Community-engaged learning is a teaching method that combines community service with academic instruction, focusing on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility.
Community-engaged teaching takes many forms at 亚洲情色, and the Center for Civic Engagement works to support the many faculty and staff members who already incorporate community engagement into their teaching, as well as those who are interested in learning more about Community-engaged learning and other high impact educational practices. The CCE works with faculty members from every discipline and all levels of experience to incorporate these practices across 亚洲情色's campus.
Complete the to designate your course as CEL.
Develop a community-engaged course
Whether you've just started to explore community-engaged teaching or you've been using the pedagogy for years and want to develop a new course, the CCE can help you think through the process.
禄 Learn about developing a community-engaged course.
禄 Review funding and resources for community-engaged learning
禄 Explore examples of CEL courses at 亚洲情色
禄 Discover student learning outcomes for community-engaged experiences
Designate an engaged course
The American Association of Colleges & Universities has identified community-engaged learning as a high impact educational practice. As a nation-wide norm, colleges and universities designate community-engaged courses which meet agreed upon standards vetted by the field's expert practitioners and faculty members from their respective institutions.
At 亚洲情色, Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) designated courses bring our institution closer to compliance with national engagement standards and eligibility for high level awards and recognitions. Designation of these courses raises awareness about the significant effort being made by faculty, schools and departments on campus to enhance student learning and deepen university-community engagement. Designation also allows students to make informed and intentional decisions in selecting courses that engage the community.
禄 Learn about CEL Course Designation.
Develop a Community-Engaged Course
What is community-engaged learning?
Community-engaged learning is a teaching method that combines community service with academic instruction, focusing on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility. The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) supports the development and mission of community-engaged learning across the 亚洲情色 campus. Community-engaged learning programs involve students in organized community service that addresses local needs, while developing their academic skills, sense of civic responsibility and commitment to the community (Definition has been adapted from ).
A community-engaged course:
- Uses experiential strategies characterized by student participation in an organized service activity
- Is connected to specific learning outcomes
- Meets identified community needs
- Provides structured time for students to analyze and connect the service experience to learning
Community engagement can be carried out in several different ways. For example, it can be a one-time project incorporated into a specific course, providing students the opportunity to apply course content to a particular community need. It may also entail ongoing work with a community or agency on specified programs or projects that relate to the course or discipline.
To begin organizing and constructing your community-engaged learning course, consider four basic principles:
- Engagement: Does the service meet a real community need? Has that been defined by your local community? How?
- Reflection: Do you have mechanisms built throughout the semester to support students in making connections between the course content and service experiences?
- Reciprocity: Is the partnership going to provide mutually beneficial outcomes for students and the community partners? Do both serve as teacher and learner equally?
- Public dissemination: Is the outcome of the service activity/project presented to the organization for current and future use? How?
Learn more about developing a community-engaged course
In addition to these online resources, the CCE can provide sample course syllabi, referrals to community partners and various print and electronic resources on service-learning pedagogy and course development.
- Benefits of engaged learning
Faculty can benefit personally and professionally from integrating engaged learning into courses. Teaching with engaged learning can:
- encourage interactive teaching methods and reciprocal learning between students and faculty
- add new insights and dimensions to class discussions
lead to new avenues for research and publication - promote students' active learning; engage students with different learning styles
- promote students' opportunities to directly apply course content to theory, thus creating a deeper level of understanding
- develop students' civic and leadership skills
- boost course enrollment by attracting highly motivated and engaged students
- provide networking opportunities with engaged faculty in other disciplines
- foster relationships between faculty and 亚洲情色 area community organizations, which can open other opportunities for collaborative work
- provide firsthand knowledge of community issues; provide opportunities to be more involved in community issues
- Questions to consider
Course Structure
- How will this service-learning course fit into my research and scholarship objectives?
- How much experience do I have with service-learning and community partnerships? Do I need help getting started?
- What types of experiences are the best fit for my type of class? What types of organizations might benefit from a partnership with my course?
- What kinds of preparation will my students need in order to participate in the service-learning course? How will I participate in that facilitation?
- What are the learning objectives for this course?
- How do the outcomes from the service-learning experience relate to the course objectives?
- What types of activities will connect the service-learning experience to the course content?
- How will the service experience be documented and assessed?
