Community-based learning assessment seeks to understand the impact that community based learning is having on students, faculty, community partners and the institution.
Assessment a priority with new curriculum
In 1995, after community based learning had been incorporated into the general education curriculum at Portland State University for a year, assessment became a priority, to test the value of the learning experience and provide data to support continuous improvement. We began our assessment efforts with a review of the literature, and found very little being published in student learning assessment.
Responding to the need to clearly define assessment methods, a team of administrators, faculty, and students began to test the idea of comprehensive case studies as the data source for assessment. Measurement tools were designed to combine qualitative and quantitative approaches, and data collection involved an ambitious vision of personal interviews, surveys, observations, document review, and focus groups.
Through a series of refinements, we are currently utilizing surveys with students, faculty and community partners to assess community-based learning courses. At the end of every CBL course, we collect data on the impact the community component had on the constituents. Anaylzing and reporting the data provides a valuable source of feedback for faculty for program improvement.
See the sidebars on this page for details on community-based learning assessment.
PSU Portfolio Themes