and Higher Education & Faculty Scholar for Community
Engagement
INTRODUCTIONS
Presenters and Participants
Name
 Department
 What do you perceive as the biggest
challenge to doing community-engaged work,
including service-learning? (be brief)
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Leverage for Change
The first elective category to be developed was, significantly,
community outreach and engagement. If the effect of Carnegie’s
efforts (and those of DuPont Circle and AAUP) in the first three
quarters of the 20th century was to inscribe in academic structures
and in the consciousness of faculty a national orientation, those
organizations are increasingly emphasizing the value of the local.
(p.12)
Rhoades, G. (2009) Carnegie, DuPont Circle and the AAUP: (Re)Shaping
a cosmopolitan, locally engaged professoriate, Change, January-February, p.
8-13.
Integrated Faculty Roles
“Academic work need not be subdivided …Individual faculty
may conduct academic research in an integrated way, using their
research to inform their teaching, their service and teaching as
sources of ideas for their research, and their teaching as
opportunities to provide service to the community as well as
foster student learning.”
Colbeck, C. & Michael, P. (2006).
The public scholarship: Reintegrating Boyer’s four domains
Shifts in Faculty Work
From
 Provider (faculty) driven
 Autonomous
 Discipline-based
 Ivory tower
 Quality based on how much
you have
To
Learning driven
Collaborative
Interdisciplinary
Civic Engagement
Quality based on how
much you contribute
Dista nce
Educa tion
& CommunityBa se d Lea rning
Community
CommunityBa se d
Re se a rch
Engagement
Tea ching
Re se a rch
Se rvice
Se rvice
Lea rning
Profe ssiona l
Community
Se rvice /Volunta ry
Community Se rvice
Pa rticipa tory
Action
Re se a rch
Bringle et al. (1999) Community Engagement as Faculty Work
Engagement Pathways
The Civic Mission of Higher Education
Mission Pathway
Improved Teaching and Learning
Pedagogical Pathway
Scholarship of Engagement
Connecting to the Community
Partnership Pathway
The New Production of Knowledge
Epistemological Pathway
John Saltmarsh, Ph.D.
NERCHE, UMass- Boston
Not everything is…
Engagement
 Effective Engagement
 Engaged Scholarship
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what is quality
what is worth rewarding
how is it assessed
Scholarship about Engagement
Engaged Scholarship
Scholarship—practices that cut across the categories of
academic scholarship (discovery, teaching, application &
integration) +
 Engagement—reciprocal, collaborative relationships with
partners external to the university (Boyer, 1996)
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Scholarly engagement consists of
◦ Research, teaching, integration and application scholarship
that
◦ Incorporates reciprocal practices of civic engagement into the
production of knowledge (Barker, 2004)
Service-Learning as Engaged
Scholarship: Motivations,
Approaches, and Resources
Leslie Parkins, Ed.D.
APPLES Service-Learning Program
Carolina Center for Public Service
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
[email protected]
(919) 843-6829
____________________________________________
North Carolina State University
November 5, 2010
____________________________________________
Context for Service-Learning
Return to a democratic education
 Learning outcomes
 Faculty work and rewards
 Research institutions

Service-Learning Defined
Intentional integration of academic coursework
with community service
 An activity conducted in, and meeting the
needs of, the community
 Purpose is to enhance learning
 Pedagogy embracing experiential and reflective
education
 Academically rigorous, thoughtful, integrative
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Predictors of Faculty Involvement in
Service-Learning
Commitment to teaching and learning
 Discipline
 Rank
 Individual characteristics
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Considerations
What is your motivation?
 What kind of support or obstacles are
presented by your department?
 What resources are available to you?
 What is happening in your discipline in
community engaged teaching?
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WHAT I DO AND
WHY I DO IT
Community Engaged Teaching and
Learning
John Begeny, Ph.D.
