Community-Engaged Learning during COVID-19
COVID-19 has certainly presented challenges to the traditional learning environment. However, the time to lean into the community as our classroom has never been greater. Below is a curated list of resources to help you explore how you might integrate community engagement into your course in light of COVID-19 and the challenges it presents.
If you're looking to volunteer this year or partner with a non-profit organization, please watch this 3-minute training video first.
Safety
- Adhere to University guidelines for safety: https://www.drake.edu/coronavirus/.
- Adhere to the community partner's guidelines for safety.
- See How to Stay Safe as a Volunteer for additional suggestions.
- Communicate with your community partner(s) and students early and regularly
- Collaborate on changes to student work
- Adjust the scope of student work
- Adjust the timeline of student work
- Adjust the nature of student work
Other Campus Resources for Community-Engaged Teaching during COVID-19
CEL & Remote Teaching ideas:
- Students can conduct background research or gather best practices or other information requested by the partner(s);
- Students can tape, record, or stream performances or workshops to benefit community partner(s);
- Students can create digital and other social media content, print program materials, or other methods for information-sharing;
- Students can undertake assessment, evaluation, or feedback via phone or web-based services;
- Students can compile research or brainstorm strategies that provide indirect support from volunteers as a result of coronavirus;
- Students can conduct virtual or phone-based educational support for youth and adults
More ideas are available at:
https://www.marquette.edu/center-for-teaching-and-learning/documents/remote-community-engagement-activities.pdf
Online Teaching with CEL:
- Waldner, L., McGorry, S., & Widener, M. (2010). Extreme e-service learning (XE-SL): E-service learning in the 100% online course. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6 (4), 839-851.
- Waldner, L. S., McGorry, S. Y., & Widener, M. C. (2012). E-service learning: The evolution of servicelearning to engage a growing online student population. Journal of Higher Education Outreach & Engagement, 16 (2), 123-150.
- Guthrie, K.L., McCracken, H. (2010) Making a difference online: Facilitating service-learning through distance education. Internet and Higher Education, 13, 153-157.
- Guthrie, K.L. & McCracken, H. (2010). Teaching and Learning Social Justice through Online Service-Learning Courses. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11(3), 78-94.
- McWhorter, R.R., Delello, J.A. & Roberts, P.B. (2016). Giving Back: Exploring Service-Learning in an Online Learning Environment. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 14 (2), 80-99.
- Author Unknown. Online teaching: Incorporating service-learning handout. Indianapolis University Center for Service-Learning & Community Engagement.