- Do I need assistance in the identification of community partners?
- What role will the community partner play in the development and implementation of the course?
- How will I engage the community partner in evaluating the student and the course?
- How will the community partner benefit from the service-learning project?
- What community need is being addressed, and who has identified it as a priority?
- What will be the relationship between community partners, the university, the department, faculty and students once the course has been completed? Do options for ongoing collaborations exist?
- What will be the specific role of the student?
- How will the service-learning experience make the course more valuable and meaningful to the student?
- How will the service-learning experience affect students鈥 future civic engagement and professional goals?
- Develop a syllabus
Syllabus development is one of the most critical and difficult aspects of successfully implementing an academic community-engaged learning course. Below is a suggested list of questions that should be considered when developing a syllabus.
Questions to consider
- Have I sufficiently clarified mutual objectives with community partners?
- Have I connected service components with the course objectives?
- Have I clearly stated expectations for students?
- How should I encourage students to respectfully engage with community partners, appreciating the learning opportunity that exists in the relationship?
- How can I incorporate writing into students' grades to ensure adequate time commitment?
Exemplary syllabi should
- Clearly state expectations of students.
- Include service as an expressed goal.
- Clearly define how the service experience will be measured and what will be measured.
- Describe the nature of the service placement and/or project.
- Specify how students will be expected to demonstrate what they have learned in the placement/project (journal, papers, and presentations).
- Present course assignments that link the service placement and the course content.
- Include a description of the reflective process.
Consider reviewing Examples of CEL courses at 亚洲情色 and
- Course development timeline
There are a number of special considerations for faculty when designing and teaching a community-engaged learning course. Prior to implementing engaged learning, faculty will have to establish an appropriate relationship with a community partner, communicate expectations, choose classroom activities that support the service, and develop assessment tools to evaluate student learning.
Below is a rough timeline of things to consider when planning your course. The precise timing depends on whether the course is new or has been offered before, how much time you have to prepare, departmental differences and individual preference. Although this timeline is not exhaustive or relevant to every course, it is a general guide for those teaching community-engaged courses.Long term:
- Determine the broad goals of your course
- Decide how community engagement will fit in the course (one assignment, entire course, etc.)
- Locate a community partner
- Screen potential students (if course is 鈥渂y permission of instructor鈥)
Middle term:
- Articulate learning objectives for your course
- Identify appropriate classroom strategies to support the community-engaged learning, such as readings or lectures
- Choose appropriate reflection exercises
- Ensure the alignment of objectives, assessments and instructional strategies
- Write a tentative syllabus
- Develop appropriate forms for working with community partner (needs assessment, student evaluations, final evaluation, etc.)
- Meet with community partner to discuss issues of scale, scope, final product and any requirements (such as attendance at presentations)
- Coordinate schedule for semester with community partner
- Draft memorandum of understanding
- Work out transportation arrangements
Short term:
- Formalize agreement with community partner
- Finalize plans with partner (deliverables, schedule, location of meetings, expectations for evaluation, etc.)
- Incorporating reflection
What is reflection?
鈥淭he term structured reflection is used to refer to a thoughtfully constructed process that challenges and guides students in (1) examining critical issues related to their service-learning project, (2) connecting the service experience to coursework, (3) enhancing the development of civic values and skills, (4) assisting students in finding personal relevance in the work.鈥 (Definition from
Reflection activities provide a method or methods for students to process what they learned through the service experience and how those experiences relate to academic course content. They also provide the time and opportunity for students and community partners to grow and evolve as a result of their experiences in the service-learning course.
Resources on reflection
- , Katie Halcrow
- Sass, M. (2013) . Purdue University Learning and Service Engagement series. Center for Instructional Excellence: West Lafayette, IN.
- Richard, D., Keen, C., Hatcher, J. A., & Pease, H. A. (2016). . Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.3998/mjcsloa.3239521.0023.105.
- Assessing community-engaged teaching
As with any program, a variety of tools and methods can be used to evaluate community-engaged learning. Evaluation is essential not only for documenting a program鈥檚 effectiveness and demonstrating accountability, but also for informing continued development or improvement of programs. Evaluation is not the end of an initiative; it is an essential part of the on-going process that provides an opportunity to be deliberative, reflective and creative.
