Re-Imagining Community-Engaged Learning: Service-Learning in Communication Sciences and Disorders Courses During and After COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose Community-engaged learning, often practiced through service-learning pedagogy, has been shown to have numerous benefits for both students and communities in communication sciences and disorders undergraduate and graduate programs. While service-learning typically involves students applying their knowledge and learned skills to help satisfy an expressed community need, the recent shift to online learning combined with shuttered community partner organizations may make some practitioners hesitant to pursue the pedagogy. This tutorial reviews the literature on service-learning, its use in online learning, and ways in which faculty in higher education can re-imagine and prioritize community engagement during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Continued community-engaged learning, whether through virtual, hybrid, or in-person practice, is still an essential component of a liberal education that can help students practice clinical skills, develop cultural humility and cross-cultural knowledge, gain an understanding of social inequities and health care disparities, and build positive relationships with their community. There are ways for faculty to re-imagine service-learning course delivery in order to maintain the virtues of higher education, sharpen clinical skills, and develop civic engagement among students.

Critical Online Service-Learning Pedagogy: Justice in Science Education

“…Traditionally, service learning has been an in-person experience undertaken in the community to yield the connection with, and reflection on, that community. However, our current physically distanced world necessitates the use of online platforms for service learning, adding an additional layer of complexity to the development of these connections with our communities that allow us to address social issues and advance the public good ( 13 ).…”

"Plan for the Worst, Hope for the Best, but Realistically, Expect a Combination of Both:" Lessons and Best Practices Emerging from Community-engaged Teaching During a Health Crisis

“…As Veyvoda and Van Cleave (2020) indicate, "the most pressing concerns related to teaching and learning during the pandemic involv[e] basic needs" (2020, p. 1544) of students as well as of staff. Knowing that some students had a few weeks to move out of student housing and try to take care of other needs beyond academics, I was honest with my partners about some not being able to continue working with their agencies.…”

Adapting the Evidence Academy model for virtual stakeholder engagement in a national setting during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Online conferences have become an essential part of scientific communication [19], and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have offered a safe platform for facilitating inclusive participation in community-based research [20][21][22]. While barriers such as lack of access to computers or the Internet, fewer opportunities for social interaction, and online fatigue, may exist [23,24], online conferences can be more accessible for low-resourced populations that must consider travel or budget restrictions, and for people with disabilities, family responsibilities, and health concerns [24], thus diversifying representation and enhancing collaboration across divers groups [25]. In a pandemic such as COVID-19, online conferences should be included as a form of engagement so that diverse stakeholders can readily and safely convene to collectively develop and implement contextually appropriate solutions for rapid impact.…”