Dept of Psychology, School Psychology Program
North Carolina State University
____________________________________________
North Carolina State University
November 5, 2010
____________________________________________
What I do…
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Type of community-engaged teaching that I do
◦ Teaching that integrates applied research and service in the
community
◦ Teaching that involves graduate and undergraduate students
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Overview of my research
◦ Educational Research and Partnerships for Academic Success
(ERPAS)
 Through research and service projects, our primary mission is to
facilitate educational services nationally and internationally that will
meaningfully improve learning outcomes for children
(www.ncsu.edu/project/johnbegeny/)
 In particular, our ERPAS group is interested in developing and
evaluating programs designed to improve children’s early literacy
skills
Two key research projects/programs
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The Helping Early Literacy with Practice
Strategies (HELPS) Program
 A supplemental reading program that can be implemented by
teachers, school volunteers (including college students), and
other educators
 www.helpsprogram.org
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Project SPARK (Supporting Parental
Activities for Reading with Kids)
 Designed to assist parents with using feasible, evidence-based
reading activities in the home, particularly with young children
at risk for reading difficulties
 www.projectspark-reading
How I integrate teaching, research and
service
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We implement the reading programs in schools,
community centers, or with families in the
community (service); we evaluate the
effectiveness of the programs (research); and
university students play a key role in this
process while also learning about
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education (research, theory, and policy),
applied research (methods and practicalities),
literacy development,
social justice,
important topics related to diversity, and/or
community engaged scholarship
Courses I teach
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Undergraduate Courses
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Introduction to Psychology
Community Engaged Scholarship
Applied Educational Research
Psychology of Reading
Research in Reading Interventions and Reading Assessment
Graduate Courses
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Psych. Interventions and Foundations in Applied Behavior Analysis
School Based Interventions Practicum
Teacher Centered Services Practicum
Family Interventions Practicum
Courses I teach
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Undergraduate Courses
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Introduction to Psychology
Community Engaged Scholarship
Applied Educational Research
Psychology of Reading
Research in Reading Interventions and Reading Assessment
Graduate Courses
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Psych. Interventions and Foundations in Applied Behavior Analysis
School Based Interventions Practicum
Teacher Centered Services Practicum
Family Interventions Practicum
Most recent course for undergrads
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Community Engaged Scholarship
◦ “Scholarly activities related to research
and/or teaching that involve full collaboration
of students, community partners, and faculty
as co-educators, co-learners, and cogenerators of knowledge and that address
questions of public concern” (Jameson,
Clayton, & Jaeger, in press)
◦ Brief overview of course syllabus
Benefits to integrating teaching,
research, and service
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Benefits for me as a teacher
◦ Ideal opportunity to teach and work with
grad and undergrad students in the topics I’m
most passionate about
◦ As a co-learner and co-teacher, my students
and community partners help me learn things
I otherwise would not learn
◦ Can maintain active involvement in applied
settings
Benefits to integrating teaching,
research, and service
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Benefits for me as a researcher
◦ Helps me develop and evaluate reading programs that
have practical value for community members (e.g.,
parents, teachers, community-center directors)
◦ Helps me to maintain an active, ongoing, and
programmatic line of research
◦ The ongoing research has led to many peer-reviewed
publications and presentations, nearly all of which
include student co-authors
◦ The ongoing and relatively rapid program evaluation
efforts help to increase opportunities for internal and
external funding
Benefits to integrating teaching,
research, and service
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Benefits for undergrad students
◦ Applied research and practice experience that
prepares them for jobs and/or graduate school, as
well as help to solidify their professional goals and
career path
◦ Professional experiences they do not typically obtain
in the classroom (e.g., working with children, parents,
adults; analyzing real-life project data; training others
in research procedures, etc.)
◦ Opportunities to make a real-world difference in
their community
Benefits to integrating teaching,
research, and service

Benefits for undergrad students (continued)
◦ Opportunities to work closely with university faculty
and graduate students who have related professional
interests
◦ Increasing responsibility for research and serviceproject tasks
 Students are co-teachers and learners
 Opportunity to maintain involvement for 2+ semesters
◦ Letters of recommendation
◦ Course credits toward graduation requirements
Some student comments
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The course brings up many topics related to reading
intervention and school psychology that stimulates your
mind. I not only learned more about school psychology I also
learned more about the differences between socio economic
status' which I got to see in a real world setting. The only
weakness for this course was our class time was not long
enough to fully discuss everything we wanted to.
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The primary strength of this applied research experience
was the fact that the instructor took a democratic approach
with our lab. We were all co-creators of knowledge and I
really appreciated having that experience. Although there was
a hierarchical system (which was necessary) we were all able
to give our input and learn from one another, which allowed
for various opportunities for growth.
