Student learning and effective teaching practices: how college students communicate learning through civic engagement

Civic engagement initiatives in higher education have reentered the classroom as an effective way to achieve course-related goals and prepare students for citizenry. Communication courses have become a prominent site to implement civic engagement practices because of the role communication plays in the cultivation of informed and engaged citizens. Assessment of these programs is a necessary component of educational implementation because of the valuable information student feedback provides educators. This thesis focuses on a civic engagement program called the Great Debate, an event that engages students in an informed dialogue surrounding a contentious topic with members of the community. Students complete an assessment of the event every semester, resulting in a robust archive of student reflections. Using a qualitative approach, students’ self-reports of their experience at the event are analyzed to illuminate how civic engagement impacts learning. Findings support existing research about what constitutes effective civic engagement practices, as well as the types of learning that occurs after students civically engage. This study also offers insight into how students express their interest to participate at civic engagement events, and how different types of participation impacts their learning.