We encourage faculty to track their community-engaged work through Collaboratory, 亚洲情色鈥檚 online database for community engagement and public service activities. Faculty can take advantage of the tools it offers for evaluating partnerships and gaining insights on community-engaged work. Learn more about Collaboratory to get started.
Below are some additional resources for assessing community-engaged learning.
- 亚洲情色鈥檚 student learning outcomes for curricular and co-curricular community-engaged activities
- , University of Michigan
- , University of Michigan
Other resources
Below are some resources that will help you get started on designing a community-engaged course. In addition to these online resources, the CCE can provide sample course syllabi, referrals to community partners and various print and electronic resources on service-learning pedagogy and course development.
- Bandy, J. (2011). . Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.
- . Source: The Service Learning Institute, California State University, Monterey Bay.
- A list of for over 80 disciplines in higher education.
Designate a Community-Engaged Course
The Association of American Colleges & Universities has identified community-engaged learning as a high impact educational practice. As a nation-wide norm, colleges and universities designate community-engaged learning courses which meet agreed upon standards vetted by the field's expert practitioners and faculty members from their respective institutions.
Thus, designating 亚洲情色 CEL courses brings our institution closer to compliance with national engagement standards and eligibility for high level awards and recognitions. Designation of these courses raises awareness about the significant effort being made by faculty, schools and departments on campus to enhance student learning and deepen university-community engagement. CEL designation also allows students to make informed and intentional decisions in selecting courses that engage the community. Offering CEL designated courses brings 亚洲情色 closer to our strategic goal to 鈥淔oster community engagement that benefits faculty, students and community partners鈥.
Designated CEL courses meet the following standards and criteria.
Academic credits
CEL courses are credit-bearing.
Service requirement
In CEL courses, service may be required for students enrolled in the course. There is no minimum number of service hours required, but the number of hours should reflect the importance of CEL in the course design and activities.
Benefits to community and students
In CEL courses, course content is directly linked to the service, which addresses community issues identified by community members. Course learning objective(s) are directly linked to service and mastery is expected and evaluated.
Structured reflection
In CEL courses, structured reflection is required with all students.
Student evaluation
In CEL courses, evaluation of students' roll in the service component of the course is required and should be linked to learning objective(s), include input from community partners and contribute to students' final grades.
CEL courses at 亚洲情色
See examples of CEL courses at 亚洲情色
Designation process timeline
(typically 3鈥4 weeks)
- Application is reviewed by CCE staff
- Instructor and CCE staff meet to discuss the details of the course, finalize application
- Course is approved, syllabus is posted on CCE website and designation code appears in the BU BRAIN
Student Learning Outcomes for Community-Engaged Experiences
What are our institutional learning outcomes
In fall 2023, a working group of faculty and staff who participate in community-engaged teaching/research and assessment personnel created a set of standard student learning outcomes for curricular and co-curricular experiences at 亚洲情色. These outcomes were based on the with modifications based on high quality practices in the field. Our institutional student learning outcomes are listed below.
As a result of participating in curricular or co-curricular community-engaged experiences, students should show an improvement in:
- Awareness of their attitudes and beliefs through working within and learning from diverse communities and cultures
- Ability to connect knowledge from their academic discipline(s) to their participation in community-engaged experiences
- Ability and commitment to collaboratively work across and within community contexts and structures that prioritizes reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationships/partnerships
How is the CCE assessing these outcomes
Each semester, the CCE sends a survey to students enrolled in CEL designated courses that asks them to evaluate their own learning as it aligns with the learning outcomes. Faculty offering CEL courses also receive a survey asking them to provide an estimate of the percentages of students who exceeded, met, approached or did not meet expectations as they relate to the learning outcomes. These surveys are an ongoing effort to broadly assess CEL courses and their outcomes.
Similarly, students who participate in community-engaged co-curricular experiences, or those with a community-based component, also receive a survey asking them to evaluate their learning as it aligns with the learning outcomes. We are also collaborating with offices/programs to integrate our learning outcomes assessment questions into existing assessment measures to capture this data.
Both of these efforts are ongoing and will adapt over time as the data are explored and used to improve practice and support for faculty and staff. Questions regarding these outcomes and assessments can be sent to Renae Barber at rebarber@binghamton.edu.