Some student comments
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Being able to actively engage in research with the community
and perform intervention and assessment first hand was an
invaluable experience that I believe has better readied me to
conduct research at a graduate school standard. It has also given
me a realistic job preview of what part of a School
psychologist's duties are. Although one could allot a specific
class or lab time for research assistants to practice HELPS with
one, active participation in the community is the only way that
one will truly adjust to being comfortable "out in the field."
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This has truly been an excellent research/applied experience
that I feel has greatly prepared me for graduate school. It has
also helped me to become a better researcher as well as a
better analytical thinker. It has also made me feel more
competent in the area of applied research and has helped me
improve skill sets that I was previously lacking in.
Benefits to integrating teaching,
research, and service
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Benefits for our community partners
◦ Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on
the university community (my students, my
research) through what we learn from them
◦ Obtain knowledge, service, and/or resources
from university students and researcher(s)
◦ Through collaborative efforts with the
university, an opportunity to improve the
overall process for achieving an important
mission of their organization
Community Engaged Teaching and
Learning
Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, Ph.D.
Agroecology Education Program Director
Dept of Crop Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)
North Carolina State University
Email: [email protected]
____________________________________________
North Carolina State University
November 5, 2010
____________________________________________
What I do…
Coordinate
, advise students and recruit for the Agroecology Minor and
Concentration programs
-Teaching
-Intro to Agroecology- (every semester, spring online)- Undergraduate
-Advanced Agroecology course and lab- (every spring)- Undergrad/Graduate
-Critical Issues in Sustainable Ag (every other spring )-Graduate
-Sustainability of Tropical Agroecosystems study abroad in Costa Rica(summer)- Undergrad/Graduate
-CEFS Sustainable Agriculture Internship program- (summer)Undergrad/PostBacc
-Research
-Ecology and management of beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in
agroecosystems
-Current project on Sustainable and organic strawberry production
-Mentor undergraduate students in an range of research projects
Community Engagement –What I Do and
Why…
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Service learning with selective community partner
focused on food insecurity and community food
systems
◦ Undergraduates in the Introduction to Agroecology course
◦ Short term experience (4hrs)
◦ Work collaboratively with community partner to define their
needs and student learning goals
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Why?
◦ Helps students more actively engage with course material and
the world around them
◦ Assists community partner in improving local food security
(hopefully students will volunteer again)
◦ Part of a larger experience integrating service learning in the
Agroecology curriculum
HOW
TO MAKE
IT HAPPEN…
Community Engaged Teaching and
Learning
John Begeny, Ph.D.
Dept of Psychology, School Psychology Program
North Carolina State University
____________________________________________
North Carolina State University
November 5, 2010
____________________________________________
How to connect research, teaching,
and/or service
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Some things you may consider…
◦ Could a smaller research group be turned into a
service-learning and/or applied research course?
 My course started as PSY 499 “Independent Study”
◦ Would your department be in favor of such a course?
If not, how can you get departmental support?
 Are there other service learning courses offered in your
department?
 Would your department be persuaded by campus
initiatives to support service-learning for students and
community engaged scholarship?
 See Report of the Scholarship of Engagement Task Force
Some things to consider (cont.)
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What will you include in a syllabus?
 Grades for community-based activities
 Writing activities, including reflection
 Treating students and co-teachers and learners
Can you interview students to be in the course to make
sure there’s a god “fit?”
 Make sure students (a) fully understand the purpose of the course,
(b) are okay with occasional changes in plans, (c) recognize the “type”
of class and what the class will entail, (d) have the needed availability,
and (e) have indicators of professional maturity and a desire to get an
applied experience
 A student’s overall GPA seems to be somewhat of a
predictor when it’s below 3.0, but otherwise not a predictor
of student success
 Year in school is NOT a predictor
Some things to consider (cont.)
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If you design a community partnership and service
course that will also address a research question,
how “big” of a question should you ask?
◦ How will this influence students’ work-load and overall
experience?
◦ How will this influence your relationship with the
community partner?
 I suggest that you start small
 Consider this teaching and service first, with a good possibility for
meaningful research second
◦ Make sure students get proper balance of community
service/activities, research activities, didactic experiences,
and reflection of their experiences
Some things to consider (cont.)
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Can you develop a course that can allow
students to continue with you for
multiple semesters?
