Community-based Experiential Learning Research Articles

Experiential learning as community engagement: Exploring the experiences of undergraduate students in an African university

Higher educational institutions are most often expected to equip students with the needed skills to make an impact in their communities, while also contributing to sustainable development in their surrounding communities. Though efforts are being made to realise the above goal, there has been little academic attention given to how universities can engage with their surrounding communities in such a way that contributes to the training and learning experiences of students through community-based learning programmes. This research therefore explored the experiences of undergraduate students of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development located in Somanya, Ghana who engaged in a community-based experiential learning programme. Based on qualitative interviews, focused group discussions, and workshops with the students after their stay in the communities, the results indicate that they acquired problem-solving, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary knowledge skills. They also had the opportunity to interact with community members. For African universities, the study suggests that societal impacts through community-based learning should be a core pillar of university strategic priorities, rooted in Africanist principles of collective culture and learning. In sum, fostering strong university-community relations can help in aligning priorities and developing shared goals and strategies.

UEval: Bringing Community-Based Experiential Learning to the Evaluation Classroom

Abstract: This practice note describes the unique features of, and lessons learned from, UEval, an innovative one-week “evaluation institute” at the Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta. This initiative responds to an identified community and university need to provide contextual and socially relevant evaluation-focused educational opportunities to learners across disciplines and sectors. UEval is guided by principles of participatory and experiential learning and brings together undergraduates, graduates, and community professionals as co-learners for a mutually beneficial and sustainable educational experience. During the week, learners explore and apply evaluation theory through project-based curricula and develop evaluative responses to community-informed issues.

Evolution of a community-centred experiential learning module: A mixed-methods approach to promote social accountability and community partnership in undergraduate medical education.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: Education in social determinants of health (SDH) has become an important part of medical curricula, facilitated increasingly through students' experiential learning with communities. The Community and Workplace Centred Learning Experience (CWCLE) module of the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, intends to integrate and extend second-year medical students' attitudes, skills, and knowledge about SDH and community resources. We aimed to: 1) Solicit students' self-evaluation of their ability to perform module learning objectives, 2) Assess module impact on student attitudes toward SDH, 3) Obtain feedback from community partners and students about their community experiences, and 4) Use feedback to collaboratively develop recommendations to enhance the CWCLE module. Methods: We used a mixed-method approach to combine quantitative data with stories and personal experiences. We developed an online survey for two cohorts of students who had completed the module, soliciting students to self-evaluate their perceived abilities to perform the module's learning objectives and evaluating students' attitudes towards SDH. We invited representatives from community agencies involved in the CWCLE module to participate in focus groups. We also held separate focus groups with students who participated in the online survey to elaborate on their survey comments. Results: In total, 145 students participated in the online survey (response rate=72.5%). Eleven community agency representatives and seven students participated in five focus groups. Our results demonstrate that medical students benefit from community-based experiential learning of SDH and community resources. We trace evaluations and discussions in the ongoing development of this community-based experiential learning module from its initial, primarily medical-school driven designs, towards a substantial involvement of community-based organizations in its operation and continuing redevelopment. Conclusions: Our mixed method offered us a better understanding of module impact and opportunities for improvement. This module evaluation and reform generated opportunities for community partners to influence decisions in medical education and led to a collaborative evolution of a community-centred learning experience. Medical schools should actively engage community partners in teaching behavioural and social components of the curriculum and acknowledge their partners' expertise to promote community engagement and social accountability in medical education.

Healthy People, Healthy Community: Evaluation of a train-the-trainers programme for community health workers on water, sanitation and hygiene in rural Haiti

Objective: This evaluation examined the effectiveness and cultural compatibility of a community health worker (CHW) training programme on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Haiti. Design: Mixed-methods including pre- and post-course tests of WASH knowledge, focus group discussions and semi-structured observation. Setting: Haiti is among the world’s most underdeveloped nations for WASH infrastructure. In rural areas of the country, fewer than half of households have access to clean water and 22% have adequate sanitation facilities. The study evaluated a ‘train-the-trainer’ programme in rural southeast Haiti. Methods: Participants were 22 CHW supervisors responsible for training and monitoring the work of rural junior health agents (JHAs). The training programme was delivered by international trainers and consisted of 1 week of classroom training and 1 week of community-based experiential learning. Paired-samples t-tests were used to assess changes in knowledge, and robust qualitative methods were used to analyse focus group discussion and observation data. Results: Participants showed statistically significant improvement in WASH knowledge from pre- to post-test. In experiential supervisor-led training sessions, participants effectively conveyed course content to JHAs, and successful home visits demonstrated the potential for content to reach community members. The programme would benefit from providing educational materials to enhance dissemination. Participants expressed dissatisfaction with translations of course content and requested more frequent training, more emphasis on leadership development and specific content areas for future training. Conclusion: The CHW training programme enhanced trainees’ WASH knowledge and capacity to educate JHAs to disseminate the knowledge to local residents. The train-the-trainer model offers a cost-effective strategy for building local capacity for health education.

