Community-Engaged Learning is a teaching methodology based on experiential learning and social constructivism, emphasizing ‘learning by doing’. Since CEL is a new methodology within the medical curriculum, this project examined second-year medical students’ learning in a CEL course, focusing on their perception of their learning. Analysis of students’ reflections of the course showed that CEL contributed to valuable competencies that extend beyond textbook and classroom knowledge. Moreover, barriers and facilitators were identified that influence student learning outcomes during CEL.

Background information

Community-engaged learning (CEL) combines community service with academic instruction to enhance students’ learning, civic responsibility and social understanding. In medical education, CEL provides students with real-world environments where they can engage with patients, clients and other professionals, fostering essential clinical skills and social accountability. Instead of mastering textbook knowledge, CEL focusses on experiencing and developing understanding through interaction. In contrast to the traditional learning environment, the CEL environment is less structured and uncertain and the learning that takes place is mostly unsupervised. These differences in learning environment may be challenging to students, who then cannot fully use the CEL opportunity to enrich their learning. While the learning outcomes of CEL have been extensively studied, the factors that hinder or facilitate learning during CEL remain understudied.

Project description

24 second-year bachelor medical students from Utrecht University enrolled in a new CEL course called ‘Health in vulnerable patients’. The course integrated academic instruction with community engagement in the form of volunteer work at community centres (e.g. a soup kitchen) that involved direct interaction with community members. Like most CEL courses, reflection played a crucial role in this course. The qualitative data collected in this project were students’ written reflections at the onset and the completion of the course. Since knowledge about hindering and facilitating factors in CEL is limited in the literature, an inductive approach was adopted to analyse the written reflections.

Aims

This project aims to answer the following research questions by evaluating the role and impact of CEL on educational effectiveness, to understand how CEL can be integrated into medical education.

• How effectively can students, accustomed to traditional academic learning, learn in CEL?
• What are students’ perceptions of their learning within the CEL context?
• Which factors facilitate and hinder learning during CEL?

Results and conclusions

The study explored how CEL impacts medical students’ professional development, focusing on reflection from participants. The results show that CEL experiences significantly contributed to the development of key competencies such as empathy, leadership, and communication skills. Students highlighted a greater awareness of social factors influencing health, increased cultural sensitivity, and a better understanding of healthcare disparities. These learning outcomes extended beyond academic knowledge, fostering personal growth and a connection to the communities they served.

However, students also reported several barriers to effective engagement, including time constraints, unclear expectations, and challenges in aligning academic requirements with real-world community work. Facilitators of successful CEL included mentorship and structured reflection.

The conclusion emphasizes that CEL is a valuable educational tool for preparing future healthcare professionals to work in diverse, real-world contexts. To enhance its impact, the study recommends clearer frameworks, institutional commitment, and stronger integration of CEL into the formal curriculum. The authors call for shared responsibility among students, educators, and community organizations to optimize learning outcomes and sustain long-term partnerships.

References

• Stewart, T., & Wubbena, Z.C. (2015). A Systematic Review of Service-Learning in Medical Education: 1998–2012. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 27, 115–122.
• Dong, H., Lio, J., Sherer, R., & Jiang, I. (2021) Some Learning Theories for Medical Educators. Medical Science Educator, 31, 1157–1172.

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