Best Practices in Teaching Civic Engagement

Summary Findings from President’s Teaching & Learning Scholars Project

1. Literature review of “teaching” and “civic engagement”;

2. Review of post-secondary institutions with explicit civic engagement courses, programs and/or missions;

3. Focused conversations with civic engagement scholars, educators and program coordinators (incl. service learning based on a very targeted small sampling; and

4. Review of any survey or evaluation data on engagement activities as part of classroom requirements (Arts Cares).

5. Pedagogical experimentation

Methodology

Ehrlich (2000) Civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.

He goes on to argue that: “... A morally and civically responsible individual recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own”

Key role for universities as pillars of civil society, key opportunity for liberal arts in critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, community responsiveness

Civic Engagement

Civic discourse

Civic Action

Civic Engagement

Context

University (macro-level)

PSCI Dept (micro)

Pressure to shift to “skills-based

knowledge” (jobs)

Declining voter turnout

Pressure on community based organizations/local

governments,

Democratization of access to post-

secondary

Increased public & government

scrutiny

Research Applications

For University Classrooms, Programs, Community & the Institution

Q: Can civic engagement be taught? A: No, but it can be modelled & encouraged: at micro

levels (classes) & macro levels (institutional mission, curriculum support)

Q: Should civic engagement be an objective for courses, depts, Faculties, University?

A: Yes. Publicly funded institution, political-economic context. Liberal Arts: need to demonstrate value.

Q: What conditions/elements encourage civic engagement in classrooms?

A: See next slide Q: How to best measure impact & communicate

successes? A: Next steps.

Guiding Questions

Principles: Intentional Coherence Rooted in theories of human

development/socialization & learning (mix of learning modalities)

Reflective of demographic & development of learners

Responsive to community, institutional, disciplinary/programmatic and individual needs (experiential, theoretical & community dialogue)

Interdisciplinarity & collaboration

How can we encourage/model civic engagement?5 components: 1. Student learning2. Curriculum

development/transformation

3. Community-defined priorities

4. Knowledge production

5. Impact Assessment: do students become “engaged” citizens & how do we know?

Sample PSCI Class Elements in Practice

Classroom Elements Activities

Theoretical grounding: text, lectures

“Real world” application: connection to issues happening in the news: focus area

Assignments to engage students to contribute to debate/solutions while critiquing theory

Social media for dialogue/narrative shaping

Community outreach/inreach: guest speakers/practitioners, community service learning.

2011 Sask Election: focus Discussion of election, political

parties, party systems, convergence debate

Examination of SP/NDP party campaigns vis-a-vis materials, media coverage, polling, campaign strategies

Election prediction exercise, mapping

Social media presence #URPSCI #skpoli

Student work at Global to “call” the election, post-election analysis: blogs, media, Op-Eds, Engaged learning on election campaigns

47 programs across Canada have all been implemented within the last 5 years

Growth in knowledge production: CASL, publishing & academic conferences, research

Career & leadership links

Key Drivers: Professor initiative Mission statement

congruence Institutional

support(s)/formalization, elevation of merit recognition of teaching

Curriculum Review Political context

Institutional Support

Key role in instructional support Single point of entry for community Impact assessment CRU surveys of students from 2010-2013 who

participated in week-long Arts Cares Positive trends: appreciation for hands-on

experience, development of networks, connections between theory and practice

Challenges: community preparedness, relevance of placements, pedagogically appropriate assignments, depth & length (Reading Week) limitations, limitations of impact assessment measures

Role of Service Learning, CRU

“I felt useful” (2013 student comment)

Vancouver: Campus City Collaborative, City Studio

Opportunity to collaborate on projects to assist the City in implementation of “Vancouver’s Greenest City 2020 Action Plan”

Specific projects included: working with city planner on mini parks/natural environment initiatives, urban forestry management plan, abandoned spaces mapping, etc.

Project components included academic skills development, knowledge production sharing, relationship building, and specific action.

Possibilities: SFU Semester in Dialogue “Semester in the City”

1. Piloting a local version of SFU’s “Semester in the City”

2. Developing impact assessment measures

Next steps