Community Connections in a Digital World: Learning Communities, Community Engagement, and Micro-credentials

Abstract

This project focuses on a learning community for first-year students at a large, urban university in the US that has a community engagement theme. The learning community offers students an opportunity to earn a community engagement micro-credential that is designed highlight specific skills and competencies, including: cultural awareness, civic engagement, community based research, innovation and entrepreneurship. This high impact program is designed to model the idea that giving back to the community is an important college outcome, and that working with community partners is good preparation for citizenship, work, and life. Students within this learning community have the opportunity to not only mold their professional trajectory with an academic major or minor, but also through the completion of micro-credentials. Micro-credentials are short, competency-based pathways that provide students with recognition and demonstrate mastery in intentionally, focused area(s). The integration of micro-credential pathways are meant to be personalized, flexible, and performance-based so that learning community students have a marketable quality to share with future employers and graduate programs. These students are earning a community engagement micro-credential designed to increase cultural awareness and collaborate with diverse populations.

Presenters

Tracy Bonoffski
Faculty/Learning Community Coordinator/Academic Advisor, Applied Physiology, Health and Clinical Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Poster Session

Theme

2024 Special Focus—The Converging Challenges for Inclusive Education: Intercultural Competences and Digital Literacies in Global Contexts

KEYWORDS

Cultural awareness, Inclusivity, Micro-credential, Learning community, High-impact practice

Digital Media

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