As a research methodology, Participatory Action Research (PAR) is an ideal blend of CCT skills and tools. The author of the article, Couto quoted Freire (1970) in saying that "PAR is a community-based, problem-centered, active learning pedagogy, and it imparts several social problem-solving skills and lessons about participation in democratic societies". The article chronicles efforts by the author to engage students from the University of Richmond in a participatory action research project. The purpose of the research was to better understand needs and issues facing the Richmond Juvenile and Family court system. During the project, students worked with detained juveniles to better understand how the system was affecting each individual. The article provides a clear overview of participatory action research, offering numerous benefits of the process. The author suggests that PAR has the potential to be seen as the "scholarship of engagement" and is spreading in the same way that community service and service learning caught on in the 1970's and 1990's.

This article discusses the use of large-scale randomized trials to evaluate social policy. For decades, policy makers have rolled out changes without taking the time to conduct research to determine if the idea would be effective. One reason policy makers shun trials is the reality that the trials and experiments do not always support the ideas or policies. Rather than taking the time to conduct trials, policy makers prefer to "act swiftly" and propose policy. The article references the efforts of abstinence education, Scared straight programs, drug testing in prison populations, and school driving programs as examples of policies that have not worked--the research and data suggest the programs are not effective, yet policy makers continue to support the efforts.

Over 12 million people have viewed this 20 minute video--check it out! There is also an interesting piece in the LA Times about this video http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-story-of-stuff-20100713,0,2775603,full.story

This article discusses the debate in LA over a "database" that indicated the value of every teacher in the LA school district. The controversy was sparked when a teacher recently committed suicide after a less than effective rating

While this article is a bit dated, the concept of virtual volunteering intrigued me. I am interested in exploring this notion a bit more to determine if some of the same benefits can be achieved. It is a nice link between my work in this class and what I focused on in the 692 course.

This site serves as a clearinghouse for resources related to service learning.

This interactive site provides a wealth of information on the research that is being conducted on young people and their civic engagement.

This site provides provides a multicultural lens through which to view action research. There are numerous resources for teachers who want to incorporate social justice within their curriculum.