The Present and Future Tasks of Community-Linked Education for Liberal Arts Education in College

The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics and research results of community-linked education models, which have been receiving intensive attention in recent years due to the transition to competency-based education. This study also aims to discover the future directions and/or tasks for enhancing the effectiveness of community-linked education as liberal arts education. For this, firstly this study reviewed the literature review pertaining to the college-community linkage types and community-linked education models for liberal arts education. Secondly, this study conducted comparison analysis between 5 community-linked education models such as club activities, volunteer activities, out of class experiences, service-related subjects, and service learning, in order to derive implications for future community-linked education. As a result, the following 5 directions or tasks were proposed: First, in-class activities and community-related volunteer activities should be meaningfully connected through the subjects and students’research to increase the effectiveness of community-linked education. Second, elaborated learning models for community-linked education should be developed to maximize the improvement of the learners' core competencies and other educational effects through the curriculum or subject. Third, effective teaching models and strategies for operating this course should be specified, and textbooks and manuals should be developed and shared among the faculty. Fourth, a dedicated body, which is responsible for building networks for regional communities, and supporting and connecting faculty who facilitate this course, should be established and operated. Fifth, only highly responsible faculty members should be designated for this subject, so that they can devote themselves to this subject’s continuous improvement. Lastly, more research on community-linked education should be carried out and the results should be shared to establish a nationwide college-community-local government cooperative system, which improve not only students’ competency, but also community’s problem solving capacity.