LEARNING MODELS
100X - Week 7
For this assignment, I chose to develop a learning scenario using both the Experiential Learning model and Project-Based Learning. The students at my institution seem to engage better and learn more when they are immersed in real-world, hands-on experiences, and are able to personally connect with the subject matter by making it meaningful. Secondly, the objective of the assignment, to understand the concept of civic engagement, aligns well with, and essentially requires students to research and participate in civic engagement activities within their communities and develop their own model organization as part of a project. I selected the Formative Assessment method to allow students to share their insights and receive feedback from the instructor and their peers.
Learning Scenario
Civic Engagement is defined in the "21st century as recurrent and purposeful efforts by members of a community, who through their voluntary interaction with others, seek to promote the common good – locally, nationally, or globally – by means of political and non-political processes and actions". (Jonathan Becker, CEU DI Working Papers 2023/10)
This learning scenario will involve an individual assignment (experiential learning) followed by a small group assignment (project-based learning). The individual piece will require students to learn about the concept of civic engagement by identifying five organizations or groups within their communities that they believe are involved in activities that align with the definition above. From this list they will select one to develop a relationship with by shadowing members to learn about the mission, activities, progress, challenges and future goals. Additionally, they will draft ideas to recommend to the organizations that could improve their recruitment, effectiveness, or community messaging.
Using this newly acquired information, the students will work in small groups to develop a prototype for a civically engaged organization. They will conduct research on the issue at hand, write a mission statement and develop an action plan. This action plan needs to include identifying and recruiting community stakeholders and community volunteers, and listing activities that could make a positive impact on the community or address a wider social issue.
Formative Assessment
The goal of the assessment is to provide students with several opportunities to receive feedback, guidance, and support during their learning experience. The first method will involve students' self-assessment and peer feedback. After the students have compiled their lists of civic engagement organizations, they will present them to the larger class and explain why they identified them as such. They will take questions and comments from the instructor and their peers, and fine-tune their list to identify organizations that accurately meet the definition. The second opportunity for feedback will take place after the student has shadowed and "studied" the civically engaged organization they selected. They will present to the class a summary about the organization and highlight what they learned, what they still need to understand about both the organization and civic engagement in general, and how their experience changed or shaped their perspective.
The second method of assessment will involve actionable feedback. The instructor will work directly with the student groups (that are developing a mock civic engagement organization) to ensure that they have applied the feedback from their independent assignment to inform their group plan and ensure that they are building on the learning from their individual assignments.
Authentic Assessment
An authentic assessment will allow the students to showcase the knowledge they have acquired and apply it to real-world scenarios. For the individual assignments, each student will present their findings from their experiences with the civic engagement organization to the organization itself. The "experts" at the organization will be presented with the student's reflections and observations on the organization and provide ideas for improving recruitment, effectiveness, and community messaging. The student and organization experts will hold an open discussion and share feedback. This dialogue can potentially benefit the organization, but will substantially increase the learning experience for the student.
Connections to Learning Theories
There are several learning theories that are woven into this learning scenario. The first is Connectivism. Both the experiential learning and project-based learning assignments encourage learners to actively participate in discussions, share resources, and collaborate on projects. Constructivist theory is also represented in this learning scenario. The idea that learning is supported by creating pedagogical conditions for the successful construction of knowledge and understanding, rather than transmitted to a student. The student-led activities in both assignments are good examples of this, as well as the idea that knowledge is actively built through human work and interaction. Additionally, some scaffolding exists since the individual assignment builds a foundation for the group project and ensures greater success and learning.