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Community-based Research with Students

Community-based Research with Students. Bow Valley College June 7, 2010 Dawne Clark, PhD Mount Royal University Centre for Child Well-Being. What is Community-based Research?. My definition – community-based research: is housed in the community

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Community-based Research with Students

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  1. Community-based Research with Students Bow Valley College June 7, 2010 Dawne Clark, PhD Mount Royal University Centre for Child Well-Being

  2. What is Community-based Research? • My definition – community-based research: • is housed in the community • is mutually beneficial (faculty, students, community) • supports community needs • enhances student learning • impacts curriculum

  3. Supporting Community Needs • Agencies seeking to improve their practice • Program evaluations • Needs assessments • Community scans • Few in-house resources • Lack capacity • Staff too busy

  4. Enhancing Student Learning • Engages students in practical experiential learning • Teaches skills • Builds confidence and awareness • Increases students’ employability and career satisfaction

  5. Impacts Curriculum • Cycles new knowledge from projects back into curriculum • Enhances and supports faculty knowledge and skills • Builds strong connections with community

  6. An Example Physical Activity For Preschool Children

  7. Year One Questions: • How much physical activity do children in group care settings in Calgary have each day? • What are caregivers’ attitudes towards physical activity for children?

  8. What We Did • Child Studies students framed the research • Literature review • Research question • Surveys • Ethics application • ELCC students • Explored issue of physical activity • Collected data

  9. Year Two How to support caregivers to provide more physical activity or preschool children? • 35 ELCC 2nd year students (Play 3) • Created activities to support physical activities • 40 ELCC 1st year students (Practicum) and 3 CHST students • Piloted, revised, and refined activities

  10. Results from Year Two • Resource manual • Workshops for caregivers • Changes in ELCC curriculum! • Involvement • 8 faculty from 3 programs • 150 students (ELCC, CHST, COMM) • 110 child care centres http://www.mtroyal.ca/wcm/groups/public/documents/pdf/hop_skip_and_jump_completed_pd.pdf

  11. Year Three • Students helped to revise resource manual • Adaptations and extensions • Injury prevention and safety • Student conference presentations • Students co-authored articles

  12. Results to Date • Change in ELCC curriculum at MRU • Second edition of resource manual (July 2010) • 120/150 child care centres in Calgary thinking about and planning for physical activity

  13. In the Works • Cultural understandings and expectations of physical activity for preschool children • ELCC –cultural awareness – staff and children • CHST – survey of new Canadian parents • ELCC and CHST – creating brochures for families • Policy • Working with AELCS to add examples into accreditation self-study

  14. How to Sustain Change? • Education – caregivers, owners/operators, licensing officers, students, faculty • Resources - equipment, materials, and space • Policy – develop activity guidelines and add to accreditation standards

  15. Why is this Project Working? • Grass roots engagement • Students, caregivers, owners/operators • System support • MRU faculty • Children and Youth Services • Alberta Health Services • ASRWPF, Canada Sport for Life • Health Quality Council of Alberta • AB Association of Colleges and Technical Institutes • Useful end products • Resource manual and workshops

  16. How to Become Involved in Community-based Research • Ask questions • Pursue improvement • Seek partners • Advocate for change • systemic • policy • in-house • ?

  17. The End

  18. Dawne Clark, PhD Centre for Child Well-Being Mount Royal University www.mtroyal.ca/wellbeing

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