◦ Do you want this?
◦ Do students want this?
◦ Will the student’s curriculum allow for this?
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Will you develop a hierarchy of student
leaders (e.g., faculty, grad students,
returning undergrad students, new
undergrad students, etc.)?
Challenges in developing this type of
course, and overcoming challenges
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Making sure the relationship with the community
partner maintains or grows
◦ Ongoing communication with the community partner
◦ Involve them as much as possible in the class (and if
applicable, the research)
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Keeping the course active (each semester, each year)
◦ Negotiate with department and/or program administration
◦ Discuss with students whether they envision involvement
for at least 1 year, and describe the possible advantages of
doing so
◦ Discuss with your community partner whether there is a
need and interest for continued involvement on an
ACADEMIC calendar
Challenges in developing this type of
course, and overcoming challenges
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Ensuring ample time for students to learn content,
reflect upon and discuss experiences, while also
contributing as co-generators of knowledge
◦ Plan ahead, use models of similar courses, learn from your
experiences and from student feedback
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Ensuring the community partner plays a meaningful role
in the course, and as an “instructor” for the students
◦ Ongoing communication with the community partner about this
issue and the partner’s desire to “instruct”
◦ Plan and schedule as best possible before the semester begins
◦ Make sure students know that ALL members in the partnership
will learn and teach
◦ Model for the students how you are learning form the
community partner
Challenges in developing this type of
course, and overcoming challenges
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Knowing what types of research
questions will be the best fit for this
experience
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Think about this very carefully
Keep projects small
Anticipate delays in data collection
Ensure students have a balance of classroom,
service, and research experience
Challenges in developing this type of
course, and overcoming challenges
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Keeping a healthy balance of new and returning students
◦ Making sure that the transition to each new year is good
for newer students
◦ Having meaningful assignments for new and returning RAs,
but also assignments that all can do and that are new
Continuing course prep until you have multiple courses that
will provide meaningful experiences for returning students
◦ Plan ahead (I had no idea what this would all become
when I started)
◦ A “less is more” philosophy may work better for students
and help to develop assignments and activities across
multiple courses
Bottom-line and a summary of
cost/benefits
Overall, compared to more traditional
approaches to fulfilling academic
responsibilities, I believe that my work
with students and community partners
has resulted in research, teaching, and
service that has been more practically
meaningful, enduring, and of much better
quality.
Community Engaged Teaching and
Learning
Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, Ph.D.
Agroecology Education Program Director
Dept of Crop Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS)
North Carolina State University
Email: [email protected]
____________________________________________
North Carolina State University
November 5, 2010
____________________________________________
Introduction to Agroecology- How?
Course objectives (related to service
learning):
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Critically evaluate agricultural practices for
their sustainability, balancing environmental
impacts, society & economics.
•Larger class- 45 students
•Diverse students with
little or no background on
course topic
•Many with no experience
Demonstrate effective teamwork in discussing
controversial topics with individuals of different gardening or working with
community
opinions.
Demonstrate ability to communicate and apply
agroecology knowledge in real-world situations
through working with a local community group
What are the impacts on students
from a short service learning
community engagement?
Community Partner:
The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle
Non-Traditional Food Bank
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Specialize in perishable food
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Creates innovative solutions and systems to address the
problems of hunger and food insecurity in our community
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Serves over 200 programs & agencies in 7 NC
counties
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In 2008,rescued >6 million pounds of food (over 2 million
rescued from the State Farmer’s Market)
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Over 220 donors, 11 refrigerated vehicles
IFFS Farm & Community Garden Program
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To provide fresh, local fruits and
vegetables to community members in
need that excels in taste and nutrition
To empower community members and
put them back in control of their food
To build community
To improve community health and
nutrition
To provide gardening education, skill
building, opportunities for physical
activity, and youth development
Neighborhood
#2 (N2N)
• Afterschool program
Neighborhood
#1 (Mayview)
• Mostly single family
homes, 92% female
• 98% African American,
approximately 75 kids
Service Learning- Action and Evidence
Service Learning- Planning and Process
Service learning assignment:
1. Meet IFFS community partner as a
class
Planning
2. Student volunteers at community
garden (min of 4 hrs)
3. Reflective writings (3)
• Pre-activity- describe the idea of
food insecurity and hunger in their
community
• Description of activity
• Describe what they learned,
importance and what they will do
with it.
