Infusing Creative Energy to Encourage Civic Values and Action in Project-Based Learning and Community-Based Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-86
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Art And Design ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Civic Consciousness ◽  
Design Pedagogy ◽  
Civic Values ◽  
Democratic Engagement ◽  
Civic Skills

Contemporary methodologies of art and design pedagogy offer ways to address pressing societal issues and to improve civic knowledge through purposeful inquiry and action. The creative energy inherent to art and design allows faculty to open dialogues, foster ambiguity, and deepen content for undergraduate students through a number of approaches—from project-based learning in foundation courses to community-based research in capstone experiences. This article details a creativity model comprising actionable methods for bringing civic consciousness into the classroom by aligning best practices from art and design pedagogy with the concepts and nomenclature of civic learning and democratic engagement to critically address broader issues. By examining selected case studies, the authors demonstrate that creative energy is a necessary component to applying civic skills and enabling collective action throughout a student’s undergraduate education. Educational experiences that allow students to follow their curiosity and explore ambiguity in an effort to address wicked problems in their coursework, such as food insecurity, can have lifelong value.

Empowering Undergraduate Students Through Community-Based Research

2018 ◽  
pp. 288-307
Author(s):  
Gemma Punti ◽  
Nitya V. Chandiramani ◽  
Chelsea Maria Steffens
Keyword(s):  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Civic Learning ◽  
Civic Skills ◽  
Group Interviews

Community-based research (CBR) is a powerful pedagogical tool for actively engaging and empowering undergraduate students in their research endeavors. This chapter explores how CBR facilitated undergraduate researchers' transformative learning and the development of their civic skills when collaborating with alternative schools. Using the undergraduate researchers' reflections, focus group interviews, and a survey, this case study reveals how developing relationships with young, underserved community members was essential in changing their perspectives regarding the educational system and themselves. Furthermore, the undergraduate researchers' obstacles in collaborating with the community and within their team cohorts became critical sources of civic learning. The challenges of working with various partners fostered their capacity to navigate ambiguity, develop flexibility, and determine which experiences to communicate to community partners. CBR compelled the undergraduate researchers to maneuver through the unforeseen challenges of real life collaborations.

scholarly journals OLDER ADULTS AND THE WORLD CAFé APPROACH: CROSS-GENERATIONAL INITIATIVES IN RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S602-S602
Author(s):  
Nuelle Novik ◽  
Bonnie Jeffery ◽  
Tom McIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Evaluation Research ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Research Unit ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
World Cafe ◽  
The World

Abstract In Canada, numbers of older adults are considered to be increasing, and by 2036, it is expected that seniors will reach 25% of the total population. Since 2009, the Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit (SPHERU) has developed an interdisciplinary approach to a community-based research program focused on rural older adults. The world café approach is recognized as collaborative and ideal for encouraging dialogue, sharing knowledge, and developing action plans. Set up like a café, four to six participants at each table engage in a series of three conversational rounds lasting approximately 20 minutes each. At the end of each round, participants move to different tables while the facilitator(s) remain at their original tables. We incorporated a world café approach in three distinct research projects, facilitating a total of five world café events. For each of these events, we also engaged with graduate and undergraduate students who were trained to serve as table facilitators. Participating students represented a variety of disciplines including social work, nursing, and gerontology. Older adults participating in the world café events reported positive experiences and appreciation for the opportunity to discuss new information. Student facilitators identified their participation as a “real life” learning and networking opportunity that enhanced their classroom experiences. Challenges identified included issues related to individual mobility, and issues related to noise and sound quality for those with hearing deficiencies. A community-based approach to research is effective when engaging with this population, and a word café event brings seniors directly into the discussion.

scholarly journals Improving EFL Undergraduate Learners’ Speaking Skills Through Project-Based Learning Using Presentation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Lawarn Sirisrimangkorn
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Business English ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Skill Improvement ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods ◽  
Speaking Skills

