Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Publication Date

4-2024

College

University College

Department

Honors Program

BURS Faculty Advisor

John Gonas

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Abstract

The Branch of Nashville is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide comprehensive care to the diverse neighborhoods of Nashville, TN through food, ELL services, and individualized support. The services and resources that this organization provides are essential to the acclimation and thriving of vulnerable groups in their new communities. The volunteers at The Branch play a pivotal role in ensuring that each client is welcomed into the community and has their needs appropriately addressed. Thus, there is a need for volunteers to undergo adequate training to feel confident in performing these roles. The Branch, however, currently lacks training materials that are easily accessible, that are available prior to the volunteer’s shift, and that do not require close guidance from members of the organization’s staff. This not only hinders the impact of the volunteers but also applies additional pressure to the staff members and takes time from their daily work. This research focuses on supplementing the volunteer training experience at The Branch in a sustainable way, allowing the deliverables to be used long-term and without depleting the resources or time of the staff. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods identified three volunteer roles that are vital to the functioning of the organization and that could benefit from more robust training materials. Additionally, research from Cynthia Brame, Ph.D. and Associate Director of the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching, suggests that technology can enhance learning outcomes, and videos can serve as especially useful tools in this regard. Her research emphasizes the importance of reducing cognitive load on the viewer in order to encourage viewer engagement and active learning when using videos as teaching tools. Therefore, separate videos have been developed to explain the three critical volunteer roles identified through CBPR in a manner that will maximize viewer learning–improving the confidence and competence of The Branch’s volunteers in regards to organizational knowledge and cultural sensitivity–and promote sustainability within the organization.

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