Cultivating Global Learning Locally Through Community-Based Experiential Education

Background: Global learning outcomes (GLOs) are increasingly emphasized within higher education because of the advantages they provide in navigating globalized contexts. The process of global learning may be understood through Mezirow’s theory of transformational learning, in which presentation of dissonant information results in more open, inclusive frames of reference. Purpose: We propose that local community-based experiential learning may facilitate development of GLOs through a process of transformational learning. Methodology/Approach: We used consensual qualitative research-modified (CQR-M) method to describe outcomes of a service-based experiential learning opportunity called Community Kitchen. Findings/Conclusions: Our analyses yielded seven domains within participant responses, many of which align with GLOs: impacting knowledge and skills, changing attitudes through transformational learning, contributing to personal benefit, facilitating relational connections, influencing vocational identity, engaging with the community, and providing a unique experience. Implications: Experiential learning may be a viable avenue through which global learning occurs locally through service-learning experiences.

Leadership Education for College and Career Readiness: The CAMP Osprey Mentoring Program

This article describes a program that combines meaningful community-based experiential learning for collegiate students with leadership-based mentoring, delivered either face-to-face or virtually, that helps K–12 students see college as an option for their future. The CAMP (Collegiate Achievement Mentoring Program) model is a partnership between institutions of higher education and K–12 schools, in which collegiate student mentors are paired with children in high-poverty K–12 schools to improve leadership and career-readiness skills for collegiate mentors and leadership and college-readiness skills for mentees. The CAMP model has positively impacted the academic and social outcomes of more than 1,500 student mentors and mentees in four states. This article describes the genesis, development, process, and outcomes of the CAMP Osprey program at the University of North Florida as a model for other educational institutions to replicate and adapt to meet the needs of their students. The program is readily replicable and is notable among mentoring models because it is based on leadership development and can be delivered virtually.

P167 - Experiential Learning: Community Nutrition Class Field Trip to Rural Community With Associated Program Planning

Objective: Evaluate the impact of a rural community-based experiential learning (EL) project and field trip on upper-division nutrition student knowledge and understanding of challenges and opportunities of healthcare professionals working in a rural community. Target Audience: Faculty, students, and community partners. Theory, Prior Research, Rationale: Experiential learning has been well-documented to enhance student knowledge and professional preparation, but such high-impact activities can be challenging in high-enrollment courses. Descripiton of Course and Curriculum: Undergraduate nutrition students at the University of Kentucky take a two-semester Life Cycle and Community Nutrition course sequence. In Part II of the course, students work in groups to develop a community programming intervention and evaluation plan. For spring 2017, a semester-long project and day-long field trip to rural Whitesburg, Kentucky, was included as part of the course to expose students to real-world challenges and opportunities in such a rural setting. Evaluation: Students completed anonymous surveys (n = 77) at the end of the semester. Survey results indicated that, on a Likert-scale of 1–7 with 1 being completely disagree and 7 being completely agree, students rated “The EL activity helped me to have a better understanding of my role as a community member” as a 5.3 + /- 1.4, “I understand the attitudes of rural communities toward seeking and receiving healthcare” as 5.7 + /- 1.2, and “I am sensitive to the psychological, cultural, and social factors that affect rural patients' health” as a 6.1 + /- 0.9. On a similar scale with 7 being incredibly important, “How important do you think real-life applications are in your college coursework” was rated as a 6.5 + /- 0.9. Conclusions and Implications: Overall, students reported that the EL activity provided real-life application to the course and exposed them to opportunities working as a healthcare provider in a rural setting. Students provided valuable feedback on improvements that could be made to the project and field trip structure, which are being incorporated during the spring 2018 semester. Funding: None.

Community-Based Experiential Learning : A Way of Reflexive, Transformative, and Relational Pedagogy in Physical and Health Education Teacher Education (PHETE)

Students in the post-secondary physical and health education teacher education (PHETE) programs are active and responsible participants in their own learning. In order to reach a deeper level of learning, students need to be fully engaged in their own learning and its outcomes. Inspiring these students, and then helping them translate that passion into proficiency in various areas in the field of physical and health education, are thus keys to the success of post-secondary PHETE programs. This viewpoint article discussed the potential contributions of community-based experiential learning (CBEL) approaches for PHETE programs as a way of promoting students’ active and responsible engagements in learning. Reflexive, transformative, and relational merits of CBEL in the context PHETE were explored.

