- What is community-engaged learning?
- My students give service in my class. Is it community-engaged learning?
- How is community-engaged learning different from community service and internships?
- What is the advantage of taking (or teaching) a community-engaged learning course?
- Is assistance available for faculty who choose to include community-engaged learning activities in their classes?
- How are community-engaged learning sites selected?
- What kinds of service can students do?
- How are students graded in a community-engaged learning class?
- How can students find out which classes offer community-engaged learning?
- Why is there a hyphen in community-engaged learning?
What is community-engaged learning?
Community-engaged learning is a holistic pedagogy that integrates meaningful community service, community engagement, or civic engagement into academic course objectives through experiential learning and critical reflection to enrich the educational experience of students, teach civic responsibility, and meet the needs of a community.
My students give service in my class. Is it community-engaged learning?
Maybe. The CCEL staff is happy to discuss whether your class meets the requirements for community-engaged learning. We can also assist you in course design and the incorporation of best practices.
How is community-engaged learning different from community service and internships?
The primary beneficiary of community service is the recipient of the service; the primary beneficiary of an internship is most often the student, who gets hands-on experience, but there are community-engaged learning elements which can be developed here. In community-engaged learning, both student and community benefit; a student learns in a hands-on model while providing a service that benefits the common good.
What is the advantage of taking (or teaching) a community-engaged learning course?
Studies indicate that students forget half of what they learn passively, but they remember 90% when they DO the "real thing." Astin’s study from the Higher Education Research Institute indicates that service participation shows significant positive effects on all its outcome measurements, including: GPA, writing skills, critical thinking, values, self-efficacy, and leadership.
Is assistance available for faculty who choose to include community-engaged learning activities in their classes?
Yes, CCEL can assist with everything from restructuring syllabi to selecting community partners. Depending on the coursework, there may also be funds available for travel and meals.
How are community-engaged learning sites selected?
Faculty members ask CCEL staff to provide possible sites where service goals match academic course objectives. CCEL members consult with agencies, community organizations, and MSU Extension Centers and supply ideas for sites that provide the most appropriate match. Faculty members then choose the appropriate site considering safety, supervision, orientation, and evaluation for faculty, students, and community partners.
What kinds of service can students do?
The nature of the service varies with the discipline….from grant writing and tutoring in composition classes to designing and building playgrounds and special wheelchairs in engineering classes. The service may be in the form of a project such as a marketing plan for a non-profit agency in a business class or weekly mentoring at an agency or school. In all cases, the service is directly connected to academic learning goals and is designed to enhance learning by testing theory or developing skills.
How are students graded in a community-engaged learning class?
It depends on the class and the instructor, but generally the amount of service is not the important part. Academic credit is awarded for the learning that comes from the experience. The learning may be measured by projects, papers, presentations, reflective journals, or other methods, and the course is structured so that students do different work, not more work.
How can students find out which classes offer community-engaged learning?
For information about courses that incorporate community-engaged learning or provide students with MSU's community-engaged learning designation please contact the Center for Community-Engaged Learning at (662) 325-2370.
Why is there a hyphen in community-engaged learning?
The hyphen emphasizes the reciprocal nature of service-learning. Both the community and the students benefit. The hyphen also represents reflection, which is the bridge between service and learning.