Center for Excellence in Teaching
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Open in new tab Tips From CET on Community-Based Learning
Community-based learning connects academic study with engagement in communities outside the classroom. Students learn with and from community partners through meaningful interactions, such as collaborating on projects, participating in fieldwork, or engaging in dialogue.
Benefits of community-based learning include:
- Deeper engagement: Students see the real-world relevance of their coursework, which increases motivation and retention.
- Reciprocal impact: Communities benefit from the ideas and skills of students, while students gain perspective on lived experiences outside the classroom.
- Skill development: Students build collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills in context.
- Professional preparation: Community-based learning can expose students to potential career paths and networks in their field.
You can get started with community-based learning without redesigning your entire course. Even small activities can give students opportunities to engage with and learn from communities. You can scale community-based learning to fit your course goals, time constraints, and comfort level—from a single guest speaker to a semester-long partnership.
Ideas for Incorporating Community-Based Learning in Your Courses
- Invite guest speakers (community leaders, nonprofit staff, practitioners, artists, activists, alumni) to share lived experiences connected to your course content.
- Host a panel discussion featuring multiple community voices, with students preparing and asking questions.
- Design a short field trip or site observation where students interact with a community organization or within a professional setting..
- Create interview assignments in which students speak with community members and reflect on connections to course objectives.
- Co-develop a small project with a local partner (e.g., a needs assessment, creative work, outreach plan).
- Organize service-learning experiences aligned with course objectives, such as tutoring, mentoring, or supporting community programs.
- Facilitate collaborative workshops where students and community members create something together (e.g., art, performances, research, policy briefs).
- Integrate oral histories or storytelling projects that honor and preserve community knowledge.
- Engage in problem-based learning with real-world cases provided by community partners.
- Include reflective assignments (e.g., journals, essays, or multimedia projects) that ask students to connect their community engagement to academic learning.
- Explore campus support options from the USC Joint Educational Project (JEP) to connect your course with opportunities for community-engaged activities.
References
Blatt-Gross, C. (2023). Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Community-Based Art Education among Students in Higher Education. Education Sciences, 13(2), 166. USC Libraries link.
Clanton Harpine, E. (2024). Service Learning in Higher Education: From Pedagogy to Practice (2024 edition). Springer. USC Libraries link.
Kalas, P., & Raisinghani, L. (2019). Assessing the Impact of Community-Based Experiential Learning: The Case of Biology 1000 Students. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 31(2), 261. USC Libraries link.