What Is Corporate Social Responsibility?

This article describes an ongoing experience-based learning class project designed to help undergraduate students understand corporate social responsibility. The community-based experiential learning project engages students with local businesses to help the students understand what it means for a firm to be socially responsible. The goal of the experiential exercise is for students to intensely and thoughtfully consider the question, “What is the purpose of business?”

Disseminating Comparative Effectiveness Research Through Community-based Experiential Learning

Objectives. To launch and evaluate a comparative effectiveness research education and dissemination program as part of an introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE). Methods. First- through third-year PharmD students received training on comparative effectiveness research and disseminated printed educational materials to patients in the community who they were monitoring longitudinally (n=314). Students completed an assessment and initial visit documentation form at the first visit, and a follow-up assessment and documentation form at a subsequent visit. Results. Twenty-three diabetes patients, 29 acid-reflux patients, 30 osteoarthritis patients, and 50 hypertension patients received materials. Aside from the patient asking questions, which was the most common outcome (n=44), the program resulted in 38 additional actions, which included stopping, starting, or changing treatments or health behaviors, or having additional follow-up or diagnostic testing. Small but positive improvements in patient understanding, confidence, and self-efficacy were observed. Conclusions. Dissemination of comparative effectiveness research materials in an IPPE program demonstrated a positive trend in markers of informed decision-making.

Flexible Learning Strategies in First through Fourth-Year Courses

Flexible Learning (FL) is a pedagogical approach allowing for flexibility of time, place, and audience, including but not solely focused on the use of technologies. We describe Flexible Learning as a pedagogical approach in four courses framed by three key themes: 1) objectives and aspects of course design, 2) evaluation and assessment, and 3) challenges and improvements. Examples of strategies include: digital media-based assignments; iClicker and on-line quizzes; a librarian-created tutorial and links to copyright-cleared readings; use of Calibrated Peer Review as formative feedback; TurnItIn for self-review; wiki sites, group blogs and community work through Community-based Action Research (CBAR) conducted through the pedagogy of Community-Based Experiential-Learning (CBEL). We believe that the transferability of our experiences and findings is most relevant to educators seeking to create learning experiences that increase student engagement with complexity and uncertainty. FL approaches can help educators create learning environments that more closely resemble the contexts that students find upon graduation.

How do medical students develop the selfawareness as social entities during the longitudinal communication experience with citizens?

Objective: Diverse interactions with local citizens are known to broaden the health perspectives of medical students, stimulating their motivation to learn, and improving their communication skills. In recent years, the rapid decrease in birth rates and the transition toward a nuclear family structure have posed a challenge for medical students in Japan, given their lack of experience in communicating with citizens who are older than they are or whose social backgrounds differ from their own. We aim at exploring how a longitudinal interaction with citizens can develop medical students’ communication skills and understanding of themselves as social entities. Method: Thematic analysis was used to analyze descriptive comments submitted to an e-portfolio by 100 first-year medical students who participated in longitudinal community-based experiential learning for six weeks with one of three different kinds of citizens such as the elderly, pregnant mothers, or nursery school children in 2011. Five independent researchers extracted themes from comments collected from 45 individual students on each six weekly encounters. The remaining data were used to confirm data saturation. Results: Two different themes emerged from the analysis: 1) understanding of citizen’s centeredness in communication, and 2) understanding of human relationship and expansion of world as a social existence. The first theme contained three different stages: i) survival, ii) trial and error, and iii) shifting gaze. The second theme contained four different stages: i) narrow, self-centered worlds, ii) awareness of the citizen’s existence, iii) understanding the worlds of the citizens and expanding their views of life, and iv) self-realization as a social entity within an expanded worldview. These two themes became progressively deeper through the longitudinal and mutual interaction. Conclusion: The longitudinal, mutual communication experiences with citizens has an impact on the students’ development of self-awareness as social entities accompanied with improving their communication skills.

