Community Based Learning

Community Based Learning (CBL) is a learning approach in which academic institutions and community organizations work together in order to meet their common needs. While the communities provide the worksite as an extension of the classroom, the students help the organizations to solve their problems through projects proposed based on both sides’ interests. The main principle underlying CBL as a learning approach is that through exposure to both community and classroom environments, students can most effectively and efficiently acquire knowledge, build skills, and develop useful attitudes.

This workshop aims to introduce the Community Based Learning to participants, most of whom have limited experience in designing CBL courses. The participants will acquire the necessary knowledge and practical application of CBL through three interactive sessions. The first session is meant to introduce the CBL as a learning approach, actors of CBL, elements of a high quality CBL, its limitations and challenges. The second session aims to help participants understand the CBL framework through which the participants will design and implement their courses. The aim of the third session is to strengthen the theoretical background introduced in the first two sessions by giving the participants a chance to draft their CBL course plans.