Packing Slip 
item |
The Impact of Community Based Research on Student Learning (2005-2006 MIL Fellowship) |
contact |
Brian Dille (Mesa Community College) brian.dille@mcmail.maricopa.edu |
college(s) |
Mesa Community College |
discipline(s) |
Political Science, Sociology |
summary |
My project seeks to explore and promote community-based research as a pedagogical strategy for courses in the social sciences. |
details |
(Abstract) My project seeks to explore and promote community-based research as a pedagogical strategy for courses in the social sciences. In my discipline, the existing literature on this type of research is sparse, as little funding is available at research universities for these types of efforts. Due to their unique role and access to local interests, community colleges are ideally situated to combine the research needs of a community with the discipline-based learning needs of students (Russell 1976). A central purpose for higher education is to prepare students for active participation in our government and our communities (Colby et al. 2003). To encourage participation, I have experimented previously with community action plans in my American Government courses. In their action plans, the students identified a problem area, summarized the existing policy dealing with that problem, and then proposed a solution to that problem. These solutions were often unrealistic, antiseptic, or otherwise disinterested academic exercises. At the end of the course students were content to have earned a grade; few had any expressed desire to follow through on their action plans. What was needed was a mechanism to translate students' increase in knowledge to engagement in their communities. Over the past three years, I have turned to service-learning to provide this link. I also improved the learning context in which the students worked by joining this class to a learning community with an English composition taught by Jonelle Moore, a colleague from Mesa Community College. The experiences the students had in their community did improve their desire to engage their community and led to better understanding of community issues. But the action plans they produced, while now passionate, were still unrealistic and unconnected to actual community policy trends. In addition, while reviewing student reflective essays, I found students were having difficulty differentiating between the positive feelings associated with service and discipline-based learning. Clearly, service learning alone is not meeting my course objectives. My experience is supported by research that indicates that while service learning is laudable, by itself it does not result in engaging students into being politically active (Ball 2003; Barker 2004). I decided to shift the course toward a community-based research (CBR) focus with the end goal of having the students present their research to policy makers in order to effect change in their communities. Service learning and community based research are not of course mutually exclusive. Blundo 2003 is one example of putting CBR and service learning together. But I wanted to change the emphasis from service to data collection as a way to engage the students in politically useful ways. Throughout this period of pedagogical experimentation I have sought to improve the experience of the student and shape the course so that learning is enhanced. In doing so I did not assess student learning outcomes in a systematic way, critically review the knowledge base in my discipline about community-based research, or contribute to that knowledge in any way. In short, I have been guilty though of engaging in teaching that is a "seat-of-the-pants operation, with each of us out there making it up as we go," as charged by Hutchings and Shulman (1999). As my MIL project, I reviewed the existent literature on problem-based learning, action research, and other pedagogies of civically engaged scholarship so that I can build on best practices rather than rediscover them through trial and error. I then applied these practices in my course and directed students in gathering, analyzing, and presenting policy-relevant data on topics they generate. I conclude the project with a comparison of student learning and civic engagement between courses that use this pedagogy and courses that don't. Note! As a professional courtesy to the owner of this package, if you use some aspect of this package or have some thoughts about it, please share your feedback via the comments form below. |
web links |
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mil/ http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mil/fellows.php?what=bio&yr=5&id=1 |
supplements |
Final Report (document) Note! As a professional courtesy to the owner of this package, if you use some aspect of this package or have some thoughts about it, please share your feedback below. |
comments |
Most recent comment about this package:
On Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 1:49PM Sherry Linkon <sllinkon@ysu.edu> said: |
shareback |
A "Shareback" cites the places on the web that mention, reference, or use this MLX package, and "shares" that information back here (more about shareback...) Sharebacks can be generated automatically by weblog tools. |
extra |
Last modified: Jan-24-2008 Date created: Oct-28-2005 Visitor count: 3629 Dublin Core Metadata record  This package is included in the Maricopa Institute for Learning Final Reports special collection. |
Maricopa Learning eXchange
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mlx/slip.php?item=1775
