Community-Based Instruction
This gateway to Community-Based Transformational Learning (CBTL) allows students to work with and through local organizations to accomplish a specific task or set of tasks; or to expose or deepen students’ experiences with groups or social systems with salient needs. These experiences enrich the students’ understanding of themes such as wellness, poverty, privilege and cultural competence. As a performance-based model, the service deliverables and the execution of the management of the deliverables is part of the students’ learning assessment.
What makes community-based instruction unique?
- The purpose is generally to offer students opportunities to work with local organizations to accomplish specific, content related tasks
- These experiences usually require that students have an emerging disciplinary proficiency
- Students should can expect to spend a minimum of 15-30 hours working with the community over the course of a semester
- Community-based instruction is a performance based model where grades are tied to the student’s ability to carry out specific, content-related tasks
- Community-based instruction generally serves as a bridge between introductory forms of community-based learning (outreach, volunteering and immersion) and advanced forms of community-based learning (apprenticeships, internships and research)
- Interaction with the community is typically recurrent and more prolonged
- Most faculty find that community-based instruction experiences require multiple opportunities for reflection (including pre-flection) for students to adequately process their academic and cultural development via the experience.
What are some of the common forms of community-based instruction?
- Capstone Projects
- Civic Engagement Projects
- Learning Communities (some forms)
- Public Awareness/Education Activities
- Service-learning (both thematic and project)
I want to create my own community-based instruction experience. Where can I find support?
There are several offices and departments at UNF to assist you in successfully developing and integrating specific aspects of your community-based instruction program.