Project-based learning has been variously integrated into EFL instruction to promote learners’ language learning and skills. The objectives of this research study were to examine the effects of project-based learning using presentation on EFL undergraduate learners’ speaking skills. Furthermore, this study sought to explore learners’ opinions on the use of project-based learning using presentation. The participants of this study were 31 second-year undergraduate students who majored in Business English. The research instruments in this study included speaking tests, project-based learning instructions, questionnaires, and interviews. The obtained data were analyzed by quantitative and qualitative methods for the result interpretation. The findings of this study revealed that students’ speaking skills had significantly improved after the project-based learning implementation. Moreover, the students expressed positive opinions towards project-based learning using presentation as it was perceived to have helped improve their speaking skills. The findings from the interviews revealed that the project-based learning using presentation was positive for learners’ speaking skills according to their presentation tasks, scaffolding activities, and practice of integrative skills. A cooperative learning environment is perceived as useful for learners’ speaking skill improvement. However, time constraint posed a major challenge in the study. Further studies are recommended to encompass a community-based context for speaking skill improvement. Instructional implications derived from the findings include implementing project-based learning using presentation in order to provide learners with an authentic English speaking context and to promote the integrated skills.

scholarly journals From Uncle Tom’s Cabin to “Countering Colston”: Slavery and Memory in a Transatlantic Undergraduate Research Project

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Reid-Maroney ◽  
Amy Bell ◽  
Neil Brooks ◽  
Olivette Otele ◽  
Richard White
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Public History ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Research Project ◽  
History And Memory ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Uncle Tom's Cabin ◽  
Student Researchers ◽  
The Uk

AbstractIn 2016–17 and in 2018–19, undergraduate students and faculty at Huron University College in London, Canada, and at Bath Spa University in the UK collaborated on an innovative community-based research project: Phantoms of the Past: Slavery and Resistance, History and Memory in the Atlantic World. Our paper outlines the structure of the project, highlights student research, and argues that the Phantoms undergraduate student researchers helped to create an innovative and important body of work on transatlantic Public History and local commemorative practice.

scholarly journals Undergraduate Student Led Research: An Applied Anthropology Course as a Community-Based Research Firm

Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-20
Author(s):  
Jason Miller
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Applied Anthropology ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
Hands On Learning

Increasingly, undergraduate students desire hands-on learning experiences to prepare them for life after graduation. Research experience at the undergraduate level unlocks a key skill set students need and desire in terms of its anthropological value and also the value of transferable, critical thinking skills. This article explores the creation and continued development of my Applied Anthropology course which relies heavily on community-engaged research and community-engaged pedagogy. The course is structured as if participants are an independent, community-based research “firm” that has been contracted by a local community agency to undertake research on their behalf. Students manage every aspect of the project including developing data collection tools, seeking Institutional Review Board ethics approval, collecting and analyzing data, and ultimately preparing a technical report, policy recommendations, and presentation for the client. In addition, I will discuss the benefits to both students and community partners (including practical research experience and, in some cases, already implemented policy suggestions) as well as some of the challenges to this approach including time, capacity, and commitment. I conclude by reflecting on my role as mentor during this process and provide suggestions for those who would like to create a similar research experience for their own students.

scholarly journals Undergraduate Student Research Opportunities and Economic Revitalization through Urban Agriculture Initiatives

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
Michael R. Schläppi
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Community Organizations ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Development Effort ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Community Based Research ◽  
Research And Teaching ◽  
Economic Revitalization

Through interactions with the recently formed Cooperative of the Institute of Urban Agriculture and Nutrition (CIUAN), a catalyst initiative co-governed by community organizations and academia to engage in mutually beneficial research and teaching projects, Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is supporting community efforts to bring healthy food to urban environments. This paper will discuss an innovative model, Sustainable Research and Economic Developmenet model, to involve undergraduate students in interdisciplinary community-based research exploring pathways for urban agriculture and urban farmers markets to turn blighted properties into gardens, or rice paddies, as part of a larger metropolitan community economic development effort. 

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document