Course-based Civic Engagement: Understanding Student Perspectives and Outcomes

Abstract

Student reflections on course-based civic engagement provide insights into their experiences and can be a useful foundation for crafting assignments to meet student needs. Rich student narratives emerged from of an immersive semester-long community-based project in a public advocacy course. Although a number of interesting findings, including insights about student learning, personal growth, and empowerment, are embedded in the reflections, this paper focuses on how students described civic engagement, both their experiences and general conclusions about the nature of productive community involvement. Students identified five factors—research, collaboration, effort, passion, and responsibility—as useful and imperative for civic engagement.