4. Pre- and post survey
5. Post course focus groups (2009-2010)
Reflection
Action
Evidence
Service Learning- Reflections
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“I learned that I could put someone else first for once, that I
didn’t have to sleep in on my Saturdays and benefit someone
else. I went into this service learning project with a bad
attitude. I talked about how unfair it was for my professor to
“force” us to do manual labor and give back to the
community. With this learning project I realized that even
though I go to school full-time and work almost 35 hours per
week, I can still make time to help others. I am going to try to
make an attempt to help others more…and maybe if I do
that it might benefit me in the long run”
Service Learning- Reflections
“At the time I was just participating in this project because it
was necessary for the class but now that I reflect back on it
I realized that I was contributing to the community and I am
very proud of myself. In light of this service learning project
I would like to start my own garden. I thought agriculture
was boring but this class and this project made me
interested in agriculture and realize how important it is for
us to come together and help those who are in need”
Service Learning- Reflections
“Upon the first visit to the garden I felt the social connection
aspect is lacking for the garden to be successful. I was the only
black volunteer in a predominately black community garden, and it
led me to observe careful, the social interactions between the
volunteers and the community members. I decided to continue
working with the Inter-faith Food Shuttle to help alleviate some the
tension between the members of the community and the
volunteers who genuinely were trying to serve them. I am also
compelled to learn more about local agriculture, hunger issues
and international trade. I believe I learned most from the social
interaction between the community members. By actually
practicing the ideas I learned faster and retained more information
than in a classroom. I know this because I understood material on
the quiz through a volunteer explaining it to me while I was going
it. Because I was able to connect the ideas with practical
application, it made understanding them effortless. “
Intro Agroecology- Reflection Findings
Personal
growth
Community
engagement
• “I can make a
difference”
• “impact of my
actions”
• “I learned”, “became
Greater
more aware” of
awareness/
knowledge community food
system issues
Civic
engagement
• “I plan to
volunteer again”
• “I will help others
more”
Intro to Agroecology- Service LearningLessons Learned
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Help students connect service learning experience
with course curriculum
◦ IFFS community garden director meets with
students beforehand
Discuss students’ initial expectations or fears
◦ Pre-survey and in class discussion
◦ Visit IFFS farm as a class to do work
Be respectful of students’ extra curricular time
Connect with students-Talk about their
experiences during and afterwards.
Short service learning experiences are also
valuable and can be done with larger classes
Community Engaged Teaching and
Learning
Leslie Parkins, Ed.D.
APPLES Service-Learning Program
Carolina Center for Public Service
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
____________________________________________
North Carolina State University
November 5, 2010
____________________________________________
Developing a Service-Learning Course
New or modified courses can become servicelearning courses
 Define learning outcomes
 Identify opportunities in the community
 Explain why service-learning will enhance the
learning of the course content
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Approaches of Service-Learning
Individual/Team
 Project based
 Research based
 Optional/Required
 Single or multiple community partners
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Community Partnerships
Identify potential community partners
 Cultivate partnerships to last
 Connect with partner early and often
 Consider classroom connections and expertise
when building the syllabus
 Frame community partners as co-educators

Assessing Learning
What does learning look like in your course?
 Rigorous products of learning
 Consider service-learning throughout the
course as you build assignments
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Recommendations
Include a rationale for service-learning in the
syllabus
 Do not assess service but rather the learning
demonstrated from the service
 Communicate early and often with community
partner(s)
 Notify students at registration of servicelearning
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Final Thoughts
Flexibility and variability
 Expect engaged students and deeper learning
 Utilize resources and colleagues during
challenges
 Make changes for the next semester
 Avoid in loco parentis
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Upcoming Engagement Events
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1/27 2-4:00 pm
Beginning a Course Design for Engagement
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2/17 2-3:30 pm
Part II of January Course Design Workshop
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2/25 2-3:30 pm
Developing and Working with Community
Partners in Community Engaged Teaching and Learning
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3/25 2-4:00 pm
Making the Case: Documenting Community Engaged
Teaching and Learning Activities
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Reading Circles: TBA
Democracy and Higher Education: Traditions and
Stories of Civic Engagement by Scott Peters
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May, 2011
Teaching and Learning Summer Institute Track.