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CSL and CBR

Community Service Learning

"Community Service-Learning (CSL) is an educational approach that integrates service in the community with intentional learning activities. Within effective CSL efforts, members of both educational institutions and community organizations work together toward outcomes that are mutually beneficial." (Canadian Association for Community Service-Learning) http://www.communityservicelearning.ca/

In CSL, community agencies define their need for a project to meet specific goals and contact the Centre for Health and Community Partnerships (CHCP) at Douglas College. Students are matched with the agency, dependent upon their knowledge, ability, interest and availability to work within the project.  The project involves students in meeting local agency needs while developing their academic skills and commitment to their communities. It provides them with real life experiences that are linked to academic content through the processes of critical reflection such as journal writing, small group discussion and the writing of analytical papers. At Douglas College, students become involved in CSL as a part of their coursework. CSL is listed as a component of the course Curriculum Guideline and an instructor thus oversees the experience.

CSL has been demonstrated as having positive effects on academic performance (including GPA, writing skills, and critical thinking skills), values (e.g., commitment to activism and to honoring and promoting diversity), self-efficacy, leadership, choice of a service career, and plans to actively participate in community work after graduation.

Community Based Research

"Community based research is research that strives to be:

• Community situated -begins with a research topic of practical relevance to the community (as opposed to individual scholars) and is carried out in community settings.
• Collaborative -community members and researchers equitably share control of the research agenda through active and reciprocal involvement in the research design, implementation and dissemination.
• Action-oriented -the process and results are useful to community members in making positive social change and to promote social equity.
  

Hallmarks of community based research

• The relevance of the research topic is identified or verified by community members.
• The resources of research (financial, expertise, etc.) are shared with community members, particularly those most affected by the research topic.
• The research process recognizes and utilizes the expertise that community members have.
• The research process recognizes and addresses power imbalances between researchers and community members.
• The research process is driven by values, including: empowerment, supportive relationships, social change, learning as an ongoing process and respect for diversity.
• The research process and results are accessible and understandable to community members.
• The research process and results consider and adapt to the context in which the research is conducted.
• The research leaves a legacy, both in terms of the utilization of research results, as well as in the future collaboration among partners. " [1]

For more information view these links:

http://www.douglas.bc.ca/cafd/rsa/resources/community-research.html

http://www.mhanet.ca/cbr/cbr.php

 [1] Centre for Community Based Research  website http://www.communitybasedresearch.ca/Page/View/CBR_definition.html  Retrieved 2009-07-09