Community-based Learning Course Syllabus Design
A syllabus for a course which incorporates community-based
learning provides evidence of this component of the educational experience.
Students should be able to independently analyze the syllabus to gain knowledge
of the role community-based learning will have in the course.
The main components one expects to see are:
- Description of
community-based learning experience
- Goals and objectives of these
experiences for students and for community partners
- Opportunities for structured
reflection on the connections between academic content and service
provided
- Integration of academic
content and community service in methods of assessment of student learning
To determine the presence of these components, we look for:
- Course description which
includes description of community-based learning approach for the course
- Learning objectives for
students which address the community-based service experience
- General service objectives
for community partners
- Projects/assignments related
to the community service experience
- Readings/discussions/presentations
(i.e. course content) related to the community service experience,
illustrating a deliberate connection between the academic content and the
community service experience
- Opportunities for structured
reflection through assignments, journals, discussions, and other
mechanisms set explicitly in syllabus
- Assessment of community
experience as an explicit component of determining grading for the course
- Evidence of integration of
the community-based experience with other methods of instruction and
learning
There is no specific weighting of these components; however, the ideal
syllabus would include all of these components.
Community-based Learning Course
Syllabi - The National Campus Compact hosts a clearinghouse of successfully
implemented community-based learning course syllabi for a wide variety of
academic disciplines. Best Practices, Syllabi, Lesson Plans and Curricula - The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse provides a repository for effective service-learning practices for short-term and long-term classroom use, as well as suggestions for integrating national "days of service" into the curriculum.
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