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Centre for Teaching and Learning

Experiential Learning

Decorative image of community business organization

CTL supports academic Community-Engaged Learning in two ways:

  1. Instructor Support: For information on booking an experiential learning consultation, visit https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/ctl/educational-development and click on "Experiential Learning Consultation."
  2. Student Support: We offer the academic experiential learning course, CTLB03, “Introduction to Community Engaged Learning.” More information about CTLB03 can be found below.
CTLB03H3 Introduction to Community Engaged Learning
Are you interested in adding real-world experience to your classroom learning at UTSC? Experiential Learning, also known as Community-Engaged Learning, offers you the opportunity to test what you learn in your courses by applying it in a community setting and through the process of reflecting on this experience. In Experiential Learning, classroom and community enrich each other
 
Placement Opportunities for WINTER 2023 are now OPEN! Deadline for placement applications is November 27, 2022.
 

CTL’s Community-Engaged Learning course: CTLB03H3 Introduction to Community Engaged Learning

In this experiential learning course, students apply their discipline-specific academic knowledge as they learn from and engage with communities. Students provide, and gain, unique perspectives and insights as they interact with community partners. Through class discussions, workshops and assignments, students also develop transferable life skills such as interpersonal communication, professionalism and self-reflection that support their learning experiences and help them connect theory and practice.

Weighting: 0.5 credits on student transcript with final grade factored into GPA
Prerequisite: Completion of 4.0 credits and selection of a UTSC Specialist or Major program. 
First-year students are NOT eligible to take this course while still in first year
Exclusions: FREC10H3, HCSC01H3
Breadth Requirements: Social & Behavioural Sciences
Offered: Fall 2022  and Winter 2023 Thursdays, 11:00am - 1:00pm (In-Person) 
NOTE: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY at weekly "lectures"

Link to UTSC Timetable

 

 

 

There are two (simultaneous) parts to the CTL Community Engaged Learning experience:

  1. Students attend (*MANDATORY*) weekly class meeting (Thursdays, 11am-1pm) and complete associated ASSIGNMENTS.

    Students all meet together for two hours per week with the course instructor and/or guest speakers where they are familiarized with community engaged learning concepts and key skills to achieve the most learning from their placement. CTLB03 assignments and evaluations include readings, discussions, a presentation, and critical self-reflective writing to continually monitor and assess how their community engaged learning experience enhances their own scholarship.
    See sample SYLLABUS from Fall 2019 (Note that CTLB03 was previously called "Introduction to Service Learning".)

  2. Students work with a community organization, engaging in activities related to their academic field of interest

    "Placements" with community organizations require 5 – 7 hours/week of learning through experience during the 11 – 12 weeks the student is enrolled in the CTLB03 course. Through these community engaged learning placements, students bring concepts taught in their academic courses to discipline-related community partners. These might include, for example,  area schools, laboratories, non-profit organizations, and campus units. Students learn about the current needs of the communities they are serving and the approaches used to meet these needs. By employing academic knowledge in a meaningful context, students become active learners. Through practice, concepts become solidified and students develop a sense of ownership over self-generated knowledge. Students learn to recognize issues, formulate and carry out initiatives and evaluate progress, and thus become more self-reflective learners. Communication and other skills imperative to professional practice are strengthened and students have direct experience with how knowledge is generated and transferred.

*Please note that should courses have to switch to remote delivery, placement activities with community organizations will also have to be carried out remotely.

Please feel free to contact us with your questions:
ctlb03.utsc@utoronto.ca

 

 

 

Placement details and requirements will be listed on CLNx. Make sure you download and follow the steps under "How to Apply".

Winter 2023

  • 42 Voices: Community Outreach Assistant
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters (South-West Durham): Intake Support & Group Program Facilitation (and other Various Opportunities)
  • Citizens Climate Lobby Toronto (CCL): Volunteer Outreach Worker for Scarborough Chapter
  • Coalition for Music Education: Communications & Program Coordinator
  • Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA): Project Associate, Gender-based Violence
  • Ethical Digital Ltd.: Research for Digital Strategy Report Creation
  • MP Shaun Chen's Constituency Office Volunteer
  • Near North Palliative Care Network (Remote Only): Online Volunteer Visiting Hospice Experience
  • New Horizons Band of Toronto: Digital Accessibility Assistant
  • Openly Connected: Connected Communities Research
  • Sistema Toronto: Teaching Assistant (Music)
  • South Asian Autism Awareness Centre (SAAAC): Arts Program Support

Please feel free to contact us with your questions:
ctlb03.utsc@utoronto.ca

 

CTLB03 Student Step By Step Instructions for CLNx Winter 2023.docxWinter 2023 placement opportunities will be open for applications soon.
Step by step instructions on how to apply: CTLB03 Student Step By Step Instructions for CLNx Winter 2023
Note that students will be able to select up to three placements to apply to and we will be matching students to placements.

Please feel free to contact us with your questions:
ctlb03.utsc@utoronto.ca

 

What is "Community Engaged Learning"?

I HEAR AND I FORGET
I SEE AND I REMEMBER
I DO AND I UNDERSTAND.

                                              - Confucius

Community Engaged Learning is a type of EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.

Experiential Learning (from the University of Toronto Experiential Learning HUB site.)
"Experiential learning means learning from experience or learning by doing. Experiential learning allows you to learn new skills, understand workplace practices, acquire new knowledge, and explore how your academic experiences can help you contribute to the broader community and society. Through reflecting on these experiences, you will be able to perceive changes in your thinking or attitudes, articulate what you have learned, and position yourself for future opportunities."

Community Engaged Learning (CEL) (from The University of Toronto Centre for Community Partnerships)
"Community Engaged Learning is just what it sounds like: learning that engages the community. In practice, this means that in addition to coursework – or completely outside of the classroom – students spend some time getting involved with a local community organization and contributing to their efforts. Typically there is also training and reflection so that students get the most out of the experience.

"Academic" Community Engaged Learning can be described as a “course-based, credit-bearing educational experience that allows students to (a) participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and (b) reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility.” - Bringle and Hatcher (1995).

Academic community-engaged learning focuses equally on the student and the community organization. The placement activity is designed by U of T faculty and staff, in collaboration with the community partner, to address a need identified by that organization while aligning closely with the purpose of the academic course. Academic community-engaged learning placements are like an experiential text – primary source material from which you can draw new frames of reference, perspectives and knowledge."

Benefits of Community Engaged Learning:
Students learn about the current needs of the communities they are serving and the approaches used to meet these needs. By employing academic knowledge in a meaningful context, students become active learners. Through practice, concepts become solidified and students develop a sense of ownership over self-generated knowledge. Students learn to recognize issues, formulate and carry out initiatives and evaluate progress, and thus become more self-reflective learners. Communication and other skills imperative to professional practice are strengthened and students have direct experience with how knowledge is generated and transferred.