Assessment of a Community Based Learning Project with Teens

Abstract

The assessment criteria, rubrics, and results of a three-year high-impact community-based learning research project embedded in an undergraduate course will be discussed and analyzed for ways in which it can be replicated by others. Within a general education course entitled Theatre for Social Change, Georgia College students work with teens from Early College, an intervention strategy to enhance college readiness in underrepresented students. Together, the college students and teens problem solve social justice and health issues through drama performances which will be demonstrated during this session. The innovative pedagogy which has fostered an assessment process through portfolios emphasizing critical thinking and personal reflection and Association of American College & Universities (AAC&U) VALUES rubrics which evaluate community and civic engagement will be shared. Collaborative service learning project leaders and general education professors will appreciate how the general education outcomes assessments close the loop in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Learning objectives will include: a) enhancing assessment practices within innovative learner-centered pedagogy; b) connecting general education outcomes with community-based outcomes; and c) helping students understand their growth process through assessment.