Community-based Design Education?

Community design is the application of various social, physical, and ecological sciences through creative problem-solving to come to know, analyze, and envision the potential of our local environments. When youth are engaged in the design process, they learn to identify assets and needs, frame problems, work collaboratively, explore and appreciate the context of their place, develop and weigh alternatives, evaluate outcomes, and communicate their ideas and values orally, graphically, three-dimensionally, and in built form.

Design education is also about hands-on, applied learning. It takes abstracts concepts of a variety of disciplines and puts them into practice for the everyday world. There is a high correlation between the thinking and “doing” processes inherent in design and the demands that today’s students will likely face as adults. Studies of design-based learning conducted by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) show that design education programs engages different types of learners, creates student-centered program development, assists students in developing a variety of communication skills, and promotes civic responsibility and community engagement.

Community-based education uses attributes of the local communities as an “integrating context for learning”, creating a framework that emphasizes interdisciplinary, collaborative, student-centered, engaged learning experiences. In 1998, representatives of state educational agencies comprising the State Education and Environment Roundtable initiated a study to examine environment-based education to determine its effectiveness to improve student learning, and influence their ability to garner leadership and civic skills needed to be an active citizen in their community. In examining 40 programs from across the nation, their finding demonstrated that when students are engaged in place-based learning experiences they: 1. Outperform their peers in traditional programs; 2. Garner greater understanding and interest in language arts skills, mathematical concepts, scientific problem-solving, and civic processes; 3. Develop increased proficiency in solving problems, thinking strategically and creatively, and applying knowledge to complex interrelationships and interactions of community and natural systems; and 4. Promote stronger group-work ethics, communication skills, general civility and have reduced disciplinary problems. Teachers in these programs also reported an increased enthusiasm and commitment, and greater opportunities to apply innovative instructional strategies.

Few models exist that permit students to explore educational components through this integrative process. Even fewer examples are available that focus on the uniqueness of the urban context, it’s ecological systems, cultural resources, and social environments.