"Implementation of Community-Based Experiential Learning: Challenges, Opportunities, and Insights"

This symposium showcases the process of integrating and implementing community-based experiential learning in post-secondary education, offering insights from multiple perspectives including the institutional, college, and individual course levels. We propose to advance research and practice of community-based experiential learning by providing a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities that this approach presents, as well as frameworks and strategies for mitigating tensions and embedding community engagement into the curriculum and culture. The contributors--both faculty and administrators--highlight critical issues including institutional prioritization and restructuring, integration within and across programs, demonstrating impact, advocacy, and change management. The presentations collectively illustrate ‘championing’ community engagement from both top-down (institution, administration) and bottom-up (faculty, instructor) approaches. A Stakeholder-Governance Framework for Curriculum Development Presenter: Chelsea Willness; U. of Saskatchewan Presenter: Vince Bruni-Bossio; U. of Saskatchewan

4. Application of cultural anthropological fieldwork to community-based experiential learning

4. Application of cultural anthropological fieldwork to community-based experiential learning

Medical student participation in community-based experiential learning: reflections from first exposure to making the diagnosis

AbstractBackground: Fifth-year medical students from the University of Pretoria participated in a four-week rotation in the primary care clinics of a large metropolitan centre. An academic service-learning (ASL) approach was introduced into this rotation to improve the integration of theoretical learning and clinical practice through relevant community service and structured reflection.Methods: Students wrote semi-structured reflective journals as a means to gaining greater insight into their learning experiences. These reflections were analysed qualitatively with a view to improving the community-based curriculum.Results: Four major themes were identified: expectations and the reality of primary care; service and learning; becoming a doctor; and making a difference.Conclusion: While students gained a deeper insight into their development as clinicians, using an ASL approach also assisted the faculty in making an informed educational diagnosis of the curriculum.

The Pedagogical Value of a Student-run Community-based Experiential Learning Project: The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Public Health Screening

We assessed the pedagogical value of a student-led community-based experiential learning project called the Public Health Screening (PHS) run by medical and nursing students of the National University of Singapore's Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS YLLSoM). We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered anonymised questionnaire on medical and nursing students who participated in PHS using the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Survey Instrument. Participants also gave an overall score for their learning experience at the PHS. The participation rate was 93.1% (576/619) for medical students and 100% (37/37) for nursing students. All participants gave the PHS learning experience a high rating (median = 8 out of maximum of 10, inter-quartile range, 7 to 9). A majority of participants felt that PHS had helped them to improve across all domains surveyed. For medical students, those in preclinical years and females were independently more likely to feel that PHS had helped them to improve in communication skills, teamwork, ability to identify social issues, taking action, and gaining and applying their knowledge than those in clinical years and males. Improved ability to interact with patients (β=1.64, 95%CI, 1.01-2.27), appreciation of challenges to healthcare faced by Singaporeans from lower income groups (β=0.93, 95%CI, 0.49-1.37), thinking of others (β=0.70, 95%CI, 0.04-1.37) and tolerance of different people (β =0.63, 95%CI, 0.17-1.10) were strongly associated with the overall rating score. PHS was a positive learning experience in a wide range of domains for all students involved. This suggests that student-organised community-based experiential learning projects have potential educational value for both medical and nursing students.

Linking Theories of Service-Learning and Undergraduate Geography Education

Service-learning, or community-based experiential learning is receiving much deserved attention as an alternative or addition to the traditional university lecture. This approach to learning not only establishes valid linkages between the university and the community or public sector, but allows course participants to practice responsible citizenship while acquiring practical work experience. The main objective of this article is to establish the theoretical linkages between undergraduate geography education and service-learning. It is argued that community service-based learning is allied with pragmatic and constructivist theories, and may enhance undergraduate geographic education. Second, some of the strategies employed to establish effective university-community partnerships and offer students “hands-on” experience are introduced. In an upper-division land use planning course, the class first compiled a draft comprehensive plan that was adopted by the planning commission of a recently incorporated municipality, then assisted with plans for open space preservation and environmental protection in the community. A review of the course objectives and the planning project exemplifies the benefits of service-learning and its appropriate application to geography.

Working from Upstream to Improve Health Care: The IHI Interdisciplinary Professional Education Collaborative

Recognizing the need to find new models for educating health professionals, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) initiated the Interdisciplinary Professional Education Collaborative in April 1994. The goal of the Collaborative is to improve health care by working from upstream, to address the health professions workforce changes demanded by the need to deliver better care at a lower cost. With support and advice from IHI and others, faculty leaders in health professions education from the disciplines of medicine, nursing, and health administration framed a vision of the future in which "health professions education has evolved into an integrated teaching/learning environment in which health professionals are working together across discipline boundaries, using the best knowledge for improvement to continuously improve health care". This article describes the first year of the three-year project. The 1994-1995 pilot year of the Collaborative involved more than 60 learners and 50 faculty members, across multiple disciplines. At each of the four sites, education was integrated with efforts to improve health care delivery. Education-oriented outcomes include assessment of student learning (applied knowledge and skills) and program evaluation (student and faculty feedback on the effect of the project on community-based experiential learning sites). Even at this early stage, there is evidence of change in participating institutions. The Collaborative in now planning how to increase the number of students and faculty involved in such a way that a deeper understanding of how to prepare new health professionals to improve health care may be determined.