Community-Engaged Pedagogy in the Psychology Classroom: Shelter Dogs go to College

Abstract

Community-engaged pedagogy has the potential to benefit both students and the community. The purpose of this project was to design a new undergraduate psychology course according to recommended community-engaged practices and to explore learning outcomes associated with it. The Canine Learning and Behavior (CLB) course, taught by faculty and community co-educators, offered undergraduate psychology students the opportunity to train shelter dogs and write shelter-specific grant applications. Learning outcomes were assessed via course grades and self-evaluation questions for students enrolled in the CLB ( n = 21) and in a comparably challenging Sensation and Perception (SnP, n = 47) course, taught within the same semesters by the same faculty instructor. In comparison to participation in the SnP course, participation in the CLB course was associated with higher content comprehension, confidence in and familiarity with relevant skills (i.e., dog training and grant writing), as well as awareness of and sense of responsibility to the needs of the community. The employment of community-engaged pedagogy can benefit various stakeholders, including students, the community, and in this specific case, shelter dogs. This proof-of-concept study may encourage psychology educators to integrate community-engaged pedagogy into their curriculum.