Community Based Learning

Community Based Learning Venn Diagram

The Four C's of Critical Reflection

Critical Reflection is one of the core components of community-based learning as it bridges in class learning with service experiences and encourages students to think critically about root causes, applications of their service and class material, power, privilege, and their role in society.

Continuous

Reflections should be ongoing and regular. They should be expected as a regular occurrence by students in the course.

Connected

Reflections should be connected to the academic learning outcomes of the course. Theories discussed in the classroom can and should be translated to real life. 

Challenging

Reflections should urge students to think in a different way, ask different and difficult questions, and to get out of their comfort zone. Reflections should create dissonance and give students an opportunity to think differently about the issues, themselves, and the community. 

Contextualized

Reflections should occur with context in mind. Relate reflections back to current affairs and the experiences students are involve in through service. 

Principles of Partnership

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) developed a list of Guiding Principles for Authentic Partnership that serve as a foundation for developing campus-community partnerships. 

  1. The Partnership forms to serve a specific purpose and may take on new goals over time. 

  1. The Partnership agrees upon mission, values, goals, measurable outcomes and processes for accountability. 

  1. The relationship between partners in the Partnership is characterized by mutual trust, respect, genuineness, and commitment. 

  1. The Partnership builds upon identified strengths and assets, but also works to address needs and increase capacity of all partners. 

  1. The Partnership balances power among partners and enables resources among partners to be shared. 

  1. Partners make clear and open communication an ongoing priority in the Partnership by striving to understand each other’s needs and self-interests, and developing a common language. 

  1. Principles and processes for the Partnership are established with the input and agreement of all partners, especially for decision-making and conflict resolution. 

  1. There is feedback among all stakeholders in the Partnership, with the goal of continuously improving the Partnership and its outcomes. 

  1. Partners share the benefits of the Partnership’s accomplishments. 

  1. Partnerships can dissolve, and when they do, need to plan a process for closure. 

  1. Partnerships consider the nature of the environment within which they exist as a principle of their design, evaluation, and sustainability. 

  1. The Partnership values multiple kinds of knowledge and life experiences.