Welcome to Community-Engaged Learning at McMaster
Welcome!
This comprehensive guide to community-engaged learning at McMaster was written by the ExCel Faculty Group at McMaster University (Experiential and Community Engaged Learning) to support students as they participate in curricular, co-curricular or extra-curricular community-engaged opportunities. It was created to provide professors with a means of preparing students for the demands of a community-engaged learning experience.
Students in Dr. Cathy Grise’s English and Cultural Studies 3RW3 developed the learning objectives and outlined the content for this Pressbook.
PressBook Learning Objectives
By the end of this Pressbook, learners will be able to:
- Analyze the value of and difference between experiential learning and community engagement opportunities
- Evaluate and apply McMaster’s Principles of Community Engagement to their experiences
- Identify and appraise the experiential learning cycle, reflection models, and appropriate assessment methods presented in the modules
- Reflect on their learning journey in the modules and apply this knowledge to their experiential learning and community engagement opportunities
Notes on Using this Pressbook
Navigation
To navigate through this Pressbook, please click on the “Next:” or “Previous:” buttons in the menu bar at the bottom of this webpage. You can also access specific modules in the PressBook by selecting the “Contents” dropdown menu in the top left corner of the page followed by the module that you wish to view.
Exercises
Throughout this Pressbook, we have included opportunities for you to reflect on and apply your learning. These exercises are housed in grey boxes like the one below and include interactive elements such as downloadable forms.
Module X Exercise Y: Sample Reflection
Please keep an eye out for these boxes, which contain exercises for you to complete as you work through this Pressbook.
While these exercises are embedded in the Pressbook, we have also created a downloadable Microsoft Word document with a cumulative list of exercises should you wish to track your learning and reflections in one place. You can access and download this document in the Appendix for Instructors or here.
Benchmarking Activity
It is common practice in Experiential Learning and Community-Engaged Learning to use a benchmarking activity: it occurs at the beginning and end of a course or unit so learners can do a pre-assessment of their knowledge and then, afterward, they can see how their thinking and skills have changed as a result of their learning.
Institutional Context
This resource was created at McMaster University and refers to specifics at our institution, but it can be useful to students in other post-secondary contexts.
Acknowledgments:
We are grateful for support from the Office of Community Engagement, the MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Excellence in Learning, and the Vice Provost Teaching and Learning.
Authors (ExCel Group): Brent McKnight, Cathy Grise, Margaret Secord, Jennie Vengris, Cam Churchill, Nikol Piskuric, Karen Balcom, Kim Dej, Jay Carter
Educational Developer, MacPherson Institute: Lisa Dyce
Student Developers: Mayson Broccoli-Romanowska, Sydney Adams-Edwards, Clare Dalingwater
Editor: Sarah Slasor
