Project Title: “College Students’ Perceptions of Community Engaged Learning (CEL) Coursework”
Mentors: Dr. Danielle Condry, Microbiological Sciences, North Dakota State University
Johnny Nguyen, North Dakota State University
Community engaged learning (CEL) is an experiential learning pedagogy that is unique because of its equal benefits for each stakeholder and the emphasis on reflection. Service-learning is another name for CEL. CEL is a collaborative process between students, community partners, and the university. Students benefit from improved learning, real-world experience, and the development of teamwork and communication skills. The community benefits from accessing the resources of the university and working towards a meaningful solution. The university improves its standing within the community. Students complete reflection activities to transform their experiences into a valuable education. CEL is used in the health sciences but is used infrequently in STEM courses.
A survey was given to 448 students at North Dakota State University in March 2019 to investigate undergraduate students’ perceptions of CEL. The survey was given in four classes that did not use CEL and asked students about what they thought of CEL being implemented in the course. Lower-level microbiology and psychology and upper-level microbiology and psychology courses were given the survey. The results were analyzed using thematic coding and inter-rater reliability (IRR) of 0.93 was achieved.
Although some of the students reported completing CEL courses, many students did not know what a CEL course was. They were also unfamiliar with the many benefits to themselves that come from completing a CEL course. Upper-level students reported valuing the connection to the real world more than the lower-level students. The upper-level students were both more excited and more nervous for CEL than the lower-level students. Logistical concerns were the largest problem students identified with the implementation of CEL courses.
At the start of CEL courses, professors should explain the benefits of CEL courses to students. This would improve buy-in from the class and help students become less nervous. For institutions starting CEL programs, they should be initially adopted in upper-level courses because these students would be more receptive to CEL. When scheduling CEL courses there could be a specific lab devoted to completing the projects. Both the university and community would know that the project would be completed during that time.